Nebraska Tailwalkers pace hot bite at Santa Ana River Lakes

Nebraska Tailwalker rainbow trout up to six pounds are pacing the hot trout action at Santa Ana River Lakes with many anglers getting limits while fishing floating dough baits and small trout plastics.

The best bite has been at Levitz' Corner, near the boat dock, and at Three Pipes, and chartreuse Nitro Bait and Nitro trout worms in bright colors and white have been the top baits.

The big fish reported over the past week was a 9 1/2-pound rainbow landed by Aiden Crocker, Santa Ana, while fishing at Levitz' Corner with a Nitro glow worm. Adolph Rangel, Yorba Linda, had a seven-fish stringer that weighed 22 pounds, including a 7 1/4-pounder, while Allan Kennedy, Tustin, caught five trout that weighed 16 pounds and his best was a six-pounder. Enrique Estrada, Los Angeles, also landed a six-pound rainbow to top off his three-fish, 11-pound stringer.

The largest rainbow trout planted in Southern California since 2005 are going to be planted in Santa Ana River Lakes, and its sister Riverside County water, Corona Lake, for two trophy trout fishing weekends in March and April. The current state record is a 28-pound, five-ounce fish caught from a private lake in Butte County in 2006. Before that, the record was a 28.1-pound rainbow caught by Mike Lopez of Paramount while fishing at Santa Ana River Lakes in 2005. It's expected that rainbow trout larger than the state record will be planted.

What this means is that huge, 20 to 30-pound class rainbows from Mt. Lassen Trout Farms will be planted just before the first big four-day fishing blowout set for March 19-22 and the bruisers will go in again for another four-day bash on April 2-5.

Two other events during this same time period will help cement the reputation of Santa Ana River Lakes and Corona Lake as the region's premier fisheries. 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 Angler Appreciation Day, a special two-for-one event sponsored by Eagle Claw on Saturday, April 18. 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.

You can visit the Santa Ana River Lakes' staff at the Fred Hall Fishing Tackle and Boat Show at the Long Beach Convention Center from Wednesday through Sunday this week to learn more about upcoming trout plants and special events.

Santa Ana River Lakes is normally 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. This month's 24-hour fishing days will be March 13 and 14. For Santa Ana River Lakes fishing information, call 714-632-7830 or log on at www.fishinglakes.com