Anaheim Lake's catfish action has continued very good over the past week with limits of 1 1/2 to three pound catfish common for anglers fishing a wide variety of baits.

Shrimp or mackerel with one of the prepared scents like Love Sauce or Gravy continue to produce good numbers of catfish, but the marshmallow-meal (M&M) worm combos, nightcrawlers, and paste baits are also productive.

The catfish remain 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, 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 also having good success.

A 30-pound stringer with 14 fish was reported by Chris Khou, Derrell Carr, James Imel, Mike Medina Sr., and Mike Medina Jr., all from Ontario and La Puente. They were fishing both shrimp and mackerel with Love Sauce. Bill and Billy Holt, both Anaheim, landed 10 catfish for 28 pounds fishing shrimp along the west shore. A 17  ?-pound, eight-fish stringer was reported by Bo Allen and Chaka Delaney, Los Angeles, fishing nightcrawlers and shrimp with garlic spray on the humps. Andrew Villa and David Compos, both Tustin, had eight cats to three pounds for a 17-pound total fishing mackerel and shad from a pontoon boat.

Robert and Kai Powers, Highland Park, had the top catfish this past week at 4 1/4-pounds to top off an 11-fish stringers on nightcrawlers fishing off Honker Island in a boat
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The popular 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.

Anaheim Lake continues to receive twice-weekly plants of catfish and tilapia on Tuesday and Thursday through the rest of the summer fishing season. In August, Anaheim Lake staff is giving away free fishing passes each time you rent a boat and motor.

Private boats, kayaks, and float tubes are allowed at Anaheim Lake, but they will be inspected for traces of water or evidence of quagga mussel contamination before being allowed on the water.