Anglers have been waiting since trout season opened this fall at Santa Ana River Lakes for the first plant of the largest rainbow trout in the country. The Mt. Lassen Trout Farms rainbow trout that top 20 pounds and could run up to 30 pounds this season are being planted this week. The wait is over. The big ones arrive this week.

The current state record for rainbow trout is 28.1 pounds, a fish caught in 2005 at SARL by Mike Lopez. And it's fairly certain that trout over that size will be planted a number of times from now through December. The first load of 20-plus pound rainbows will go in after the lake closes at 2 p.m. Wednesday this week. The lake will be closed all day Thanksgiving, and then it will reopen at 6 a.m. on Friday.

????"Hopefully, we'll get a new California state record," said Doug Elliott, owner of the concession at SARL. "They tell us they have fish that big -- and bigger -- so we know we'll get some that will break the state record."

The question is simply whether or not someone will be able to land one of the monster trout. Fish over the 28.1-pound record size were also stocked last year, but none were landed. When the 28.1-pounder was caught, there were two other fish planted in the same size range. One was found, after being hooked and lost several times, along the shoreline, and the other fish just seemed to disappear.

But anglers fishing for the new state record should keep in mind the Eagle Claw bounty on this fish. If the 28.1-pound state and lake record is broken using Eagle Claw Nitro baits or bait additives, the anglers can claim a $500 prize. If an Eagle Claw hook is used, he or she is eligible for another $500.??

??The trout action has been very good at SARL, even before the plant of the super trophies. The top rainbow landed this past week was a 19 1/2-pounder landed by Lacrissa Gayagas of Ontario while fishing with a nightcrawler doused with Nitro Gravy at the pumphouse. It was the best of 10 trout over 10 pounds reported this past week.

??Other big fish included a 16-pounder caught by Shon Roberts, Newport Beach, on a Lip Ripperz near the net, and a 14-pounder was caught by Rene Robert, San Gabriel, to top off a six-fish stringer, all landed on Trout Traps off La Palma Point. There were also 12 1/2-pound trout landed by Daniel Fernandez, Carson, and Jordan Mugich, Fullerton.

The bite action has been for anglers fishing from boats with the warm weather this past week, which kicked up the surface water temperature three degrees. This pushed the trout into deeper water and made trolling the preferred tactic. Rapalas, Kastmasters, and Roostertails were best for the trollers, while casters were using Nitro Worms, nightcrawlers, or Nitro Baits doused with Gravy.

Catfish are also still showing for the few anglers targeting the whiskerfish. The best baits have been mackerel, the M&M (marshmallow and mealworm) combo, shrimp, and nightcrawlers, all dipped in Gravy, and fish to 4 ?? pounds have been reported.

Santa Ana River Lakes is open seven days a week with fishing allowed from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. on day passes or from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. on an evening pass. Each of these $20 passes has a five-fish limit. The lake's 24-hour passes are available only once a month for trout season -- the weekend closest to the full moon. That means this Friday and Saturday for the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. These passes have a 15-fish limit and cost $60. The 24-Hour Family Special which is designed to promote family activity is also $60, however, only dad pays the $60 fee and mom and up to 3 kids 12 and under get in free and can help dad catch his 15 fish limit. The lake will be planted every Wednesday for the remainder of trout season.