Top rainbow of season landed at Corona Lake
The wide open trout bite at Corona Lake has continued this past week and a plant of trophy rainbows for Thanksgiving paid off for Mark Thompson, Riverside, when he landed a 17 1/2-pound rainbow on Saturday, the biggest trout landed so far this season in Southern California.

UPDATE: Yesterday, 12/01/09, Mike Darr and his Grandson Austin from Lake Elsinore caught this 18 1/2+ pound monster, likely one of the over 20 pounders that were stocked last week. It is common for them to lose a pound or 2 in weight from not being able to gorge themselves daily on trout feed, like at Mt. Lassen Trout Farm.

That super trophy was just one of a whole load of trout over 15 pounds planted last week, but it frequently takes a few days for the biggest fish to start showing up on anglers' stringers. Overall the fishing was fantastic with lots of limits and at least 11 trout at eight or more pounds landed.

Other good catches include a five-fish, 20-pound stringer caught by Wes Wright, Fullerton, including an eight-pound rainbow, while float-tube fishing with rainbow Nitro Bait. Frankie and Taylor Rodriguez, Hacienda Heights, landed three trout including a nine pounder, and Patrick Tryon, Ramona, landed a 9 1/2-pound rainbow.

Top baits have been chartreuse, corn yellow, and rainbow Eagle Claw Nitro Bait dough dipped in garlic Nitro Garvy. Inflated nightcrawlers doused with the garlic scent have also been good, and the small trout jigs and trout plastics are seeing a lot of use by many anglers.

In total, there were at least 30 limits of rainbows were reported by anglers. Photos of these catches are being uploaded daily to Corona Lake's website so anglers can keep tabs on the fishing. In addition, anglers who catch fish and report them to the tackle shop and have photos taken are eligible for a weekly drawing for a package worth $300, including lake passes, pontoon boat rentals, and fishing gear.

Anglers should also note that the sturgeon and tilapia are being caught. Top sturgeon this week was caught by Jim Davis, Elsinore, and it weighed in at 90 pounds. Davis caught the fish from a boat while fishing with chicken liver and mackerel. The tilapia action has been good with the fish stacked up in the shallow water at the south end of the lake, and some of the fish are topping three pounds.

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. For anglers who want to use one of Corona's rental boats, Eagle Claw is sponsoring an Internet coupon special.. Download the special Eagle Claw coupon off The Lakes web site (www.fishinglakes.com) and get $20 off a boat or pontoon rental through Dec. 23.

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, with the next 24-hour fishing set for this Friday and Saturday, Dec. 4 and 5. They cost just $60, and anglers can bring a spouse and up to three kids to help fill the 24-hour pass 15-fish limit. For Corona Lake fishing information, call 951-277-4489 or log on at www.fishinglakes.com.