Hi, friends! It's Thursday, and we have a lot to share this week! Let's start with some exciting news! Napa Register just featured Sweeney's Sports in an article.
Thanks to Brent Randol and his Reel Life column for the recognition!
What's new in the shop?
We have been working hard behind the scenes, like busy bees, to submit and process merchandise orders. With double the space in our new location, we now have double the responsibility to bring you the products you want, when you want them.
We have restocked weights, lures, rods, reels, and accessories. But that's not all. We are also bringing in some new lines to the shop, including Powell Rods and much more.
Finish your summer with a bang, and go hunting/fishing in the fall in style and comfort with our restocked Yeti coolers, drinkware, and bags. You'll find a bunch of cool new Yeti products and colors to choose from.
And in even more exciting news, we now have new Sweeney's stickers available for sale! Show your love for the oldest and baddest Napa outdoor shop by slapping one on your favorite cooler or bait fridge at home.
This week in Fishing
Live Bait
Medium Minnows
Large Minnows
Napa River Striper Trolling: Dialing In the Outgoing Tide
By Alex Osenenko
On Tuesday, I had the privilege and pleasure of accompanying Rob Larman, owner of Elfouco Wood Fired Pizza in Sonoma, on a Napa River coaching fishing trip. Rob wanted to learn more about striper trolling methods and gain a better understanding of Napa River tides and fish behavior within the ever-changing river.
We timed the trip to hit the tail of the outgoing tide, slack, followed by the incoming tide. When I arrived at the dock, Rob already had his Boston Whaler Montauks in the water, and we took off right at 7 am.
Here's how we broke down the tides and got on fish.
Outgoing Tide Strategies
Stripers are mostly stacked in sloughs, by the cuts, where large pools drain into the slough and carry bait to them. This is no secret. But did you know that trolling against the tide at 4.5 MPH ground speed (roughly 3 MPH GPS speed) often produces better results than trolling with the tide?
It seems counterintuitive, doesn't it? After all, the fish are waiting for bait to come to them with the tide. What's really happening is that the lures we troll rarely look like the bait the stripers are keyed in on in that particular spot. Sure, we'll get bites trolling right to them with the tide, but I found that there's a better way.
Going against the tide, we often come up behind or from the side, in the opposite direction of their typical orientation. This is where stripers' aggressive nature plays against them. The deep diver we are trolling is acting more erratically going against the tide, making a rattling noise.
If you do this right and have something like the Italian Stallion Wild Thing deep diver hitting the bottom every 12-30 feet, raising silt, and creating all kinds of commotion, stripers are unable to resist the attack. They smack it so hard that sometimes all three lure hooks are fully planted in their face by the time you boat them.
Ideally, troll in 5-10 feet of water, 160 feet behind the boat, and let your Wild Thing or another deep diver lure hit the bottom at full trolling speed. This has been the most productive strategy on the Napa River.
Sure, you may get caught up on some debris or the lure catches gunk and floats up, but you have to keep an eye on your rod tip. Reposition it as soon as the rod unloads. Otherwise, let the rod tip go crazy.
The way you tell the bite using this strategy is the sound of a singing reel. When you set your trolling rods, adjust the drag so you can pull the line by hand, then turn on your reel's clicker. When you hear "dzzzzz...," grab the rod, tighten the drag, and reel.
I personally choose to continue trolling the remaining rods while we are fighting fish. If you use the methods above, the fish is hooked well and isn't going anywhere but your deck. The chances of getting doubles are a lot higher when you have lines in the water.
At the end of the day, we boated a 32-inch, 15.5-pound striper on the outgoing tide and a 22-inch, 3.5-pound fish on the incoming tide. And if you read this blog on the regular, you already know what lure landed us the last fish. The Golden Boy struck again!
We were back at the dock and on the trailer by 12 pm.
Next week, I'll break down my incoming tide strategy. Meanwhile, if you have any comments or feedback, feel free to respond to this email. I'd love to read your thoughts, ideas, and feedback.
If you'd like my help to dial in your own Napa River trolling techniques and equipment, please fill out this form, and we'll discuss the details.
Tips & Tricks For Bank Fishing Lake Hennessy
By Rob George
The challenges of shore fishing are unique and require strategic navigation around the lake. Anglers must move from one spot to another, either on foot or by vehicle, to find productive areas. It's crucial to spend approximately an hour at each location, experimenting with various baits before relocating. Begin with finesse-style baits such as weightless Senko's, flukes, and drop shot rigs. Then, gradually transition to shallow dive crank baits, lipless crank baits, and chatter baits.
Bank fishing limits the retrieval and bait style options. Deep diving baits are not ideal because they tend to drag and snag on the lake bottom. Instead, anglers should focus on areas where bass tend to hide, such as rocky drop-offs, tules, and other structures. These areas provide cover and ambush points for bass, making them more likely to strike.
If you haven't had any bites for a while, it's advisable to change your bait or move to a different spot. Patience and persistence are key in shore fishing. By experimenting with different baits and locations, anglers can increase their chances of success and catch their target fish. Keep experimenting, and with time, you'll develop a strategy that works for you.
Rob is Lake Hennessy Bass Fishing Guide for beginners. Fill out this form to find out more about Rob's guiding services.
Tight lines. We hope to see you in the shop soon. Remember, we are now at 835 Lincoln in Napa.
As always,
We truly appreciate every time you walk through our doors. Thank you for choosing to spend your hard-earned dollars with us. It's a privilege to be of service.
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