Corona Lake's trout season begins with Ruby Red steelhead this week
The first trout plants of the season were slated to arrive Thursday this week at Corona Lake when Jess Ranch Ruby Red rainbows -- fish descended from wild steelhead stock -- will be planted.

These rainbows are one of three strains of "wild" hatchery fish slated for Corona Lake this trout season. The Ruby Reds are noted for their hard-fighting and high-jumping antics and their bright coloring. Over the following two weeks, the other two types of rainbow scheduled to be planted this fall and winter will make their appearance. First will be the pink-meated, full-finned Mt. Lassen Sierra 'Bows from Mt. Lassen Trout Farms in Red Bluff. These will be followed by the extremely popular Nebraska Tailwalkers from Chalk Mound Trout Ranch in Nebraska, which Corona angler first saw last season.

Anglers will see bigger and bigger rainbows as the season progresses, and there will also be bonus plants of Lightning Trout, German brown trout, and Eastern brook trout during special events. The whole package is designed to give fishermen the most diverse trout fishing available in Southern California and the finest quality trout. The rain this week is already raising the water level at Corona Lake and helping cool the water, making conditions ideal for trout, but the weather hasn't hurt the catfish action. And thanks to a bonus plant of trophy cats last week, there have been a lot of five to seven pound fish, with a few bigger.

The top catfish this past week was a nine nine-pounder landed by D.J. Berry, Lakeland Village, while fishing with mackerel from a boat. Anthony Yu, Ontario, had a six-pound cat on a nightcrawler, while Juan Diaz, Corona, landed a six-pounder, but he was fishing with shrimp. Larry Sanchez, Temecula, have five cats that weighed 12 1/2 pounds and his best was a five-pounder, all on J.D.'s Mackerel.

Also still a few tilapia to three pounds showing on the cooling conditions should turn on the sturgeon bite. Private boats are still allowed at Corona Lake. While Corona's sister water, Santa Ana River Lakes, has been closed to private boat launching because of fears of quagga mussel infestation, Corona Lake continues to offer private boat launching.

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 pay only $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 24-hour passes are sold the Friday and Saturday nearest the full moon each month. Thy cost just $60, and anglers can bring a spouse and up to three kids to help fill the 24-hour pass 15-fish limit. The first 24-hour fishing during trout season is set for Nov. 6-7. For Corona Lake fishing information, call 951-277-4489 or log on at www.fishinglakes.com.