Lake Berryessa Fishing Report: Testing New Setups, Landing 13 Fish, and Finding What Actually Works

nancybalois1
23 minutes ago
4 min read

There’s something different about a day on the water when you’re not just fishing—you’re experimenting.

This week at Lake Berryessa, we headed out with one goal: figure out what’s actually working right now for trout and kokanee—and test new setups that everyday anglers can use.

Water temps are sitting right around 61 degrees, and fish are feeding in that top 40 feet. We were marking plenty of fish early, but as always—not all of them were feeding.

Still, the ones that came up? They were active.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yp2iqU45a2Q

The Plan: Fish Like a Customer Would

A big part of this trip wasn’t just catching fish—it was testing setups for people who don’t have a fully rigged trolling boat.

A lot of anglers:

Don’t have downriggers
Or only have two but want to run four rods

So instead of relying only on traditional setups like lead core line, we focused on alternative ways to get depth.

Experiment #1: Sliding Ball Setup (No Downrigger Required)

We ran a setup using:

A sliding sinker clip with a ball weight (2 oz-8 oz in our case)
A flasher
A kokanee-style leader with double hooks
Baited with shoepeg corn marinated in tuna oil

The idea?

Create a system that lets anglers reach 18–22 feet without a downrigger, and still maintain good action.

At first, it was messy.

We had the flasher too close to the weight—no bites.

So we adjusted:

Added ~3.5–5 feet of leader between the weight and flasher
Let the flasher actually “work” in clean water

And just like that—the setup came alive.

You could see it:

“That flasher is whipping… the leader is spinning… everything looks right.”

Then we got our first hit.

And lost it.

Welcome to experimentation.

We ended up landing multiple fish on this setup by the end of the day.

The Bread & Butter: What Actually Produced Fish

While we were testing, one setup just kept producing.

The Winner:

T-Bone Tackle Teaspoon – Green Frog Pattern

Depth: 27 feet
Speed: ~2.0 mph
Time: Early morning (~7:30 AM)

This lure was automatic in the morning.

“If you’re worried about a single hook on that teaspoon—don’t. That fish had no chance.”

We consistently found fish at:

15 feet
27 feet

And overall trolling speed sweet spot:

1.8 to 2.0 mph

Experiment #2: The Worm Setup (Game Changer)

This one got interesting.

We decided to move away from plastics and try something more natural:

Threaded worm on a long shank hook
Small spin lure (spin glow style)
Arrowhead flasher
Run behind a downrigger (stacked setup)

Not pretty.

Not fancy.

But effective.

The first big bite came fast.

Then we missed it.

Then we dialed it in.

And suddenly…

“Fish on… this is the threaded worm… and it worked.”

We started landing fish consistently on it.

At least 3+ fish came on the worm setup alone, including:

Trout
Kokanee

And the hook-up ratio?

Solid.

“Hooked right under the meat… that’s exactly what you want.”

Dialing It In: Mid-Day Adjustments

As the day went on, we made key changes:

Color Strategy

Morning: Greens dominate
Cloudy conditions: Deep greens + purples
Afternoon: Transition to purples, blues, gold, or silver

We even swapped in a purple flasher later in the day—and it kept producing.

Running Multiple Rods (Stacking Strategy)

We also ran stacked rods on the downrigger:

Bottom rod: ~28 feet
Top rod: ~16–18 feet

This allowed us to:

Cover multiple zones
Test multiple setups simultaneously

It takes some management—but when it works, it’s worth it.

The Final Count: A Day That Delivered

By the end of the day:

13 fish landed
At least 6–7 missed
Mix of trout and kokanee
Multiple successful experimental setups

“When you experiment with something and it works… it feels like a million dollars.”

That’s the truth.

Key Takeaways for Your Next Trip

If you’re heading out to Berryessa right now:

Depth

Focus 15–27 feet
Fish active from 2–40 feet, but those zones produced best

Speed

1.8–2.0 mph is the zone

Top Producers

Green frog T-Bone spoon
Green kokanee hoochies
Worm + flasher combo (don’t sleep on it)

For Non-Downrigger Boats

Sliding ball system works
Just make sure:
- Leader is long enough (3–5 ft from weight)
- Flasher has clean water to move

Final Thought

This wasn’t just a fishing trip.

It was a field test for the shop, the club, and the community—figuring out what actually works so we can pass it on.

And days like this?

They remind you why we do it.

“Sometimes when things are just working… that feels so good.”

Learn to Fish Day – May 30th at Napa Sea Ranch

We’re incredibly excited to host our upcoming Learn to Fish Day on May 30th at Napa Sea Ranch!

This is a hands-on event designed for beginners and families looking to get into fishing.

Event Details:

• Time: 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM

• Location: Napa Sea Ranch

• Registration: Free (limited to 40 participants—register early!)

What’s Included:

• Full instruction

• Free bait

• Optional rod & reel rentals on-site

Attendees can bring their own setups (we’ll help you rig them), or rent everything needed right on the spot.

We’ll be running three learning stations:

1. Striper bank fishing rigging setup station

2. Baiting and technique station

3. Casting instruction and practice

After completing the stations, participants will head down to the river bank to cast their lines and try their luck catching a striper.

Important Notes:

• Napa Sea Ranch access fee: $5 for adults

• Kids fish free (no charge from Napa Sea Ranch)

This event is proudly sponsored by Napa Fishing Club and Sweeney’s Sports.

We can’t wait to get more people out fishing—especially first-timers.

Catch Of The Month Contest - Win a $30 gift card!

Show us your most impressive fishing moment by tagging @sweeneys_sports in your Instagram post or story. The grand prize? A $30 gift card and a feature on our social networks! 🏅.

If you’d like to participate, it’s simple:

Share a photo of your catch to your Instagram stories
Tag @sweeneys_sports

Each entry gives you a chance to be featured and win a $30 gift card.

A big thank you to everyone who submitted this month - we truly appreciate your participation and can’t wait to see what you reel in next. Keep the photos coming! 🎣