As spring builds across Napa waters, anglers are seeing steady action with live bait and trolling setups. This week also marks an exciting milestone with the first Napa Fishing Club kickoff night.

Bass fishing at Lake Berryessa is heating up as spawning activity begins, while stripers and trout patterns remain steady. This week’s update also covers new gear arrivals, Napa Fishing Club events, and clubhouse rental opportunities.

Live ghost shrimp are back in stock, fishing conditions remain steady at Lake Berryessa and Napa River, and new Shimano gear has arrived. Get the latest fishing report, bait updates, and a preview of the 2026 salmon season in this week’s Sweeney’s update.

What’s happening on the Napa River, what’s working at Berryessa, and the bait update anglers have been waiting for.

Fishing conditions around Napa are starting to shift as winter patterns slowly give way to early spring activity. This week’s report covers striper action in the Napa River, trout trolling at Lake Berryessa, bait recommendations, and updates from Sweeney’s including the upcoming Napa Fishing Club.

Reports from up and down the river have been encouraging, with stripers consistently showing and sturgeon anglers seeing steady activity. Here’s what’s working right now.

The rains are behind us for now, and we’re looking at a solid stretch of cooler, sunny winter days ahead. As the river begins to clear from its muddy stain, expect stripers to turn on and feed aggressively.

Every week, someone walks into the shop with the same question dressed a little differently:  “What actually works right now?”

Test the three most effective striper techniques - trolling, casting, and live bait - and see which one produces the best fish.

As you can see, they did pretty well using white Keitech swimbait with white 1/2 ounce jig-head. Congrats Luis! Nice catch

What do you do when one of your rod guides loses its insert? Most people set the rod aside in hopes that they will have time to track down and glue the missing insert eventually. The rod ends up sitting and collecting dust.

It’s officially striper season — time to grab your gear and hit the riverbank! Whether you’re setting up along the Napa River or your favorite local fishing hole, this is the perfect season to relax by the water and chase some powerful stripers.

Whether you’re heading out to the Napa River, making a run up to Berryessa, or just cruising downtown, this new drop from Salty Crew is made for life on and off the water.

I was able to get out and fish for striped bass again this week. I knew that it would be a favorable tide to target these fish on the fly because

Fishing trips don’t get much more memorable than this. On our recent Alaska adventure, we had the chance to fish for..

Striper season is here — don’t miss your chance to kick it off with fellow anglers!

Striper fishing on the Napa River is heating up this August! Our very own Axel—who’s quickly becoming a local expert—limited out after work using jerkbaits from 6th Sense and Rapala. His top fish? A beautiful 37-incher caught on outgoing tide between 8–9 PM.

Ken, a longtime angler and President of CA Striped Bass Association just brought in a serious collection of used fishing gear—mooching rods, Shimano reels, Fenwick rods, and more.

This Saturday, we’re filming new episodes and inviting four customers to participate. Come shop with Alex (yes, on camera), share your story, and help us tell ours.

Striper are migrating back up from their annual spawn in the Sacramento River and will begin flooding into Napa River and the surrounding sloughs.