It's transition time at Santa Ana River Lakes. The weekly catfish plants, including plants of blue catfish, have already begun, and the bite is good. Anglers are also still landing quite a few rainbow trout in the deep-water areas of the lake and where there is good water movement.

Top blue catfish this past week was a nice 12-pounder that topped off a 30-pound, five-fish catch made by Jason Silva, Anaheim Canyons, fishing near the boat dock with mackerel and nightcrawlers doused with Eagle Claw Gravy. Santiago Palacios, West Covina, had a pair of cats with a 9 1/2-pounder his big fish. Both were landed on mackerel in the Catfish Lake in the back end across from the bridge.

The biggest rainbow landed was an 8.6-pounder caught by Ray Holguin, Torrance,fishing a green and white Lip Ripperz Ratz in Chris' Pond. David Rochin, Fullerton, caught an 8.25-pounder on garlic dough bait and Love Sauce, also from Chris' Pond.

The catfish season Grand Opening has been set for this Memorial Day weekend, and there will be giant plants of the fast-growing blue catfish and the popular Silver King channels, including trophy fish over the 10-pound mark.

SARL and its sister water Corona Lake are the only waters in Southern California being planted with these giant blue cats, and fish to 20 pounds will be stocked this season, and anglers can expect to see blue catfish to 40 pounds or more as these fish age - both in SARL and at the hatchery. SARL has exclusive rights to over 300,000 of these blues and that number will just increase in the next few years.