Shop News
đ Don't miss our Sweeney's giveaway celebrating 1000 subscribers on our Catch Happy YouTube and Instagram channels! đ
We are giving away a Striper Bait setup and a Trolling setup to two lucky winners.
Joining is easy:
Subscribe to the Catch Happy YouTube channel.
Follow us on Instagram @sweeneys_sports.
Subscribe to our weekly newsletter at sweeneyssports.com. (you already are)
Comment on our latest YouTube video, stating your preference for the giveaway (troll đŁ or bait đŚ).
Winners will be announced on Monday, November 13th. đ Don't miss your chance! đ
Watch the video for details.
Sweeney's Sports Striper Derby
Sweeney's Sports Striper Derby will be hosted on December 15th, 16th, 17th, 2023.
$50 Registration per adult, $25 For children under 16. The top 3 fish by weight win the following (The minimum fish size to qualify for weigh-in is 22 inches).
-1st Place - 50% of the pot.
-2nd Place - 25% of the pot.
-3rd Place - 10% of the pot.
Official weight-ins will only be conducted at the shop (Sweeney's Sports, Napa, CA), at 4pm-5pm, on December, 15th, 16th, and 17th.
The minimum fish size to qualify for the tournament is 22 inches from nose to fork. All weigh-ins must be done no later than 5 pm on each day of the tournament during the shop's official weigh-in window (4-5pm). Please have your fishing license, picture ID, and registration confirmation at the time of weigh-in. The biggest fish will be announced daily, at 5:30pm.
Derby winners will be announced on Sunday, December 17th at 5:30pm. The registration fee isn't refundable or transferable. Must Register by December 10th.
What's New in the Shop?
Surelock Limited Edition 39 Gun Safe with a 45-minute fire rating. $1,299
Lewâs KVD LFS bait caster reel. Left and right hand available. $165.99
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 Grass Shrimp
- Live Mudsuckers
- Live Bullheads
- Medium, Large, and XL Minnows
October Best Catch Contest
Congrats to Jake! Our Best Catch of the Month winner for October.
Catch Happy On Youtube
Ready to reel in a good time? Dive into the world of fishing, adventures, and education with Catch Happy.
Subscribe now and let's make a splash in angler's paradise!
Fishing Reports
Lake Berryessa
Lake Berryessa is slowing down, but anglers still catch fish. We'll be fishing it tomorrow and provide a fresh report next week. In the meantime, follow the steps below if you are going out there.
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 hungry fish later in the day, 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 (80ft-100ft) 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
Both Dave and Alex fished Napa River for the Striper this week and did well.
Here is Alex's friend Mitch with his 23-incher.
If you haven't met Dave, he is the new addition to our Outdoor's team. Dave is a passionate fisherman and outdoorsman who grew up here in Napa. He fished here all his life. Say hello to Dave on your next visit.
We did exactly what we've discussed in our detailed video on Napa River Striper lures, bait, and tactics.
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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