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Irvine Lake big trout and steelhead sizzle; double-digit fish crowd the scales
Western Outdoor NewsPublished: Feb 22, 2012
SILVERADO — Holiday weekend anglers found sizzling action on big trout and steelhead, reported Jimmy Getty at the Pro Shop. “We had a bunch of really big fish caught this past week, including four over 12 pounds in just one day,” observed Getty. “The overall fishing was just spectacular, with lots and lots of trout in the 3- to 4-pound class to go along with all of the trophy-class double-digit fish, and the large number of big steelhead that were stocked last week seems to have really paid off. There are still lots of the big steelies that haven’t been caught, and we also had another excellent week on the brown trout.”
Getty added, “Saturday’s derby winner, Scott Noseworthy, was fishing out of a float tube along the west shore, and had a buddy spotting for him from the cliffs above. He said that when the big trout came up, it looked like a marlin chasing and attacking the Rapala. There were also two fish caught that day that were even bigger, but unfortunately they were not caught until well after the official 2 p.m. weigh-in.”
Good catches were checked in from Boat Dock Cove, the west shoreline, and Santiago Flats. Bait dunkers scored well with Gulp! Fat Trout Worms and PowerBait in a variety of colors. Best results were seen in the early a.m. and later in the p.m., with a bit of a lull around noontime.
Trollers not surprisingly scored more of the big fish, with lunkers and heavy stringers checked in using Rapala Countdowns in the CD05 and CD03 sizes, and either Firetiger or black/silver colors, along with pink or Firetiger SC Shiners produced. A few anglers reported that two to four colors of leadcore line were very successful, but most simply flatlined their trolling lures behind the boat. More and more trout are being caught on shad-pattern lures, as the fish seem to be keying in on the abundant baitfish.
Frank Bin of La Crescenta used a Rapala at the flats for a 13-pound, 14-ounce rainbow. Edgar Sandez of Corona nailed a 13.10-pound steelhead on an SC Shiner at the same locale. Travis Groley of Seal Beach bagged a 13-4 steelie on a Rapala, also at the flats. Scott Noseworthy of Orange used a Rapala at the west shore for his 12.6-pound rainbow. Brian Feathers of Los Angeles managed a 12-pound rainbow while fishing a Kastmaster mid-lake. Tom O’Leary of Wildomar had an 11-4 rainbow on a Rapala at Sierra Cove. Eaton Rosenberg of Los Angeles scored a 10-pound, 12-ounce rainbow on a Trout King jig at the west shore. Steve Dimartino of Arcadia bested a 9½ pounder on a Rapala at mid-lake. Adam Hatch of Rancho Santa Margarita used an SC Shiner at the flats for a 6-4 brown trout, and Chris Smith, also of Rancho Santa Margarita, used a Krocodile in Boat Dock Cove for a 4.6-pound brown.
The plethora of trout anglers this past week meant that very few bass chasers hit the water, with none reporting back. The lake’s hybrid striped bass and catfish populations were similarly quiet.
Families with children age 12 and under found decent numbers of 1- to 4-pound trout in the Kids Lagoon using Berkley Mice Tails in glow or red/chartreuse. Surface temperature on the main lake is in the mid-50s, with the lake level receding a few inches per week. Underwater clarity ranges from 4 to 10 feet.
SCOTT NOSEWORTHY of Orange hooked into this 12.6-pound steelhead at the mouth of Irvine Lake’s Woody's Cove while slow trolling a Rapala from a float tube. The hefty steelie was included in a trophy stocking of big trout for a weekend tournament. WON PHOTO BY JIM NIEMIEC
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SILVERADO — Holiday weekend anglers found sizzling action on big trout and steelhead, reported Jimmy Getty at the Pro Shop. “We had a bunch of really big fish caught this past week, including four over 12 pounds in just one day,” observed Getty. “The overall fishing was just spectacular, with lots and lots of trout in the 3- to 4-pound class to go along with all of the trophy-class double-digit fish, and the large number of big steelhead that were stocked last week seems to have really paid off. There are still lots of the big steelies that haven’t been caught, and we also had another excellent week on the brown trout.”Getty added, “Saturday’s derby winner, Scott Noseworthy, was fishing out of a float tube along the west shore, and had a buddy spotting for him from the cliffs above. He said that when the big trout came up, it looked like a marlin chasing and attacking the Rapala. There were also two fish caught that day that were even bigger, but unfortunately they were not caught until well after the official 2 p.m. weigh-in.” Good catches were checked in from Boat Dock Cove, the west shoreline, and Santiago Flats. Bait dunkers scored well with Gulp! Fat Trout Worms and PowerBait in a variety of colors. Best results were seen in the early a.m. and later in the p.m., with a bit of a lull around noontime. Trollers not surprisingly scored more of the big fish, with lunkers and heavy stringers checked in using Rapala Countdowns in the CD05 and CD03 sizes, and either Firetiger or black/silver colors, along with pink or Firetiger SC Shiners produced. A few anglers reported that two to four colors of leadcore line were very successful, but most simply flatlined their trolling lures behind the boat. More and more trout are being caught on shad-pattern lures, as the fish seem to be keying in on the abundant baitfish. Frank Bin of La Crescenta used a Rapala at the flats for a 13-pound, 14-ounce rainbow. Edgar Sandez of Corona nailed a 13.10-pound steelhead on an SC Shiner at the same locale. Travis Groley of Seal Beach bagged a 13-4 steelie on a Rapala, also at the flats. Scott Noseworthy of Orange used a Rapala at the west shore for his 12.6-pound rainbow. Brian Feathers of Los Angeles managed a 12-pound rainbow while fishing a Kastmaster mid-lake. Tom O’Leary of Wildomar had an 11-4 rainbow on a Rapala at Sierra Cove. Eaton Rosenberg of Los Angeles scored a 10-pound, 12-ounce rainbow on a Trout King jig at the west shore. Steve Dimartino of Arcadia bested a 9½ pounder on a Rapala at mid-lake. Adam Hatch of Rancho Santa Margarita used an SC Shiner at the flats for a 6-4 brown trout, and Chris Smith, also of Rancho Santa Margarita, used a Krocodile in Boat Dock Cove for a 4.6-pound brown. The plethora of trout anglers this past week meant that very few bass chasers hit the water, with none reporting back. The lake’s hybrid striped bass and catfish populations were similarly quiet. Families with children age 12 and under found decent numbers of 1- to 4-pound trout in the Kids Lagoon using Berkley Mice Tails in glow or red/chartreuse. Surface temperature on the main lake is in the mid-50s, with the lake level receding a few inches per week. Underwater clarity ranges from 4 to 10 feet. SCOTT NOSEWORTHY of Orange hooked into this 12.6-pound steelhead at the mouth of Irvine Lake’s Woody's Cove while slow trolling a Rapala from a float tube. The hefty steelie was included in a trophy stocking of big trout for a weekend tournament. WON PHOTO BY JIM NIEMIEC |
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