Compiled by Dave Hurley and edited by local fishing expert Roger George, a former Olympic-class decathlete at Fresno State and striper record-holder at Millerton Lake.

Telephone numbers are in 559 calling area unless noted.

BEST BETS

Don Pedro bass and trout action is good, Monte Smith said. Aqueduct stripers are hitting, Pete Cormier reported. McClure rainbows and bass bites have improved, Randy Pringle said. Millerton is cranking out good numbers of spotted bass, and Pine Flat trout are eating, Merritt Gilbert reported. New Melones trout are prowling, Danny Layne said.

FLYFISHING REPORT

The San Joaquin River has the highest winter flows (380-400 cfs.) of any local tailwaters. There's pressure at the easy drive-up areas around Lost Lake Park, but a short walk should provide uncrowded water. Small blue-winged olive (#18-#20) mayflies will begin to hatch midday to early afternoon and on cloudy or foggy days for a few hours. ... Watch our presentation of "Seasons In the Sierra" at REI on Feb. 5. ... Sierra Fly Fisher Guide Service (559) 683-7664. Yosemite Rivers Fly Shop (559) 641-7788.

ROGER'S REMARKS

Most of us have our regular fishing buddies and a routine so well-greased that sometimes it's easy to forget that most folks just don't understand how expensive it is to take your boat and truck out for a trip. There's nothing worse than taking someone new (or experienced) on an expensive outing that you fully underwrite. Ouch! For anglers who have never owned a boat and had to pay for all the extra and hidden costs, it's hard to imagine just what a trip can run.

A boat owner has to pay for the vehicle's and the boat's gas (many use 91 octane). Pulling that monster drags the mileage way down and, depending on the vessel's size, getting 12 miles per gallon can be the norm. Getting to one of our local lakes is a minimum 40- to 90-mile drive. And if you're fishing lakes farther away, such as Don Pedro, you can be looking at a 200- to 300-mile round trip, conservatively. With gas at $3.50-plus per gallon, you're talking some serious money to just get there and back -- and that's not even considering spots like Clear Lake, the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta or the ocean. Two pocketbooks often are required. Also, running the boat 10 to 15 miles up a lake, one way, and then jetting all over the place can use up a good 20 gallons or much more in a day. Chalk up another $100.

Every time I fish, I also seem to end up going to the tackle store and restoring my stash with some new lures, equipment and line -- stuff that whomever I'm taking will probably use, too. Just losing a couple new $10 to $15 lures and having to respool the line can end up costing the boat owner more than $50.

Looking back over the past year, I realized that another big hidden cost is the constant repairs and maintenance necessary for the safety and performance of your floating money pit. Two major axle issues, servicing my outboard, new tires, buying outboard oil, cleaning supplies and a covered storage unit to keep it safe -- it all adds up to thousands of dollars! Did I even mention insurance? How about the accumulated wear and tear on your vehicle and boat? Such as: "Sorry, I just pulled your $2,000 depthfinder off its mount when I slipped. Hope it's OK." ... Better count to 10 slowly! No wonder lots of anglers refuse to take others along who don't really understand that helping the poor boater out is a breath of fresh air -- not to mention a sure way to get another trip.