Anaheim Lake has been consistently producing nice stringers of catfish for anglers tossing shrimp, mackerel, or the marshmallow-meal (M&M) worm combos, and dousing them with Gravy or Love Sauce has improved strike ratios.The Bubble Hole has been the top spot this past week, but the fish are concentrated in deeper water during the daytime avoiding the hordes of cormorants at the lake, and coming up closer to the shore during the night when they roost.

Other good spots have been the hump directly between Catfish Island and Honker Island on the west side of the lake. Shore fishermen capable of making long rods capable of getting way out in deeper water are also having good success. Boat anglers are doing real well in the deeper water during the day. If you have a fish finder, bring it, because those that do are limiting out in no time at all.

Bob Nelson, Anaheim, had 13 catfish on a 24-hour pass and the stringer weighed in at 27.5 pounds with a four-pounder his top fish. He was fishing both mackerel and the M&M combo from a boat and fishing near Honker Island. Brian Green, Orange, landed four cats for a 12.5-pound total and his top fish was the best reported this week at five pounds. All were taken on shrimp with Gravy, and Green was fishing all over the lake in deep water while on a pontoon boat.

Adain Renteria, Bellflower, had a 15.75-pound stringer with fish to four pounds at the spillway with shrimp. Russ Ingram, Glendora, landed five cats for an 18-pound stringer. He was fishing at the Bubble Hole with both shrimp and the M&M combo doused with garlic Gravy.

Most of the catfish have been running from two to three pounds and five-fish stringer that weight 12 to 15 pounds have been the norm.

The tilapia action has been fair to good. The best bite on these panfish has been in shady areas of shallow water with nightcrawler pieces fished under a bobber. The tilapia are averaging a pound to 1 1/2 pounds.

The weekend Catfish Derbies are getting a lot of angler attention. 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 will be 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.

Anaheim Lake continues to receive twice-weekly plants of catfish and tilapia on Tuesday and Thursday through the rest of the summer fishing season, and tilapia are also planted at least one of those days
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