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

Aqueduct stripers are hitting, Patrick Movey said. Kaweah trout bite is good, Sierra Sport Fishing reported. McSwain trout limits are possible, Stephanie Powell said. Pine Flat trout fishing is good, Merritt Gilbert reported. Bass Lake bass are on a tear, Steve Merlo reported.

ROGER'S REMARKS

Until I finally landed a beautiful 30-pound striper last week, I had experienced two months of missing and losing what I thought were big fish, tearing up expensive tackle, and just generally wondering when I was going to get a break. So maybe now I was on a hot streak? Could lightning strike twice?

Like all anglers, I spent the week excited about the catch, but I was also planning my next trip to San Luis. Fishing fever is a bad disease and I was eager to get back on the water. It just so happened that a fishing buddy, Andy Bedell, suddenly got free for the weekend -- right after he saw the big striper picture I sent to him.

I spent the next few days thinking about our upcoming trip and had the feeling that if I could just get back on the water that another big fish was possible. I suddenly felt confident. Understand, the real undercurrent of this story is that Andy has had the good fortune of catching a big fish of 18 pounds. However, it has also been his "curse" over the years that he's somehow missed out every time we've run into a fish over 20 pounds. So when he told me that he couldn't get to the lake until 9:30 a.m. -- way past the normal start -- I had a premonition it might cost him.

I was prepared by Friday: Boat ready, lucky pants washed, lures laid out and cellphone charged. Nothing left to chance. On Saturday, not long after I got in line at the Basalt Ranger station to register at 6:15 a.m. the ranger came over and said: "You're to blame for this crowd! We've already checked in 25 boats and they are still coming." It looked like the start of a bass tournament.

I fished by myself for a few hours with no success as boats buzzed around and no one seemed to be catching anything -- great! About 9:30 a.m., I went to a spot by the dam I fish occasionally, just to waste some time before Andy arrived. Letting out the lure behind me, I put the pole in the holder and took off trolling. Just 15 to 20 seconds later, I heard something and turned to see my big 9-foot pole getting ripped back and forth. I was stunned and thought, "It has to be hooked on the bottom."

But once I pulled the pole out of the holder, I couldn't believe it -- this was at least a 20-pounder (yes, I could tell from the pull). After plunging deep for 5 minutes, the fish came up about 50 yards behind the boat and I could see that the dorsal fin and the tail fin were a good 2 feet apart -- a big fish.

I fought the fish with one hand as I threw the livewell switch with the other

(I wanted to keep this fish in good shape for Andy to see). After netting the fat 38-inch, 20-pound fish, I wrestled it out of the net, unhooked it and quickly put it in my huge 52-inch livewell on full recirculate. "Darn," I thought, "this should have been Andy's curse-breaker." Just then, my phone rang as if on cue, and I headed for the dock to pick up my unlucky, by 15 minutes, buddy. I didn't say anything as he jumped aboard.

Taking him to the dam area, I slowed the boat and told him nonchalantly I needed him to get some stuff out of the livewell. He innocently opened the lid as the fish exploded in the tank -- having about the same effect on him as finding a coiled rattlesnake inside the locker! Yes, I felt bad doing that to him, but it was very memorable! A few pictures later, I put the fish in the water and it took off like a shot.