Fishing Report : Trout Getting Bigger as Season Goes On at Irvine Lake
Trout fishing at Irvine Lake has been excellent since “trophy-sized” rainbows were planted in the early fall, and the action hasn’t showed any signs of slowing. In fact, bigger fish have been caught each week by anglers fishing the west shore and Sierra Cove.
Greno Dpillo of Hawthorne used a night crawler on the west shore and caught a rainbow trout weighing 12 pounds 8 ounces. Dan Carlson of Costa Mesa used cheese to catch a 12-pound 5-ounce rainbow.
The best catches of the week, however, belonged to Jim and Julie Norris of Hawthorne, who teamed up to bring in seven trout totaling 31 pounds 8 ounces.
WILLOW BEACH--Striped bass biting. Jeff Bensen, Las Vegas, 12-0 striper. Trout very good, up to 5-0. Several limits reported. Thomas W. Lutz, Las Vegas, 10 trout averaging 3-0. Rick Mendaza, Las Vegas, 9 trout, averaging up to 3-0.
LAKE MEAD--Fishing slow overall, but some striped bass biting at 100 feet. Trollers with downriggers getting best results.
BULLHEAD CITY--Trout beginning to spawn. Trolling with needlefish at mouths of coves best bet. Largemouth bass slow, biting in deep water. Catfish fair.
LAKE CACHUMA--Trout good, some limits reported. Tim LaFavor, Los Olivos, 3-4 trout, on night crawler. Bill Stephens, Santa Ynez, 3-0 trout, near harbor entrance on night crawler. Roy Smith, Cachuma, 2-8 trout. All other species slow.
LAKE ISABELLA--Fishing slow overall. Trout biting at Kissack Cove, mostly on salmon eggs and marshmallows. Largemouth bass slow, but some being taken on crawfish and water dogs. Catfish biting mostly on clams and mackerel.
IRVINE LAKE--Trout excellent, with most catches between 5-0 and 10-0. West shore and Sierra Cove best locations. Adolph Madrid, Hawaiian Gardens, 9-8 trout. James Donnell, Los Angeles, 8-0 trout. Catfish fair. Crappie fair, averaging a pound.
VAIL LAKE--Catfish very good. Shaun O’Connor, Temecula, 20-12 catfish. Ray Lekowicz, Harbor City, 17-2 catfish; next day four catfish weighing 59-8, largest 13-4. Fred Huber, Escondido, and Tom Lange, San Diego: 7 catfish weighing 48-15. Clare Bacon, Encinitas, 10-8 catfish. Largemouth bass slow. Joe Valero, Alta Loma, 8-1 bass. Trout fair to good.
Saltwater
SANTA BARBARA (Sea Landing)--10 anglers (1 boat): 1 calico bass, 1 sand bass, 48 mackerel, 18 whitefish, 1 cow cod, 24 red snapper, 45 rockfish.
OXNARD--23 anglers (1 boat): 10 calico bass, 80 blue perch, 15 whitefish, 2 sculpin, 4 sheephead, 10 rockfish.
SAN PEDRO (L.A. Harbor Sportfishing)--12 anglers (1 boat): 11 calico bass, 7 sand bass, 8 sculpin, 9 whitefish, 16 rockfish.
DANA WHARF--8 anglers (1 boat): 20 bass, 5 bonito, 22 rockfish.
SAN DIEGO (Seaforth)--67 anglers (2 boats): 1 barracuda, 142 bonito, 2 calico bass, 46 sand bass, 36 rockfish, 150 mackerel, 2 sheephead, 11 sculpin. (Islandia)--21 anglers (1 boat): 105 bonito, 8 sand bass, 2 calico bass, 2 sculpin, 2 rockfish, 13 mackerel.
Trout Plants
LOS ANGELES--Little Rock Reservoir, Puddingstone, San Dimas Reservoir, San Gabriel River (East Fork).
SAN BERNARDINO--Colorado River (Havasu), Cucamonga-Guisti Park Lake, Glen Helen Park Lake, Mojave Narrows Park Lake.
RIVERSIDE--Cahuilla Lake.
KERN--Hart Park Lake, Kern River (Borell Powerhouse to Democrat Dam, KR3 Powerhouse to Lake Isabella), Ming Lake.
