Excellent trout action continues at Santa Ana River Lakes with a nice mix of limits and trophy rainbows still showing for anglers. This week, the rainbows will be joined by the year's first plant of the popular, golden-hued Lightning Trout.

"The Lightning Trout are always popular with our fishermen," said Craig Elliott at Santa Ana River Lakes. "They fight hard and have rich, pink meat. They are also the most beautiful fish we plant in The Lakes."

Trophy Sierra Bows from Mt. Lassen Trout Farms continue to be a component of each week's huge plant. These fish have been running from 10 to nearly 20 pounds, and another batch of giants showed up on anglers stringers again this past week.

The big fish was a 15-pounder caught by Layla Diaz, Long Beach, while she was fishing a yellow Power Mice Tail in Chris Pond. Kevin Slape, pictured of Upland, topped off his 27-pound, one-ounce, five-fish limit with 14 1/2-pound rainbow a blue Mirror Shad. Another 14 1/2-pounder was caught by Glenn Matsushita, Gardena, on a green crankbait at the Bubble Hole. George Sergeant, La Habra, caught a 14-pounder on a Power Worm off La Palma Point, and Steve Jacobs, Norwalk, caught a 12 1/4-pound rainbow on rainbow PowerBait in the old Three Pipes area of the lake. Melvin Lopez, Long Beach, landed an 11-pound, 15-ounce rainbow orange PowerBait with Hatchery Dust near the boat dock in the big lake, and a 10-pounder was caught by Adam Jen, Santa Monica, on a nightcrawler at the pumphouse.

The best action continues to be on floating baits rolled in the new Hatchery Dust additive. Power Mice Tails or the home-made equivalents with plastic or nightcrawler tails are close seconds, and a lot of rainbows continue to show on small trout plastics and trout jigs. Bright colors continue to be the best bet with any of the baits or lures.

This week's plant of Lightning Trout coincides with this month's two 24-hour fishing days on Friday, Feb. 22 and Saturday, Feb. 23. Anglers can purchase 24-hour passes those two nights for $75. With the family special, an angler can bring his or her spouse and three kids 17 years or younger on that $75 permit, and all can help catch the 15-fish limit. Camping at SARL is thrown in for free.

Santa Ana River Lakes is open seven days-a-week. Fishing is 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 passes is $25. Seniors pay only $23 with a $20 special on Wednesdays. All of these passes have a five-fish limit. For kids 4 to 13, a three-fish pass is just $12.