The catfish and tilapia action is as hot as the weather at Corona Lake. The new moon and 100-degree days seem to have improved the tilapia bite and the catfish have remained very steady with a lot of limits posted.

Matt Liberman, Orange, landed a 7 1/2-pound catfish fishing mackerel in the back trees, while Rick Kizzee, Los Angeles, had a 15-fish mixed stringer of catfish and crappie that weighed 44 1/2-pounds total, including a 6 1/2-pound catfish as his top fish. Vicky and Diania Sanchez, both West Covina, landed 17 tilapia and three catfish that were six pounds each fishing worms in the trees. Larry Patterson, Murrieta, caught four tilapia to 1 1/2 pounds, a bluegill, and a crappie fishing nightcrawlers from a boat.

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 Corona Lake and sister water Santa Ana River Lakes 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.