The withering heat of the past week has really turned on the tilapia action at Santa Ana River Lakes, and the catfish bite has continued very good during the new moon period.

Top catfish reported was a 10-pound Silver King catfish that topped off a four fish, 16-pound stringer landed by Art and Shiela Harvey, both of Orange, fishing alien worms off La Palma Point. Edgar Sandez, Corona, landed a 6 1/2-pounder fishing shrimp at the spillway.

Jose Munoz and Edgar Hernandez, both Santa Ana, landed 10 tilapia with the biggest at two pounds fishing nightcrawlers in Chris' Pond. Alex and Luis Lerma, both Santa Ana, landed nine cats to 3 1/2 pounds and two tilapia fishing the shrimp-marshmallow combo in Chris Pond. Steven Tyler, Yorba Linda, landed 11 cats for 24 pounds total on mackerel off the road.

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, 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 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.