Corona Lake's catfish bite has continued to be good to excellent with a lot of nice stringers and quality fish are still a significant component of the catches.

The best bite has been early morning, evening, and at night, but the mid-day action seems to be returning. Shrimp, mackerel, the marshmallow-meal worm (M&M) combo, and nightcrawlers with Eagle Claw Gravy or Lip Ripperz Love Sauce scents have been the best baits. Hot spots have been the deeper water off the dam and the back end for boat anglers. Shore fishing has been a little more difficult, but J.D.'s Point and the dam areas have been top spots.

The top catfish reported this week was a nice nine-pounder caught by Mike Nguyen, Riverside, to top off his six-fish, 31 1/2-pound stringer caught during an unusual mid-day bite on anchovies. Juan Cajas, Los Angeles, landed five cats for 25 1/4 pounds total, and his best was an 8  ?-pounder, all on shrimp. Demetrios Johnson, Rialto, landed a 6 3/4-pound catfish on mackerel.

The tilapia action is also pretty good in the shallow, shady areas on nightcrawler piece3s, and there continue to be a few bass, bluegill, and crappie caught by anglers targeting the lake's resident population of fish.

Catfish and tilapia plants go in at least twice a week, including both blue and channel catfish. In August, Corona Lake staff is giving away free fishing passes each time you rent a boat and motor.

Corona Lake is still having its five "Biggest Catfish" derbies every weekend. 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 20 anglers enter at $5 each, the biggest catfish caught among those 20 anglers wins that angler the whole $100 pot.