A big plant of Lightning Trout this past week made for limit-style fishing for the golden-hued rainbows at Corona Lake this past week. There has also been a good bite on catfish, carp, along with a few bass, crappie, and bluegill also showing for anglers targeting those species in the warming water.

The trout have been showing on a wide variety of lures and baits, but the small trout jigs and trout plastics have been the top artificials, with floating dough baits and inflated nightcrawlers slathered with garlic scent are the best baits. Boat and float tube anglers are doing a little better than shore anglers, but the shore bite is still very good, especially in deeper water nearer the dam.

There was also a surprised catfish plant last week, but few anglers are focusing on the cats right now, in spite a rapidly warming water conditions. The few cats landed have been caught on nightcrawlers fished by trout anglers.

This week's schedule plant of the new, giant, full-finned trophy rainbows from 10 to 12 pounds called Big Bad Reds has been postponed until next fall simply because the fish weren't as big as lake staff had promised anglers. So rather than plant mere eight to 10-pound trophies, these trout will be feed for another spring and summer before been planted as teen-class fish next season. In their place, the lake will get a huge plant on Nebraska Tailwalkers.

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. 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 available the weekend nearest the full moon each month, with the next overnight fishing is tentatively set May 13-14. These passes cost $60 and anglers can bring a spouse and up to three kids to help fill the 24-hour pass 15-fish limit. Camping at Corona Lake is also free with a 24-hour pass. For Corona Lake fishing information, call 951-277-4489 or log on at www.fishinglakes.com.