Trophy rainbows, Lightning Trout, and 24-hour fishing combined to make it an excellent fishing weekend at Santa Ana River Lakes. Limits of trout averaging from one to two pounds were the norm, and most stringers had a Lightning Trout or three.

There was also the change of one of the huge super trophy rainbows that have been showing each week since the beginning of trout season. The top rainbow reported this week was a 17-pounder caught by Angel Contreras, Anaheim, while fishing green PowerBait at the Bubble Hole. Kory Allen, pictured above Garden Grove, landed his personal best-ever rainbow, a 16-pound, five-ounce rainbow on a green Lip RipperZ jig in Chris' Pond. There were a pair of 15 1/2-pound rainbows caught. Ayaz Uddin, Anaheim Hills, was fishing chartreuse PowerBait with Hatchery Dust in Chris' Pond to land his 15 1/2-pounder, while Alex Ortega Sr. and Alex Jr., both Anaheim, teamed up to land the other 15 1/2-pounder that was hooked on a Rapala. There were also two 14 1/4-pound trout caught, one by Ray Sell, Cerritos on rainbow PowerBait in Chris' Pond, and the other by Bill Wright, Anaheim, on a chartreuse Power Mice Tail near the boat dock. Bonnie Henderson, Long Beach, landed a 10-pound rainbow on green PowerBait off La Palma Point.

The Lightning Trout were on most anglers' stringers. Steve Zookwad, Baldwin Park, had five Lightning Trout fishing white Power Mice from his float tube near the boat docks. His total stringer weighed just under 10 pounds. Nicole Tremaine and Junior Rios, both Orange, had a 10-fish mixed stringer of rainbows and Lightning Trout that weighed 12 1/2-pounds with fish to 2 1/2 pounds, all on pink dough bait rolled in Hatchery Dust. Justine Chevalier and Alison Sharp, both Brea, caught their 10-fish, 14-pound mixed stringer of rainbows and Lightning Trout from a boat on orange plastics near the boat dock.

The trophy Sierra Bows from Mt. Lassen Trout Farms continue to be a component of each week's plant. These trout are extremely popular with the anglers and have been running from 10 to nearly 20 pounds. The trout are showing on a wide variety of baits and lures, but the most consistent action has continued 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.

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. There are 24-hour passes offered on Friday and Saturday night on weekends nearest the full moon each month for $75. 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.