Irvine Lake trouting topped by 13-8 rainbow, steelhead to be stocked this week Tougher conditions were encountered this week by Irvine Lake trouters, primarily due to blustery winds over the weekend. The breezy conditions did not chase boats off the water, and some decent catches were made by anglers who persevered, reported Jimmy Getty at the Pro Shop. "Not as many big fish were caught this week', observed Getty. "We are really looking forward to stocking the famous ???silver bullet' steelhead-strain rainbows this week, just in time for our Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday weekend derby." Getty added, "The weather on Wednesday morning was still breezy but much improved, and the forecast for the rest of the week is good." Both bait fishing and trolling techniques caught fish this week. Bait dunkers did best with Power Mouse or Power Bait offerings in chartreuse colors. Trollers bagged their fish on firetiger-color Rapala CD03's and CD05's. Good catches were reported from the west shore, Trout Island, Santiago Flats, Sierra Cove, near the docks and near the dam. Historically, the steelhead respond best to nightcrawlers and trolled lures, and were generally aggressive biters and drag-sizzling fighters. . Most trout limits are made up of 1 to 5-pound fish, with good numbers of 6 to 8-pounders spicing up the stringers. A few trophy-class fish are still being hooked, but not always landed. The Kids Lagoon is still kicking out fish for families with children age 12 and under. Modest numbers of bass were released by anglers concentrating on that species. The lake level is holding steady. All roads are currently open, except the west shore road, which is open only as far as Woody's Cove. Shore anglers can reach the west shoreline via a short 10-minute hike. Outstanding catches of the week at Irvine Lake included: Gary Johnson of Long Beach, 13-8 rainbow trout on a Rapala at Rocky Point Mike Traut of Costa Mesa, 12-2 rainbow trout on a Cultiva Minnow at Sierra Cove Shawn Park of Los Angeles, 9-14 rainbow trout on a Rapala near the docks Ian Kresminski of Costa Mesa, 8-8 rainbow trout on Gulp! Salmon Eggs at the west shore Media contacts: Daniela Gavaldon or Jimmy Getty at the Pro Shop [714-649-9111] Steve Carson at [email protected]