Jim Matthews
Outdoor Editor

Anaheim Lake catfish action
continues in limit-style mode
Anaheim Lake’s catfish bite has remained very good over the past week with light fishing pressure and lots of limits of two-pound average catfish.
Due to an large numbers of coromorants, the best action remains in deep water where the fish retreat during daylight hours, but they do move up at night and can be caught in much shallower water then. Shrimp and mackerel have been the best baits, but the marshmallow-meal worm (M&M) combo, nightcrawlers, or one of the prepared baits have also been good. Adding a prepared scent like Love Sauce, Bite On, or Gravy to the baits is improving the strike ratio.
The bubble hole and the hump directly between Catfish Island and Honker Island remain the top spots, but most points along the whole west side of the lake and the deep water off Trout Island are also good bets. Shore fishermen capable of making long casts to deeper water are having just as good success as boat anglers during the day, and the shore night action is very good as the fish move up tight to the banks.
For the second week in a row a nine-pound catfish was the top fish landed. Pedro Villa, Anaheim, landed this week’s nine-poun der fishing the M&M combo in the northwest corner of the lake. Daniel Fraysure, Lakewood, had five catfish for a 10-pound total stringer and his best fish was a 3 1/2-pounder, while Rex Gadia, Westminister, landed four catfish to three pounds.
The weekend Catfish Derbies continue to be held each Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Entry fee is $5 for any of the five permit time frames — from 5 to 11 p.m. Friday, from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, from 5 to 11 p.m. Saturday evening, 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, and from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday evening. (There are no derbies for the mid-day special at noon or the 24-hour fishing pass holders.) All of the derbies feature a 100 percent payout of the whole pot to the angler catching the biggest catfish. If 10 anglers enter at $5 each, the biggest catfish caught among those 10 anglers wins that angler the whole $50 pot.
Anaheim Lake continues to receive twice-weekly plants of catfish and tilapia on Tuesday and Thursday and will through the rest of the summer fishing season.
Private boats, kayaks, and float tubes are allowed at Anaheim Lake, but they will be inspected for traces of water or evidence of quagga mussel contamination before being allowed on the water.
Anaheim Lake will be open seven days a week with fishing allowed from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. on day passes or from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. on an evening pass. Each of these passes is $25. Seniors pay only $23, with a $20 special on Wednesdays. All of these passes have a five-fish limit. For kids 4 to 13, a three-fish pass is just $12. There are 24-hour passes offered every Friday and Saturday night. The 24-hour passes cost $75 and have a 15 fish limit. An angler can bring his wife and up to three kids 17 and under and all can help fill the 15-fish limit on one of these passes, and camping is free at Corona with a 24-hour pass. For Anaheim Lake fishing information, call 714-996-3508 or log on at www.fishinglakes.com.

Sizzling catfish action
continues at Corona Lake
The catfish bite has remained good to excellent with many anglers posting excellent stringers of fish at Corona Lake. The best action during the full moon this past weekend was throughout the morning and evening hours and all night.
The top catfish reported this past week were a pair of fish at nine pounds. Eric Fennell, Compton, landed 13 catfish for a total weight of 65 pounds and his best was a nine-pounder caught on shrimp. Darryl and Keith Gerrel, both Corona, had four cats for 20 pounds, including a nine-pounder. David, DaShon, and DaVion Crump, all Fontana, landed nine catfish for 19 pounds fishing the nightcrawler-marshmallow combo off JD’s Point, and their best fish was a 4 1/4-pounder. Tran and Hoa Nguyen, Corona, had eight cats for 14 pounds including a four pounder fishing shrimp from shore.
There also continues to be a fair number of crappie and tilapia in the action, but the crappie slowed a little during the full moon, but they are still showing around structure in deeper water on small jigs with most about a half-pound. The tilapia are mostly in shallow water, also around structure, on nightcrawler pieces and they are running up to a pound or better.
For the catfish, nightcrawlers, shrimp, mackerel, and the marshmallow-meal worm (M&M) combo with Eagle Claw Gravy or Lip Ripperz Love Sauce scents continue to be the best baits. Hot spots have been the deeper water off the dam and the back end for boat anglers. Shore fishing has been best off J.D.’s Point, the dock shoreline, and the dam area.
Catfish and tilapia plants go in at least twice a week, including both blue and channel catfish.
Corona Lake is still having its five “Biggest Catfish” derbies every weekend. Entry fee is $5 for any of the five permit time frames — from 5 to 11 p.m. Friday, from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, from 5 to 11 p.m. Saturday evening, 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, and from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday evening. (There will be no derbies for the mid-day special at noon or the 24-hour fishing pass holders.) All of the derbies feature a 100 percent payout of the whole pot to the angler catching the biggest catfish. If 20 anglers enter at $5 each, the biggest catfish caught among those 20 anglers wins that angler the whole $100 pot.
Private boats, kayaks, and float tubes are allowed at Corona Lake, but they will be inspected for traces of water or evidence of quagga mussel contamination before being allowed on the water.
Corona Lake is open seven days a week with fishing allowed from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. on day passes or from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. on an evening pass. Each of these passes is $25. Seniors pay only $23, with a $20 special on Wednesdays. All of these passes have a five-fish limit. For kids 4 to 13, a three-fish pass is just $12. There are 24-hour passes offered every Friday and Saturday night. The 24-hour passes cost $75 and have a 15 fish limit. An angler can bring his wife and up to three kids 17 and under and all can help fill the 15-fish limit on one of these passes, and camping is free at Corona with a 24-hour pass. For Corona Lake fishing information, call 951-277-4489 or log on atwww.fishinglakes.com.

Santa Ana River Lakes’ Kid’s
Pond to remain open all summer
The main fishing areas at Santa Ana River Lakes are closed, but the Kid’s Pond (Huckleberry Pond) is open all summer Wednesday through Sunday. The main fishing operation has moved just a few blocks away to Anaheim Lake.
Santa Ana River Lakes is undergoing maintenance through the rest summer and not reopen until trout season early this fall.