The catfish season "Grand Opening" at Santa Ana River Lakes started with a bang, and plants are now going in every Tuesday and Friday. Anglers can get a $7 discount coupon each time they come to the lake by merely weighing in their catch. Starting June 15, there will also be a weekly drawing for a prize package worth over $250 for having your big catfish or stringer photographed.

The catfish action has been very good and the bite is best off the sandy beach, the Bubble Hole, at the pump house, La Palma Point, Three Pipes, and in Chris' Pond. Top baits have been shrimp, frozen shad, nightcrawlers, mackerel and the marshmallow-meal worm combination. Most anglers are adding Nitro Gravy to the baits and fishing in deep water to collect a string of fish.

Tony Ruffino, Anaheim, and Juan Ulloa, Bellflower each caught 6-8 catfish, with Ruffino using mackerel and Ulloa fishing shrimp. They were the big cats fo the week. Some impressive stringers were also landed. Chris Shope, Fontana, caught a stringer of catfish totaling 55 pounds with the big fish a five-pounder. Adam Chavez, Los Angeles, had a stringer that weighed in at 58 pounds.

Trout fishing has remained surprisingly good with a few limits showing for anglers fishing the deep water. Dontae Merdcado, Norwalk, caught a three fish stringer of trout on nightcrawlers with his top fish at 3-8.

Sturgeon are still being hooked regularly, but few are being landed. Francisco Garcia, Santa Ana, caught a 95-pound sturgeon on shrimp at the boat dock. Anglers are reminded that if they hook and land one of these bruisers, they are catch-and-release only -- but there is a reward for the catch. The $200-value prize package includes two free gate passes ($40 value), a free pontoon boat rental ($85 value), and a top-quality Eagle Claw fishing combo that includes a graphite catfish rod, multi-ball bearing spinning reel, and spool of Lazer line ($75 value).

Santa Ana River Lakes 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 $20 passes has a five-fish limit. The lake's 24-hour passes are available every week on Friday and Saturday nights. These passes have a 15-fish limit and cost $45. For Santa Ana River Lakes fishing information, call (714) 632-7830