Catfish Are Abundant at Irvine Lake

The attention has turned from trout and bass to catfish at Irvine Lake, which has been yielding consistent numbers of the whiskered fish.

Frank Wong of Cerritos caught a 31-pound 2-ounce catfish, a weight that took Terry Morris and Anne Ferris of Anaheim nine catfish to match.

BULLHEAD CITY--Striped bass best bet, biting on the Colorado River. Artificials working best.

SALTON SEA--Orangemouth corvina best at Red Hill, with live bait working best. Croaker bite consistent at Bombay Beach. Best in late evenings and early mornings. Flathead catfish biting at Alamo River and at All-American Canal.

LAKE CACHUMA--Trout fishing best for trollers fishing deep water at the west end. Best still fishing at the east end. Catfish biting throughout lake on mackerel.

LAKE CASITAS--Catfish providing most action, biting on most baits.

PYRAMID LAKE--Striped bass slow, with best fishing in marina. Trout fishing fair. Largemouth bass biting off dropoffs at 35 feet. Catfish bite picking up, fish averaging six pounds.

LAKE PIRU--Catfish the best bet, biting along east shoreline and north and south ends of lakes. Other species slow. Vicky Baker, Westchester, seven-pound bass.

CASTAIC LAKE--Catfish to 17 pounds biting throughout lake. Other species slow.

IRVINE LAKE--Catfish biting throughout lake, best at the Flats and near dam. Crappie excellent, biting on mini-jigs at Catfish Tree and cove near dam and docks. Diana Chacon, Glendora, nine crappie, 5 1/2 pounds. Trout biting best at Sierra Cove and other deep water spots. Largemouth bass biting best on artificials. Rocky Point and Red Cliffs areas best.

LAKE SILVERWOOD--Striped bass biting best at Cleghorn and Miller canyons, some biting in channel. Artificials working best. Crappie best at docks. Catfish and largemouth bass fair.

LAKE MEAD--Striped bass small but active, biting mostly at 25-35 feet. Best areas: Just outside Vegas Wash, Government Wash, Intake tower and Lake Mead Marina jetty. Anchovies best bet. Catfish biting in coves, mainly in evenings. Largemouth bass slow.

LAKE HAVASU--Small striped bass biting on surface. Artificials working best for small fish; bigger fish deeper, biting on anchovies. Largemouth bass slow. Catfish biting on most baits, averaging three-five pounds.

BISHOP--Crowley: Brown trout starting to bite, one reported at 11-8. Trolling flat fish or Rapalas working. Worms and Berkley Power Bait working from shore, with some fish to four pounds. Bishop Creek: Planted rainbows biting on most trout baits. Pleasant Valley Reservoir: Several limits of pan-size rainbows, biting on standard baits.

JUNE LAKE AREA--June Lake: Good for 8-12 inch rainbows, with most baits working. Trollers using Nickel or Frog pattern needlefish. Gull Lake fishing excellent, with several limits reported. Power Bait and Hornburg and Olive Matuka flies working best. Silver Lake: Worm-and-marshmallow combination producing the most limits. Rush Creek: Salmon eggs or small spinners working best for pan-size rainbows.

BRIDGEPORT AREA--Bridgeport Reservoir excellent for two-pound rainbows. Most methods and baits working. Virginia Lakes: Fishing best in evenings using bubble-and-fly rigs. Lower Twin: Two- to five-pound rainbows recently planted, some browns--one reported at 7-4--biting. Streams reported in excellent conditions.

Trout Plants

A list of waters scheduled to be planted by the Department of Fish and Game, weather and road conditions permitting, by counties:

LOS ANGELES--Piru Creek (Frenchman’s Flat), Pyramid Lake.

RIVERSIDE--Fulmor Lake, Hemet Lake.

SAN BERNARDINO--Big Bear Lake, Green Valley Lake.

SAN DIEGO--Doane Pond, San Luis Rey River.

INYO--Baker Creek, Big Pine Creek, Bishop Creek (Lower, Middle and South forks and Intake II), George Creek, Goodale Creek, Independence Creek, Lake Sabrina, Lone Pine Creek, North Lake, Pine Creek, Rock Creek (Rock Creek Lake to the end of the road), Rock Creek Lake, Shepherds Creek, South Lake, Taboose Creek, Tinnemeha Creek, Tuttle Creek.

MONO--Convict Creek, Convict Lake, Deadman Creek, Ellery Lake, George Lake, Glass Creek, Grant Lake, Green Creek, Gull Lake, June Lake, Lake Mary, Lee Vining Creek, Lee Vining Creek (South Fork), Little Walker River, Lundy Lake, Mamie Lake, Mammoth Creek, McGee Creek, Owens River (Benton Crossing and Big Springs), Robinson Creek, Rock Creek (Paradise Camp to Tom’s Place, Tom’s Place Upstream to Rock Creek Lake), Rush Creek, Saddlebag Creek, Saddlebag Lake, Sherwin Creek, Silver Lake, Tioga Lake, Trumble Lake, Twin Lakes Bridgeport, Twin Lakes Mammoth, Virginia Creek, Virginia Lakes, Walker River (Chris Flat Campground to town of Walker, Leavitt Meadows Campground to Sonora Bridge).

KERN--Kern River (Democrat Dam to KR1 Powerhouse, Borrell Powerhouse to Democrat Dam, Isabella Dam to Borrell Powerhouse, KR3 Powerhouse to Lake Isabella).

TULARE--Bone Creek, Dry Meadow Creek, Freeman Creek, Kern River (South Fork), Kern River (Fairview Dam to KR3 Powerhouse, Johnsondale Bridge to Fairview Dam), Nobe Young Creek, Upper and Lower Peppermint Creek, Tule River (Middle Fork, North and South forks of Main Fork, Cedar Slope area).

MADERA--San Joaquin River (Middle Fork), Sotcher Lake, Starkweather Lake.

ALPINE--Upper Blue Lake.