Jim Matthews
Outdoor Editor

Wide open action on catfish
and crappie at Corona Lake

The new moon this past weekend was kind of anglers at Corona Lake, making the good catfish and crappie action even better with wide open fishing.
The fall crappie action has the fish concentrated on structure all around the lake feeding right on the bottom. Small jigs have been the hot ticket with fish averaging about a pound with some better.
Yarol Mogo, Corona, had seven crappie to 1 1/4-pounds fishing white jigs from a boat, while Richard Lukkonen, Hemet, and Shane Kader, Nuevo, had a stringer of fish crappie and cats with crappie to 1 1/2 pounds fishing jigs. Steve, Mike, George, Anthony, and Mark Kate Nygen, all Santa Ana, had an 11 fish stringer of mixed catfish and crappie that weighed 13 1/2 pounds. They were using mackerel for the cats and jigs for the crappie from a pontoon boat at mid-lake.
The catfish bite has been best early and late in the day or at night during the weekend 24-hour passes. 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 top catfish reported this week was a 9 3/4-pounder that topped off a 15-fish stringer of catfish and tilapia that weighed 39 3/4 pounds caught by Garrett and Mike Granadoz, Chino Hills, off J.D.’s Point. Dave Berry, Lakeland Village, had 10 catfish for 35 pounds, including a 5 1/2-pounder fishing mackerel with garlic Gravy from a boat. Bryce and Brandon Martin, Riverside, landed five cats with a stringer that weighed 16 1/4 pounds, including a 5 1/4-pounder.
Top stringer of the week was a 21 catfish, nine tilapia catch that weighed 51 pounds total. Danny and Robert Negrete, both Corona, landed the fish off the south end shoreline fishing nightcrawlers and shrimp on a 24-hour pass.
The tilapia action is also pretty good in the shallow, shady areas on nightcrawler pieces, and there continue to be a few bass 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 will be 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.

 

Anaheim Lake catfish action
remains strong in deep water

The crowds have dropped way off but the catfish bite remains good to excellent at Anaheim Lake for anglers fishing deeper water where the fish are congregated to avoid the cormorants.
Shrimp has been the most consistent bait, but mackerel, the marshmallow-meal worm (M&M) combo, nightcrawlers, or one of the prepared baits. Adding a prepared scent like Love Sauce, Bite On, or Gravy to the baits is improving the strike ratio.
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.
For example, Trak Nguyen, Rowland Heights, had a nice pair of 2 1/4-pound cats by making a long 80 to 100-foot cast in the northwest corner of the lake with shrimp. Jeff Schodkowskis, Pomona, landed five catfish from the west shoreline on shrimp doused with Love sauce. Frank Moreno and D.J. Perez, Garden Grove, had 10 fish to 2 1/2 pounds and a total stringer of weight of 17 pounds fishing shrimp and the M&M combo near the boat dock.
The top catfish of the week was a five-pounder landed by Eric Apelian, Lakewood, to top off his five-fish, 17-pound stringer, while David Rochin, Fullerton, landed a 4 1/2-pound cat.
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.

 

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.