There was a surprise bonus plant of Lightning Trout at Santa Ana River Lakes' on Friday this past week, along with the regular plants of rainbows, and the bite has remained very good for anglers fishing this popular Orange County lake complex.

Throughout April, SARL is getting plants of Nebraska Tailwalkers, Sierra Bows, Big Bad Reds, and the giant Mt. Lassen Super Trout are adding a real trophy element to some catches.

The big fish this past week was an 18-pound rainbow caught by Al Rotta, Lomita, fishing a green floating bait off La Palma Point, and he also had a seven-pounder on rainbow dough bait, but many anglers are getting three to five-pound fish to anchor nice stringers of trout.

Tony Lopez, East Los Angeles, had trout at five and 3 1/2 pounds on Lip RipperZ Ratz at Levitz Corner. Lance Kerley, Orange, and Brendan Power, Santa Ana, had 13 rainbows for a total of 23 pounds fishing Lip RipperZ jigs with Love Sauce. Ken Martin, Artesia, landed five rainbows topped off by a five-pounder, all on chartreuse dough bait.

The bite has been exceptional on a wide variety of floating baits and the Power Mice and Lip Ripper Ratz. The small trout worms and trout jigs are also very good bets. The rainbows are still showing all around both lakes.

There is an ongoing big fish contest running between the Lakes, now through Sunday, May 13th, and the angler who catches the largest trout on a Lip RipperZ product will win a free $500 Turner's Outdoorsman shopping spree. And all anglers who land any trout on a Lip RipperZ product and have their picture taken by one of the lake guides or at The Lakes' web cam will be eligible for a May 13th drawing for a second $500 shopping spree.