Let’s Go! New Gear, Hot Bites, and Second Cast Fridays
- alexosen
- 6 days ago
- 5 min read
Hello friends,
In this edition, we'll be covering:
What's New in the Shop
Second Cast Used Gear Inventory
Bass Fishing Report
Live Bait Update
Summer is here, and it’s time to make every cast count! Whether you're chasing stripers on the Napa River or heading up to Berryessa for crappie and bass, now’s the season to get outside and do what you love. We only get one life — let’s live it on the water, rod in hand, and fish on the line. Let’s go!
What's New in the Shop
AMG Outdoor Chairs: Your Go-To for Trail, Camp, & Comfort
Discover the perfect portable seating solution with our AMG Chair lineup. From the ultra-light and compact Folding Trail Chair for quick stops, to the practical Director Chair with side tables, and the rugged Alpine Mountain Chair built for any terrain, these chairs combine durability, comfort, and easy transport, ensuring you have a reliable seat wherever your outdoor adventures take you.
Shimano Nasci Spinning Reels
Elevate your fishing experience with the versatile Shimano Nasci spinning reels (available in 3000, 4000, and 5000 sizes). These reels blend Shimano's signature smooth performance and robust construction with exceptional value, offering reliable drag systems and cranking power ideal for a wide range of freshwater species, inshore saltwater fishing, or heavier applications.
Salty Crew Gear
Embrace the ocean lifestyle with our latest collection of Salty Crew apparel. Featuring cool new hats and iconic tees crafted for comfort, Salty Crew embodies the spirit of "Thrill Seekers & Risk Takers" with authentic, water-inspired designs perfect for life on and around the water.
Freedom Tackle Skirted Bass Jigs
Revolutionize your bass fishing with the innovative Freedom Tackle Skirted Bass Jigs. Their unique free-swinging hook design allows trailers to move with unparalleled natural action, irresistible to bass, while significantly improving hook-up ratios by reducing leverage. Available in various weights and colors, these jigs are engineered for versatile and effective bass pursuit in any cover.
Second Cast Used Gear Inventory
Shimano Convergence & Abu Garcia 6501-C3 $200
Okuma ROX $25
Lew’s Speed Stick $60
Shakespear Ugly Stik GX2 $40
Shimano Corvalus CVL-401 $50
Shakespeare Uglystik Big Water $40
Sweeney’s Second Cast™ – Trade-In Fridays
🎣 Trade Your Gear on Fridays at Sweeney’s!
Welcome to Sweeney’s Second Cast™ — our dedicated day for used gear trade-ins and store credit.
Here’s how it works:
🔁 Bring in your rods, reels, or tackle.
💳 Get store credit.
⏳ Valuations may take a few days — instant trades available only if staff time allows.
Whether you're upgrading or clearing space, we're here to help your gear find a second life.
🗓️ Fridays Only
📍 Sweeney’s Sports, Napa
🕙 11am–6pm — No appointment needed
All gear must be clean and in working condition. Questions? Just ask!
Bass Fishing Report
Largemouth Bass Fishing Report: Late May / Early June
As summer approaches largemouth bass are generally in a post-spawn to early summer pattern. This period can offer some of the most exciting and consistent fishing of the year as bass recover from spawning and begin to feed aggressively.
What They're Doing: Following the completion of the spawn in most California lakes and reservoirs, female bass are recuperating and moving towards their summer haunts, while males are often still guarding fry or moving off beds. Bass will begin to orient themselves to structure and cover, seeking both ambush points for feeding and protection from the sun. You'll find them active in both shallow and intermediate depths, often relating to submerged vegetation, rock piles, standing timber, and points. Early mornings and late evenings will see them more active in shallower waters, while midday typically pushes them deeper.
Depth: During this transition, bass can be found anywhere from 3 to 15 feet of water, with some deeper fish holding on ledges or main lake points up to 20-30 feet in clearer lakes, especially as the sun gets higher. Look for concentrations of baitfish, as bass will follow their food source. Shallow flats adjacent to deeper water, submerged hydrilla beds, tules, and rock transitions are prime areas.
Lures to Use: This is a versatile time for lure selection. Match your lure choice to the specific cover and activity level of the bass:
Topwater Lures: Early mornings and late evenings, when bass are actively feeding near the surface, are prime times for topwater. Poppers, walking baits (e.g., Heddon Super Spook, Lucky Craft Sammy), and hollow-body frogs fished over matted vegetation or lily pads can draw explosive strikes.
Soft Plastics:
Texas-rigged or Carolina-rigged worms/creatures: Effective for working through submerged grass, around timber, or on points. Colors like green pumpkin, junebug, and watermelon seed are consistent producers.
Flipping and Pitching Jigs: For targeting heavy cover like tules, thick brush, or boat docks, a 1/2 oz to 3/4 oz jig with a matching trailer (e.g., crawfish imitation) is highly effective.
Drop-shot rigs: Excellent for finicky or deeper fish, especially when targeting submerged structure or open water schools. Small worms and finesse baits work best.
Crankbaits:
Shallow-diving crankbaits: Work well over submerged grass or around shallow wood, especially square bills bumped off cover.
Medium-diving crankbaits: Ideal for covering points, humps, and ledges in that 8-15 foot range.
Spinnerbaits & Chatterbaits: Great for covering water, especially in stained or slightly murky conditions. Use white, chartreuse, or natural baitfish patterns. They are effective around sparse vegetation and timber.
Swimbaits: Smaller paddle-tail swimbaits on jig heads or rigged weedless can be deadly when bass are chasing baitfish in open water or along edges of structure.
Live Bait Update May 29th, 2025
In-Stock
Medium Minnows
Large Minnows
Pile Worm
Out of Stock
Ghost Shrimp
Grass Shrimp
Mud Suckers
Bullheads
We are working hard to get a consistent delivery of grass shrimp every week, but for now deliveries will be hard to predict. Our supplier informed us that spawning habits have been “off” this season so far with unusual salinity levels recorded in the local system.
Ghost shrimp has been one of the hardest baits to get. (No explanation yet)
Mud Sucker and Bullhead supply seem to go in tandem with grass shrimp supply. Abnormal spring spawning conditions seem to be an attributing factor to these shortages we are seeing.
P.S. We’re excited to announce the launch of ShopSweeneys.com!
Why shop on https://www.shopsweeneys.com/? Besides supporting your local shop,
Competitive Pricing and Vast Inventory
Ships Fast from our Wharehouse in Sacramento
Buy Online, Return to the Store
Free Shipping for Orders Over $50 (some restrictions apply)
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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