Catfish action remains excellent at Anaheim Lake

The report for Anaheim Lake’s catfish bite is getting to be like a broken record. It’s excellent, excellent, excellent for pan-sized stringers of fish up to about four pounds.

Mackerel and shrimp are the most consistent producers, especially for anglers adding a prepared scent like Love Sauce, Bite On or Gravy to the baits. The marshmallow-meal worm (M&M) combo, nightcrawlers, and dough or paste baits are also working.

Cormorants continue to plague the lake, so the fish are all congregated in deep water during daylight hours where they can avoid the fish-eating birds. Good spots continue to be the bubble hole and the hump directly between Catfish Island and Honker Island, most points, along the whole west side of the lake, and off Trout Island. Shore fishermen capable of making long rods capable of getting way out in deeper water are having just as good success as boat anglers.

The top catfish reported was a nice 4.1-pounder landed by Judith Macias, Downey, to top off here stringer. Jeff Chadkowski, Pomona, landed five cats for a total weighed of 11 1/2 pounds fishing from a float tube, while Mark Helm, Whittier, had five cats to 3.7 pounds. Mark Nash and Patrick Franco, La Mirada, landed 14 cats for 25 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.

Corona Lake’s stringers anchored by quality cats

Corona Lake continues to punch out limits of catfish for many anglers and there are quite a few quality fish on those stringers during both the day and night action.

The top catfish reported this past week was a nine pounder that anchored a nine fish, 45-pound stringer landed by Frank and Jose Mancia, Los Angeles, caught on shrimp during the night bite on a 24-hour pass. Chris Green, Corona, landed an 8 3/4-pounder on mackerel, while Demetri Spiridonov, Los Angeles, had a 5 1/2-pounder to complete his 13-fish, 34 1/4-pound stringer of cats. Carlos and Lupita Mosqueda, Long Beach, had six cats to four pounds and the stringer weighed in at 18 1/2 pounds.

The bite has been good throughout the day and night, but the peak fishing on the 24-hour passes this past weekend was from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. Shrimp, mackerel, the marshmallow-meal worm (M&M) combo, and nightcrawlers 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.

The tilapia action is also pretty good in the shallow, shady areas on nightcrawler pieces, and there continue to be a few bass, bluegill, and crappie caught by anglers targeting the lake’s resident population of fish.

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.

There is road construction ongoing through the end of September at the Interstate 15 Indian Truck Trail off-ramp that leads to Corona Lake. This offramp is closed, but the lake is open during this construction. To detour around the construction, you need to exit from different off-ramps. If you are coming from the south on I-15, from the Elsinore or Murrieta area, exit on Lake Street and follow Temescal Canyon Road north to the lake entrance. If you are coming from the north, from the Corona or Riverside areas, exit the freeway at Temescal Canyon Road and follow the road south to the Lake entrance.

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.