Corona Lake 10/22/2011

Water 68^ in the morning and up to 72^ later. I stuck around until they closed. I started at the dam with every other nut out there and couldn't get them to bite, only saw two fish caught off of boats. After I worked the opposite shore from the launch, saw lots of shad but no fish, shad were picking bugs off of the surface. I metered nothing but small fish there so there were no predators. I threw super dupers and jigs and no takers. I kept working south then was working the middle of the lake down there when a boater comes by and says he is going after cats. I remember I have some night crawlers and decide to change things up. I thought that I was finally going to have the first skunk in a long time. I start heading for the sticks and I meter fish in 8' of water, tie on the crawler, drop shot, and within a minute the first bite of the day and a crappie.8"-9", 12:00 noon water 71^. I catch one more 10" and then I think that I am snagged so I kick back to the "snag" to get untangled and there the pole tells me it is no snag but a fish. Strong fight keeps to the bottom, I finally get it up and for some reason I am kinda freaked by what I see, "the first unmanly thing I did". The fish wasn't white, it didn't have any color, it's big and the dorsal fin is poking holes in my hand as I am getting the hook out. The mouth is round and I have never caught anything like it. I'm thinking about putting it in my basket but I have been C&R so much this year I just let it slip out of my hand. Finally talk w/ a boater and he says it was a Talapia, had to go a couple of pounds. After that short bites just stealing the worm. I saw fish floating close to shore and out in the middle of the lake also. Hope the water cools down and the trout come out to play.
[img][You must be registered and logged in to see this image.][/img]

Well no stink time for you on that day great work on the hunt and not giving up and great caught to keep wetting tho line bro

Good report thanks for the pictures. To bad you did not get a picture of the Tilapia sounds like the cool catch of the day.

Great report Kelster!

Great info considering that lake for some trout, but seems like it may still be a bit early in the year..

LGHT wrote:Great info considering that lake for some trout, but seems like it may still be a bit early in the year..

yeah thats kinda what I was thinking...going nuts waiting though...

Thanks, don't know if I will go to Corona or Perris this Saturday. Leaning to Corona as I hate to lose and I want to prove to myself that I can learn that little lake and catch fish.

Looking to go and check out this lake, I have fish it for Kitty's but never with plastic. I have always wanted to try for the tailwakers, but always stuck to my old ways. Now im looking to try new methods and new type's of fish. Maybe this could be a good 3rd fishing outing.

Seems like trout are in action (according to the fish report yesterday) at corona. I might try and get out Saturday since the old lady is working anyway.

Barely two weeks old, the trout bite at Corona Lake is already approaching a mid-season pace with lots of limits of rainbows and quality trout already showing in good numbers.
The big rainbow this past week was a 9 1/2 pounder that topped off a seven-fish, 24 1/2-pound limit reported by Jeff Chadkowski and Michelle Estrella of Pomona fishing nightcrawlers from a boat. Jesse Gutierrez, Downey, landed an eight-pound rainbow on yellow dough bait at the dam, while Jerahmi Wichman, Tujunga, had six trout for 24 pounds fishing garlic Power Bait from shore. Nick and Jeff De Maio, Irvine, landed eight rainbows for 19 pounds on green floating bait off the dam shoreline.
Unlike the first week of the season, when the trout artificials were the hot ticket for fish, the best action has been in deeper water at the dam for boat and float tube anglers and the dam shorelinOcte fishing floating dough baits.
While almost no one is fishing catfish any longer, the bite has been good for those targeting the cats in deeper water with scented cut baits or stink baits. Joe Bolden, Carson, landed a 9 1/2-pounder on mackerel out behind the tackle shop.

I dont trust the fish reports that come from the lakes themselves, only the ones I get from other fishermen on the various websites.

Corona is FEAST or FAMINE but I have had more FEAST that FAMINE you need to fish by the dam go deep and slow although I have never tubed the lake I have spoken to many tubers and that seems to be the ticket one pole w/small jigs (Berkleys mice)2nd w/lime twist power bait&garlic scent

There are also MONSTER BASS in this lake very few people go after them I believe the lake record over 16lbs

Yeah I was thinking about that fish report coming directly from them and it's validity since they are a pay lake and stand to make a good profit if they have a good "report". I've only floated a fresh water lake once and didn't get anything, but a small blue gill so I'm really hoping to get in more time on the water. Still trying to make something happen this weekend.