Huge trout, crappie, and sturgeon
highlight hot bite at Corona Lake
The fishing at Corona Lake was hightlighted by a 19-pound rainbow trout, a 25-pound sturgeon, and a 3 1/2-pound crappie this past week.
The amazing part of this week’s catch was that the big sturgeon and crappie were caught by the same angler. Robert Estes, Fontana, was fishing from a boat soaking some roe when he caught the 25-pound sturgeon and then landed the 3 1/2-pound crappie on a small, white trout worm.
The big rainbow of the week at 19-pound was landed by Greg Dennis, Lake Elsinore, while fishing a Power Worm at the dam. Tommy Phan, Moreno Valley, landed a 14-pound trout on Power Bait off the dam shoreline, while Ron Meek, West Covina, topped off his five-fish stringer with a 12.3-pound rainbow on a Power Mouse, also at the dam.
A nice stringers was posted by Jeremy Valenzuela and Eric Harris, both Mira Loma, when they weighed in 10 trout for 17 1/2 pounds, including a 6 1/2-pounder. All were caught on cheese Power Bait off the dam shoreline. Robert Chavez and Ricky Reyes, both West Covina, had 10 rainbows for 14 3/4 pounds fishing yellow PowerBait and orange Power Worms. Donnie Kearney, Riverside, had five rainbows to two pounds on chartreuse PowerBait off the dam shoreline.
Most of the trout being landed are one to two-pound rainbows. The best bite continues to be on floating dough baits rolled in the new Hatchery Dust, with Power Mice Tails, small trout worms, small jigs, and inflated nightcrawlers all close seconds.
There are huge plants of trout each week, and those plants always include trophy rainbows topping 10 pounds. This week the rainbows will be joined by the largest plant of Lightning Trout of the year. There will be broodstock Lightnings in this plant that run from six to 10 pounds and more of the two to three pounds that have been planted all season.
The catfish bite is also really starting to turn on, and more and more anglers are targeting the cats with at least one outfit. Not a lot of limits are being reported, but quite a few stringers of two to three cats have been landed. Levi Serafin, Lake Elsinore, had five cats to three pounds on nightcrawlers fishing near the boat dock from a boat. Most of the cats are being landed on nightcrawlers right now.
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.
Tournament, huge stock of Lightning Trout
set for this week at Santa Ana River Lakes
Limit-style fishing and a lot of quality rainbow trout continue to be caught at Santa Ana River Lakes, and this week the lakes’ complex will receive its largest plant of Lightning Trout – both size and number – of the season. In addition, there will be another big-fish/blind bogey tournament this coming Saturday.
The trout action has been excellent this past week with a lot of rainbows reported. The biggest trout was a 12.1-pounder caught by Mike Gomez, Santa Ana, fishing a nightcrawler with Eagle Claw gravy off La Palma Point. Gabriel, Sofia, and Gabby Gonzalez, Rowland Heights, topped off their stringer with an 11 3/4-pounder, while Rick Flores landed a 9 1/2-pound as the best fishing on his five-fish limit fishing rainbow dough with Hatchery Dust at the road. Mike Gaughan, Orange, started his day with a 7-2 trout.
A couple of typical limits included a five-fish catch by Craig Joaquin, Anaheim, that weighed 12 pounds and included a four-pounder, all on Mice Tails in Chris’ Pond. Tony Lopez, Los Angeles, and Terry Brown, Lake Forest, had 10 rainbows that weighed 13-4, including a 3-2, while Taylor Burak, Huntington Beach, had five trout for 10 pounds, including a stout five-pounder.
The Lightning Trout plant this week will include huge brookstock Lightnings from six to 10 pounds along with “thousands and thousands of pounds” of one to three pounders, according to Doug Elliott, owner of the concession at Santa Ana River Lakes. “It’s our largest stocking of Lightning Trout this entire trout season.”
In addition, this Saturday’s Big Fish-Blind Bogey Tournament is sponsored by Phil Friedman’s Outdoor’s Radio along with Lip RipperZ and Hatchery Dust. Entry fee is $20 and all entry fees will be divided equally and paid back in the big fish and blind bogey portions of the event. On the big fish side, the anglers catching the four largest fish will take home the prize money. While on the blind bogey side, 10 anglers catching trout nearest the blind bogey weights will split that pot.
In addition, there is an added $250 pool if the big fish are caught on a Lip RipperZ lure or Hatchery Dust, and there will be a drawing for a fish trip for four to La Paz, Mexico.
The top bait continues to be the new Hatchery Dust rolled onto the outside of just about any floating dough bait, but the Power Mice Tails have been just as popular over the past week. Small trout plastics and trout jigs are also still producing lots of fish.
There are hefty plants of rainbows each week, and those plants always include a large component of trophy trout topping 10 pounds.
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 for $75. An angler can bring his or her spouse and three kids 17 years or younger on that $75 permit, and all can help catch the 15-fish limit. Camping at SARL is thrown in for free. For Santa Ana River Lakes fishing information, call 714-632-7830 or log on at www.fishinglakes.com.