Shop News
Today we are taking a deep dive into the best lures and strategies to catch stripers on the Napa River. Oh, and we just got Live Ghost Shrimp for the first in 3 months! We'll be putting them to good use tomorrow. Stop by and get some to spice up your weekend fishing adventure.
Please follow this link to read the article or watch the full video below.
Duck Hunting Update by Shane
The 2023 duck season is here and the Sacramento Valley is loaded with birds!
I hunted a private club near the Sac Refuge with my hunting partners Trevor Maudru, Bill Maudru, Chris Perry, and Ron Spiteri. We had high expectations for the day given that Bill and Chris scouted the club a week prior and the ponds were loaded with birds.
We ended the morning with a mixed bag of 20 ducks (1 banded) and 4 Specklebelly Geese. I ended up hunting Sunday morning as well which usually doesn’t produce as many birds, but with some rain in the forecast I wanted to give it a shot. I arrived at the blind early in hopes that more birds would settle into the property and when shooting time arrived it was non-stop action. I ended the morning with a Wood Duck, Mallard, and 4 teal.
In summary, it was an above-average opening weekend for the Sacramento Valley. I talked to a few other clubs with similar success stories. I plan to hunt a lot this season so I’ll update you guys whenever I go out!
Sturgeon fishing and harvest rules update.
The new regulations will reduce the number of fish that can be kept to one per year, reduce the slot limit to 42-48 inches, cap the number of white sturgeon that can be possessed on a vessel at two per day and add seasonal closures to st
Sturgeon fishing in key spawning areas. The new regulations are expected to go into effect in late October or early November following approval by the Office of Administrative Law.
As to current Sturgeon report card holders.
Sturgeon Report Cards purchased in the 2023 calendar year remain valid for the remainder of 2023. All reporting, tag and report card requirements remain in effect. Only one sturgeon harvest tag will be valid. Any remaining sturgeon harvest tags beyond one still in possession for the 2023 calendar year will be invalid for the remainder of 2023 once the new regulations take effect. Anglers that have already harvested one or more fish in 2023 will still be allowed to catch and release sturgeon for the remainder of 2023 with a valid Sturgeon Report Card.
Live Bait Update
While supplies last. Stock up early if you are fishing this weekend. If you need to brush up on best practices to keep your bait alive for 36 hours or more, watch this video.
- Live Ghost Shrimp
- Live Grass Shrimp
- Live Bullheads
- Live Mudsuckers
- Medium, Large, and XL Minnows
- Live Blood Worms
Gun Shop Update
Springfield Armor is running a Gear Up promotion. Buy select handguns & receive 3 additional magazines and a range bag. Stop by the shop for details.
October Best Catch Contest
Show off your catches as we are renewing the contest for October. Tag your Instagram catch pictures @sweeneys_sports for a chance to win bragging rights and a $30 Sweeney's gift card.
Catch Happy On Youtube
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Subscribe now and let's make a splash in angler's paradise!
Fishing Reports
Lake Berryessa
Lake Berryessa continues to be on fire. No changes to the report below. Follow these steps and you'll get on fish.
The one key ingredient to your success on Lake Berryessa is to be on the water at first light. The bite is really good until around 8am-9am, and then it slows down considerably as the fish gorge themselves on large bait balls. You can still find the trout, but you'll have to cover a lot of water.
In terms of where to fish, look for the bait balls in the deepest parts of the lake and start fishing there. These bait balls are full of plankton and threadfin shad. They will show up on your sonar as a fat line with a fairly dense composition about 35-40 ft deep and around 3-5ft thick.
Watch the video for detailed instructions. The trout swims in and out of these bait balls to feed. Troll fairly fast through them using speedy shiners and watch your rods bend.
We now stock a complete line of Speedy Shiners and Optimizer lures that work so well on Berryessa trout.
Napa River
The Napa River Striper bite continues to be on fire. No changes to the report below. Follow these steps and you'll get on fish.
We are getting a lot of reports of keeper-sized Stripers being caught in numbers. The fish are everywhere in the river and it's just a matter of offering them what they are hungry for.
Multi-color Rat-L-Traps and P-Line Predators (custom-made at Sweeney's Sports into a Wild Thing lures) work the best. Trolling speeds around 3.5-3.8 GPS MPH worked the best.
Keep changing lures until you get bit. Turn around and troll the same spot again. Seemingly, the fish are dialed in on something different every day. The weather, tides, water color, bait fish behavior, wind, pressure, lunar cycle, and a dozen other factors shift constantly. That's why we never get tired of fishing the river. It's an ever-evolving puzzle with an abundance of options and action.
Bank fishermen are doing well with live grass shrimp, pile worms, and frozen anchovies. Use the Magic Thread to keep your bait on the hook.
Go get them.
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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