The catfish action at Anaheim Lake has been excellent on 1 1/2 to three pounders over the past week, and the fish are biting on a vast array of baits.

Shrimp, mackerel, or the marshmallow-meal worm (M&M) combo dolled up with one of the prepared scents like Love Sauce or Gravy continue to be the most common baits used by anglers, but regular nightcrawlers and paste baits are also productive. Anglers are reminded that the catfish are mostly in deeper water to avoid the lake's huge population of cormorants. Good spots have been the bubble hole and the hump directly between Catfish Island and Honker Island, most points, along the whole west side of the lake, and off Trout Island. Shore fishermen capable of making long rods capable of getting way out in deeper water are have just as good success as boat anglers.

Some typical catches from this week include a 10-fish, 17-pound stringer posted by C.A. Nunerley III and Alex Macias, both Reseda, while fishing shrimp and mackerel at Honker Island. Mike Ward, Anaheim, landed five catfish for a total stringer weight of 12 1/2 pounds on mackerel with Gravy from a boat, while Jose Magdaleno, Compton, was fishing the shrimp-meal worm combo from shore to get five cats for 11 3/4 pounds. Regular Jimmy Suchy, Anaheim, caught five cats for a total stringer of 10 pounds on the M&M combo.

The weekend Catfish Derbies continue to be held each Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Entry fee is $5 for any of the five permit time frames -- from 5 to 11 p.m. Friday, from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, from 5 to 11 p.m. Saturday evening, 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, and from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday evening. (There are no derbies for the mid-day special at noon or the 24-hour fishing pass holders.) All of the derbies feature a 100 percent payout of the whole pot to the angler catching the biggest catfish. If 10 anglers enter at $5 each, the biggest catfish caught among those 10 anglers wins that angler the whole $50 pot.