Catfish season is still rolling at Santa Ana River Lakes, and the lake just loaded up again with a plant of Imperial cats and big tilapia on September 10. That follows a heavy Labor Day catfish stock and another cat/tilapia plant in late August, so there are plenty of fish in the water. Cut mackerel, blood bait, and dough bait are the go tos, and cats over 10 pounds are not unusual. Tilapia are fun, and there are a few giants roaming as well. No license is needed, and day, night, and overnight sessions are all available. Rental boats are first come, first served, so get there early if you want one.

There's a lot of good bass action right now at Sandy Wool on finesse stuff. T-rigged 6-inch Roboworms (Margarita Mutilator, PB+J) and weightless Senkos are doing extremely well off rocky structure and the tule line. Fish are looking healthy with big bellies. Water temps are still in the mid-upper 70s, but as the nights cool, temps will drop and the reaction bite will pick up in a big way. Even now, some anglers are pulling fish on squarebills and topwater baits around the dam area at dusk.

A few big carp have been pulled out recently on corn, and bluegill are being caught consistently around brush on wax worms and redworms (a bobber helps). There's been no trout stocking since April, and if it's anything like last year, CDFW may not stock until late December or early January.