Huge 22 3/4-pound rainbow top trout in hot bite at Santa Ana River Lakes

Lake manager Jim Davis said the rainbow trout action at Santa Ana River Lakes over the past week could best be described with two words: "Wide open." And then as if to prove his thesis, he went out and caught a 22-pound rainbow trout himself on Saturday fishing near the boat dock.

But Davis' fish wasn't the biggest of the week at SARL. That honor goes to Barry Taylor of Corona who landed a 22 3/4-pounder while fishing off the Sandy Beach last Thursday. The huge trout took Taylor an hour to land on the two-pound test line he was fishing. Both Davis and Taylor's fish were fooled with rainbow Nitro Bait doused with Nitro Grease.

It wasn't the huge trout that stole this show this week at Santa Ana, it was the volume of rainbows in the one to three-pound range. After weeks of rotten weather, the sun finally came out on a weekend, the water finally cleared up, and the trout decided to bite. Even during the rainy weather, SARL was being planted with trout each week. But with the crowds staying home, the fish were stockpiling. This was bound to happen.

The fishing was so good, many anglers bought second and even third fishing permits so they could keep adding fish to the stringer. Five-fish stringers were mostly in the six to nine-pound range, with most anglers getting at least one rainbow in the 2 1/2 to three-pound class.

Johnny Castro, Santa Ana, had four rainbows that weighed in at 16 1/2 pounds, but his big fish was a 13-pounder, and all were taken on rainbow Nitro Bait fished near the boat dock. Mark Walker, Los Angeles, just weighed in one trout from his limit, an 8 1/2-pound rainbow he caught off the sandy beach on green Nitro Bait.

The best action has been on Nitro Bait and other dough baits doused with glow Nitro Grease, and the trout have been showing all around the lake. Lightning Trout have been mixed in with the regular rainbows after they were planted for three weeks in February.

Anglers are also saying that maybe now, with better conditions, one or both of the big rainbows planted in December as 30-pound class fishing might finally get hooked and landed. Eagle Claw still has a bounty on a new state record fish. If the 28-plus pound state and lake record is broken using Eagle Claw Nitro baits or bait additives, the lucky angler can claim a $500 prize. If an Eagle Claw hook is used, he or she is eligible for another $500.

And with warming weather, anglers shouldn't forget the catfish and sturgeon at SARL. Robert Velasquez, Tejunga, landed and released a 50-pound class sturgeon this past Saturday.

Santa Ana River Lakes 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 $20 passes has a five-fish limit. The lake's 24-hour passes are available only once a month during trout season -- the weekend closest to the full moon. These passes have a 15-fish limit and cost $60. A spouse and up to three kids 12 and under can help dad catch his 15-fish limit on these passes. The lake will be planted every Wednesday for the remainder of trout season. For Santa Ana River Lakes fishing information, call (714) 632-7830 or log on at www.fishinglakes.com.