Rainbow limits dominate for anglers at Corona Lake
Wide-open, limit-style trout fishing has been the rule at Corona Lake this past week, and the season's first bonus plant of trophy Nebraska Tailwalkers set for this week should just keep this bite sizzling.

Those trophy rainbows mark this season's debut of the popular, full-finned, bright-colored trout from Chalk Mound Trout Ranch in Nebraska. Anglers liked the Nebraska trout so much, that Corona Lake will only be planted with the wildest-looking trout available this year. The past two weeks anglers were introduced to the two new trout coming in, the Jess Ranch Ruby Red Steelhead and the Mt. Lassen Sierra Bows. They will be joined this week with the Nebraska trout that spawned this revolution in wilder-looking rainbows, and this week marks the first trophy trout plant of the year.

Anglers can also take advantage of the first all-night fishing days of the trout season this Friday and Saturday with 24-hour passes.

Most of the rainbows caught this past week have been in the one-pound range, but most stringers have had at least one or two rainbows up to three pounds or a little better. A pretty typical catch was made by Rick Clinedinse, Riverside, who caught five trout that totaled 11 1/2 pounds and included a 3 1/2-pound rainbow. He was fishing small Eagle Claw trout worms from shore to make his catch. Zac, David and Jon St. Germain, Riverside, had 13 rainbows for 21 1/2 pounds. Mike Simone, Ontario, have an eight-pound, five-fish limit, while Steve Bosrock, Ontario, had five that went 9 1/2 pounds. Rudy, Junior, and Jovani Molano, Escondido, had 15 rainbows with a 20-pound total for the stringer.

Paul and Gommie Vu, Riverside, had 10 rainbows for a 20 1/2-pound total, including a four-pound rainbow that tied for the week's top fish. The other four-pound rainbow was landed by Frank Villegas, Riverside, to top off his 10-pound, five-fish stringer.

While almost all of the fishing pressure has switched to the trout, there is still good catfish and tilapia for those targeting them. In fact, the late fall catfish bite is usually the best time to catch a trophy fish. Clemmie Davidson, Pomona, proved that this week by landing a 34  ?-pound catfish fishing shrimp from shore.

Following this week's first plant of trophy Tailwalkers, another load of trophy trout from five to eight pounds will also go in next week. But these trophy rainbows will be the hot, new Sierra Bows. 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.

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 this Friday and Saturday. For Corona Lake fishing information, call 951-277-4489 or log on at www.fishinglakes.com.