Striper and Halibut Bite is Hot — And Now Salmon Season Opens (Somewhat).
- alexosen
- Apr 17
- 6 min read
Hello friends,
In this edition, we'll be covering:
Striper Bite is Red Hot
Halibut Fishing Report
Salmon Season Update
Sweeney's on Good Morning America
Spring Festival Update - Saturday, May 3rd
Napa River Fishing Report
Live Bait Update
Chasing Stripers
Chase McWhorter stopped by Sweeneys Wednesday morning to pick up his “Wild ThIng” striper lure before heading out to the Napa River for an afternoon session.
30 minutes in on an incoming tide he landed this 29 1/2” , 15 pound lunker.
Way to go, Chase!
Halibut Fishing Report
Halibut fishing in San Francisco Bay is gaining momentum this April, with increasing bait activity and warming waters signaling a promising season ahead.
On April 5, the Happy Hooker embarked on its first halibut trip of the year, encountering abundant bait in the South Bay and water temperatures in the high 50s. The crew landed six halibut and one striped bass, releasing approximately 25 smaller fish. These early signs suggest that fishing conditions are set to improve in the coming days .
By April 14, the Lovely Martha reported an action-packed outing, finishing just shy of limits with 14 halibut and one striped bass for nine anglers, alongside over 70 shaker halibut. This indicates a significant uptick in halibut activity .
Fish Emeryville's reports from April 14 also reflect solid fishing, with halibut and striped bass trips yielding a consistent catch rate of about one fish per rod, and some anglers reaching their limits over the weekend .
As the bay continues to warm and baitfish remain plentiful, halibut fishing is expected to further improve. Now is an excellent time to gear up and head out. For the latest tackle recommendations and local insights, visit us at Sweeney’s Sports in Napa or check out our online store.
Catch Happy crew is going out to test the Halibut bite for ourselves this week. Look forward to our instructional video next week.
California Salmon Season Update – April 17, 2025
Remember those days? Well, they are coming back. Somewhat.
The Pacific Fishery Management Council has announced that California's commercial ocean salmon season will remain closed for the third consecutive year due to critically low populations of fall-run Chinook salmon in the Sacramento and Klamath rivers. However, limited recreational fishing opportunities have been approved for 2025
🎣 Recreational Salmon Fishing Opportunities
The 2025 recreational ocean salmon season includes the following limited openings:
Summer Season (Statewide):
June 7–8
July 5–6
July 31–August 3
August 25–31
Fall Season (Specific Areas):
September 4–7
September 29–30
October 1–5
October 27–31
These openings are subject to a statewide harvest guideline of 7,000 Chinook salmon for the summer and 7,500 for the fall. In-season closures may occur if these limits are approached.
⚠️ Important Regulations
Minimum Size Limit: 20 inches total length
Daily Bag Limit: 2 salmon of any species except coho (silver) salmon
Possession Limit: No more than two daily bag limits on land; only one daily bag limit on a vessel in ocean waters
Gear Restrictions: Single-point, single-shank barbless hooks required; specific gear regulations apply depending on fishing methods and locations
Filleting: Salmon may not be filleted on any boat or prior to being brought ashore
For detailed regulations and updates, please refer to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
For anglers planning to participate in the upcoming recreational seasons, ensure compliance with all regulations and stay informed about potential in-season changes. Visit Sweeney's Sports for the latest gear, updates, and expert advice to make the most of your fishing experience.
Stay safe and tight lines!
The Small Business Owners Who Drive our Nation's Economy Need a Seat at the Table
When Good Morning America reached out to talk about how tariffs were impacting small businesses, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Having the opportunity to share my story on national TV was a big deal—not for me personally, but for every small business owner who feels like they’ve been forgotten in this trade war.
For years, I’ve poured my heart into this business—building relationships with customers, finding the right products, moving to a new location, and doing everything I can to offer quality gear at fair prices. Our goal is to be known as the coolest fishing store in the Bay Area. We have ways to go, but right now, I feel like small businesses like mine are stuck in the middle of a trade war.
What most people don’t realize is that 90% of sporting goods—regardless of the brand—are manufactured in China or other countries in Southeast Asia. That’s not just my store, that’s the entire industry. Believe me, I would love nothing more than sourcing products from USA manufactures, but they just don't exist. Even the few folks who manufacture fishing gear here in the USA, source most of their raw material from China. It'll take years to build the manufacturing infrastructure stateside.
Meanwhile, when tariffs hit imports from China with increases of 145% or more, we’re not talking about a minor bump—we’re talking about price hikes that will hurt your wallet first, and kill our business second.
The most frustrating part? The big guys aren’t going to help us. Large companies have resources. They get exceptions. They can move manufacturing to other countries, renegotiate contracts, and weather short-term losses. Small shops like mine? We don’t have that luxury. We need time for brands to re-shore or friendly-shore the manufacturing and stabilize production and pricing.
If there’s no deal worked out with China, Vietnam, or other key manufacturing partners soon, we’re going to see a major spike in prices. I’ve tried to prepare—stocking up for a couple of months ahead, securing inventory before tariffs hit—but that’s a temporary reprieve. It’s not sustainable.
I want to see the manufacturing to start blossoming here in America. And I'll do my part to figure out how to help this happen, but we, the small business owners who drive our Nation's economy, need a seat at the table. We need time to make this happen. We need permitting and regulations reform. We need financing to buy equipment and build factories. We need support from the big guys.
Spring Festival at Sweeney's Sports
We have a growing pile of awesome giveaways from Salty Crew, Okuma, Pure Fishing, and a lot more. Get your free tickets and attend the festival to participate in the raffle and have a chance to win prizes:
Free Classes:
Striper Fishing on Napa River 11am-12pm - Jeffrey Swank
Sturgeon Fishing on Napa River 12pm-1pm - Austin Bator
More to be announced.
Napa River Fishing Report April 2025
Current Conditions
Water Temperature: 60–62°F, ideal for Striped Bass and Sturgeon activity.
Debris Alert: Recent storms have washed debris into the river, making trolling more difficult. Anglers are losing lures, so caution is advised when fishing near the bottom.
Striped Bass Fishing:
Bank Fishing:
The bite is strong, especially using natural baits like anchovies, pile worms, blood worms, ghost shrimp (live or cured), and live grass shrimp.
Anglers using split tail or bullheads as live bait are also seeing success. But you have to catch your own live bait first.
Using Large Live Minnows can also be effective.
Need help picking your next bank fishing spot? Jump to our blog post here.
Learn how to bank fish for stripers Here.
Boat Fishing:
Trolling is working well with deep-diving lures.
Speed: 3.8-4.5 MPH water speed. Add 1.5 MPH if moving with the tide, subtract if moving against the tide.
Troll Wild Thing deep divers set 100-140 feet behind the boat, and the Spro “Golden Boy” or similar with 100+ feet back set.
Striped Bass are holding near the banks, using structure and brush for ambush points. Deep divers create noise and movement, increasing the chance of strikes.
Learn how to troll for stripers Here.
Sturgeon Fishing:
High Activity: Multiple Sturgeon were seen caught over the weekend.
Best Baits: Roe, pile worms, blood worms, and ghost shrimp.
Catch & Release: The Napa River remains a catch-and-release fishery for Sturgeon, but the fight is worth it. These powerful fish provide an exciting challenge for anglers.
Final Thoughts
Fishing conditions are improving as the water warms up. We expect similar conditions to hold through the end of April. Despite debris making lure fishing tricky, Striped Bass are biting well, and Sturgeon activity is high. Whether from the bank or a boat, now is a great time to get out and fish!
Live Bait Update
Live Pile Worms
Live Blood Worms
Large Minnows (effective for trout/striper/catfish)
Medium Minnows
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
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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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