Twice-weekly catfish plants have kept the action at Santa Ana River Lakes very good with full stringers common, if not the rule. There have also been a few quality fish in the catch each week thanks to the Friday plants of brood stock Silver King cats.

The big fish this week was a 12-pounder caught by Miguel Moreno, Anaheim, fishing shrimp at Levitz' Corner. Charles, Willie and Nicole Minner, San Bernardino, landed 23 catfish for a total weight of 39 pounds fishing at the Bubble Hole with mackerel and Gravy. Mitchell Mualdin, Buena Park, posted a very typical five-fish stringer that weighed in at 10 pounds total fishing mackerel at Three Pipes.

While the cats are showing all around The Lakes' complex, the best action has been at the four corners of Chris' Pond, in the trees of the Catfish Lake, and the Bubble Hole in the Big Lake. Shrimp and mackerel have been the best baits this past week when paired with a shrimp-flavored scent. But the marshmallow and pick-your-favorite-bait combos have also been good, whether you use meal worms, nightcrawlers, shrimp, or mackerel and then add some scent.

The catfish plants are each week on Tuesday and Friday, with trophy cats added each week, also on Fridays. The tilapia are also being stocked each week and some are real quality fish to 2 1/2 pounds and most are one to 1 1/2 pounds.

From now through Oct. 2, all anglers at SARL and sister water Corona Lake are competing to win a 12-day long-range fishing trip aboard the Royal Polaris out of San Diego. Whoever catches the biggest catfish by Oct. 2 wins the trip and the chance to catch giant yellowfin tuna to 200 pounds and more. The biggest cat wins. The weekly plants of brood stock fish will also become bigger and more plentiful at both waters, with fish from 15 to 30 pounds being planted over the next few weeks as part of the "Big Cats-Big Tuna" event.