Napa Outdoor Digest - March 16th, 2023
On today's blog:
Fishing Report
Keeping Live Bait alive
Sweeney's Outdoor Festival
Shop Updates
Fishing Classes
Updated Store Hours
Mon-Fri: 9am-6pm
Saturday: 7am-6pm
Sunday: 7am-12pm
Napa River Fishing Report
Looks like the dry weather is going to hold up for Friday/Saturday with another chance of rain on Sunday.
Napa River should fish ok this weekend. We are hearing of customers getting bites and catching keeper-sized Stripers using live bait and anchovies. The water will likely continue to be stained due to the runoff, so lure fishing will be tough.
The Sturgeon may make their way back to the river, but as of last week, we couldn't find any sort of concentration while boating around the river. It's possible they are still chasing herring spawn in the Bay. If you hook one up this weekend on Napa River, please let us know.
Live Bait Update
We are expecting Live Ghost Shrimp delivery tomorrow (Friday, March 17th) at around 11 am. We currently have Live Pile and Live Grass available.
How to keep Live Bait alive longer?
Live Ghost Shrimp
We sell ghost shrimp in 12 oz plastic portion containers layered with wood shavings. If you simply place the container in the fridge, the bait will stay alive and well for around 18-24 hours. Perhaps more. Keep it in your cooler when fishing to get maximum performance.
If you'd like to keep your ghosties alive longer, use a 2-gallon aerated bait bucket filled to about 1/3 with brackish water (like Napa River). This method will give you 24-48 hours before they start to slow down and die off. If you want them to last 2-3 days, cool the water down to approximately 49-52 degrees. At home, you can keep the bucket in the fridge, and on the go, dropping a frozen water bottle into the bucket will do the trick.
Live Grass Shrimp
Grass Shrimp will stay alive in the refrigerator for around 12 hours. If you are fishing on a hot day, grab a handful of ice, drop it in a plastic bag, layer it with a couple of pages of a newspaper, and drop your Grassh Shrimp onto the newspaper and in the bag.
If you want them to last longer, use the same aerated bucket principle as the Ghost Shrimp.
Live Pile Worm
Same principle as Grass Shrimp.