Santa Ana River Lakes’ giant
trout bite doesn’t slow down
Santa Ana River Lakes continues to produce a steady stream of huge rainbow trout over 10 pounds, and these giant fish are mixed in with an excellent bite on one to two pound rainbows that continue to fill stringers. Volume and quality trout fishing has been on tap in equal doses at SARL this season.
The biggest rainbow this past week was a 16-pounder landed by David Rochin, Fullerton, near the boat dock on a T.K. Jig and worm. John Bylsma, Ontario, landed a 15 1/2-pounder on chartreuse PowerBait off La Palma Point. Fernando Martinez, Anaheim, caught a 13 1/2-pounder on one of the new orange Power Mice baits off the north shore. Campbell McCormack, Ventura, was fishing chartreuse PowerBait to landed a 13 1/4-pound rainbow at the Bubble Hole, while Landon Radilla, El Monte, had an 11-pounder at the pumphouse, also on chartreuse PowerBait with Love Sauce. Ricardo Zepeda, Santa Ana, caught a 10 1/2-pounder on a mini jig in Chris’ Pond, and there were a pair of 10-pound rainbows. One by Dale Debraal, Orange, on Power Mice, and the other by Henry Serna on chartreuse Power Bait.
Five-fish limits have been the rule for anglers fishing light leaders with floating baits rolled in the new Hatchery Dust additive or Power Mice Tails, trout plastics, and small trout jigs. Bright colors have been the best in the floating baits or lures this past week chartreuse and oranges the hot colors.
Santa Ana continues to be get a huge plant of trout each week that features tons of pan-sized rainbows along with a large component of bigger trout from five to 15-plus pounds. Every bite could be the trophy of a lifetime here.
The Lip RipperZ Hatchery Dust Challenge is set for Saturday, Feb. 16. This is another big fish/blind bogey 50-50 tournament with added money in the big fish category when the winning fish are caught with Hatchery Dust. The entry fee is $20, in addition to the regular lake fishing fee, but 100 percent of the entry fees are paid back in an even split between the big fish portion of the tournament (top four places win half the entry fee pool) and the blind bogey portion (divided among 10 anglers catching fish nearest to the blind bogey weights). More information is available at The Lakes website, www.fishinglakes.com.
Santa Ana River Lakes is open seven-days-a-week. Fishing is 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 on Friday and Saturday night on weekends nearest the full moon each month. The 24-hour passes cost $75 and have a 15 fish limit. An angler can bring his wife and up to three kids and all can help fill the 15-fish limit on one of these passes, and camping is free at SARL with a 24-hour pass. For Santa Ana River Lakes fishing information, call 714-632-7830 or log on at www.fishinglakes.com.
It takes an 18-8 rainbow to win
big fish tourney at Corona Lake
It took an 18 1/2-pound rainbow to win the big fish portion of the 50/50 tournament held at Corona Lake this past Saturday. That trout was also the biggest fish of the week amid an excellent trout bite that had lots of limits of rainbows along with a steady procession of big trout.
The big trout was caught by Santiago Palacios, West Covina, while fishing chartreuse PowerBait at the dam, but his 18 1/2-pounder was just one of a number of big rainbows caught over the week. Adrian Lecesne, Upland, landed a 16 1/2-pounder on a white trout plastic, and Bob Sawyer, Corona, landed a 16-pounder and a 13-pounder to top off a 10-trout stringer, all on PowerBait at the dam. Jeff Weaver, Riverside, had a 14 1/2-pound rainbow to top off his 26 1/2-pound limit on white mini jigs. Brian Holmes, Torrance, landed a 13 1/2-pound rainbow on small jigs off JD’s Point, and David Relly, Rialto, caught a 12 1/2-pound trout on an orange Nitro Worm from his float tube.
Five-fish limits of trout averaging from one to two pounds have been the norm for both shore and boat or float tube anglers. The best shore action has continued to be from the cove behind bait shop all the way to the dam with the best action in the deeper water in this stretch. Boat and float tube anglers are getting most of their fish from the dam to the upper end of the lake along the main channel. The best action has been on floating baits or Power Mice Tails rolled in the new Hatchery Dust, scent-doused nightcrawlers, small trout jigs and trout plastics.
Heavy weekly plants of rainbows averaging around a pound are made each week, and those plants always have a hefty component of rainbows from five to eight pounds along with super trophies topping 10 pounds and going well up into the teens.
Corona Lake is open on a seven-days-a-week schedule. Fishing is 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. The 24-hour passes are only sold the weekend nearest the full moon. 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 at www.fishinglakes.com.