A 24 1/2-pound rainbow equals the trout record at Corona Lake

Steve Weitzel of Murrieta and his grandson Donald teamed up to land a 24 1/2-pound rainbow trout at Corona Lake this past Friday, tying a lake record that has stood since 2003. The pair was fishing with orange Eagle Claw Nitro Bait at the dam when the big fish was hooked.

The catch ties the record set in April, 2003, by Dennis Lovenburg of Corona who caught his 24 1/2-pounder fishing with an inflated nightcrawler and garlic Crave Gravy. Lovenberg landed a 22 1/2-pound trout the same day he caught his record fish.

The trout action at Corona Lake has been excellent over the past week with a good mix of Lightning Trout, Nebraska Tailwalkers, and the super trout from Mt. Lassen Trout Farms. Both boat and shore anglers have been scoring limits of trout when fishing nightcrawlers doused with Nitro Gravy, chartreuse or orange floating baits, or the small Nitro Worms.

Besides the lake record, there was also a 19 1/2-pound rainbow caught by Nick Johnson, Riverside, while fishing an orange Nitro Worm from the shore. But the bulk of the action has been on trout from one to six pounds with five-fish limits weighing from eight to 14 pounds common.

Some typical limits included the 10 trout that weighed 19 1/2 pounds caught by Frank and Jim Harrison, Mira Loma, with the big fish a four-pounder. Tony and Joe Hui, West Covona, had 10 trout that weighed 19 pounds and included a three-pound rainbow. Devin Ferris, Norco, and Dennis Ferris, West Covina, had 10 trout topped with a two pounds and the combined limits weighed in at 16 1/2 pounds.

Dan Phillips, Temecula, caught five Lightning Trout for his limit, including a 6..8-pounder, while Mike Childs, Fallbrook, also had a Lightning Limit that weighed 10 pounds total, including a three-pounder. Shane Travers, Murrita, weighed in his 5 1/2-pound Lightning Trout, and Ken Wendell, Whittier, had a 5 1/4-pound Lightning trout on his stringer.

The lake record could fall again at Corona Lake thanks to two big trophy trout weekends being planned for March and April both at Corona Lake and its sister water in Orange County, Santa Ana River Lakes.

Huge 20 to 30-pound class rainbows from Mt. Lassen Trout Farms will be planted just before big, four-day fishing blowouts set for March 19-22 and April 2-5. There will be two other big events during this same time period. The first event is an earlier-than-normal catfish event set for the weekend of March 13-15, when broodstock blues and channel cats will be planted, and there will be 24-hour fishing the Friday and Saturday nights of that weekend. The second event is a special two-for-one day sponsored by Eagle Claw on Saturday, April 18. This is Angler Appreciation Day and with each purchase of a full-price lake admission, your wife or fishing buddy gets in free. Or maybe you can get your fishing buddy to buy.

Until these special events, Corona Lake will continue to be planted with the Nebraska Tailwalkers from Chaulk Mound Trout Ranch and the Mt.. Lassen Trout Farms rainbows.

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 $22. Seniors only pay $20, with a special $17 pass sold on Wednesdays. All of these passes have a five-fish limit. For kids 4 to 13, a three-fish pass is just $9. The once-monthly 24-hour passes remain just $60. These passes have a 15-fish limit. For more Corona Lake fishing information, call 951-277-4489 or log on at www.fishinglakes.com

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