Berryessa

[Wrknap]

Hi All,
I'm fairly new to the area and love fishing Berryessa. Spots, Smallies, Largies… Everything a person could wish for...
My question is I always see "the vineyards" referenced anytime Berryessa is discussed. I've search all of my maps, Navionics etc. and I've never seen anything noted about the vineyards. I've narrowed (I believe...) it down to the East side of the lake but Berryessa is a big lake ... Little help here?
Thanks in advance!

[ash]

Hey welcome to one of the best bass fisheries around and lake Berryessa is no slouch in kicking out DD Largies as well as fat smallies and Spots (the trifecta)

The Vineyards are essentially the flats on the east side, as you have deduced looking at the map most guys would refer to the vineyards as from Gilly Canyon to Tully Canyon. This is essentially a large tapering flat that has small creek channels running through it along with rocks, trees, shrubs, old vines and vinyard posts etc... followed by a steep drop. The way i started breaking down this area is by using the old navionics and my eyes looking up on shore follow those creek channels down and intercept them on your graph. Pro Tip for this area bends and turns are high percentage, so is structure of any sort. Also a small depth change ie 1' -3' is a creek channel or depression and these fish can stack up in here. Especially in the spring and late winter. Once you get a feel for a creek channel follow it all the way out to the drop off and beyond i would say somewhere along that channel you'll find your school or at teh drop off itself. If all else fails just look at where the boats are parked Seriously this a big flat and can be very intimidating an LV 500, or something that covers water is a great way to learn it IMHO once you find them fish your fish.

https://rbbassfishing.net/2013/01/15/la ... ort-11113/


Thanks for the post on Westernbass and let us know how you do!

[Wrknap]

Ash,
Thanks for the detailed info. I’m chomping at the bit to get back out there looking for the areas you so clearly described! Heck, that’s a large part of the fun in fishing!
I appreciate your help!

[JoeLanghans]

A lot of guys fish the narrows which it down southeast section of the lake. The shad will start balling big down there in a few weeks. Spoons!! Also, Spanish Flats can be good year round, fish the islands. Throw a hud, 68 special in the winter. This is what I have encountered. There are two bites there right now. Find shallow grass, throw a frog or buzzbait all day, mostly after 12pm though. The other bite is fishing submerged trees, humps, and rock piles in 20-40 feet of water with a drop shot, shakey head or football head. Don’t be surprised if you hook a giant on a drop shot in 40 feet of water right now.

[Bsapp206]

We do a Turkey shoot out of capel cove every Thursday 6-10pm. Come join us. The last 2 weeks they have dropped the lake a lot. Bite has been tuff. Whopper ploppers/spo

[Bass boy dave]

ash is on point. the east side is huge but once you start finding fish you will be surprised what they school up on out there. drop some way points and make an east side milk run. find where the creeks meet the trees or stumps is normally where I start. welcome to the lake, hope to see you out there

[Wrknap]

Thanks to everyone, where does one start? I look forward to breaking down the process!
Its funny, my son has been on me to dropshot in the 30-40’ depth. I’m a little hard headed on the fishing shallow method, hoping to catch one feeding up. Looks like I’ve got to expand my fishing techniques.
As to the Thursday night tournaments, it sounds like a great time. I’ll have to sneak out of the office early one week and give it a (drop) shot!
Thanks again!

[biteme]

Thanks to everyone, where does one start? I look forward to breaking down the process!
Its funny, my son has been on me to dropshot in the 30-40’ depth. I’m a little hard headed on the fishing shallow method, hoping to catch one feeding up. Looks like I’ve got to expand my fishing techniques.
As to the Thursday night tournaments, it sounds like a great time. I’ll have to sneak out of the office early one week and give it a (drop) shot!
Thanks again!

The narrows is easy fishing but they seem to be smaller. The rock gardens are good also. Ive caught some nice smallies on wake baits.
Look for islands also and dont be afraid to toss big baits or drag a jig around.

[Larry Hemphill]

As a guide on the lake for 36 years, I don't usually make comments on emails like yours - for obvious reasons. The narrows has been known for years as the home of smaller classes of bass. Not this year!! The two biggest bass hooked this spring by clients - in the 8 to 9 lb range, were hooked in the narrows. They lost both of them, but we did see them as they jumped. A few clients caught bass in the 6 to near 7 lb average, and they were post-spawn! This will be a future problem for the lake that no one wants to talk about, but all the tournaments now release their fish in the narrows - Markley Cove and Pleasure Cove. A few released in Capell Cove. Most of the bass will remain in the narrows for the rest of their lives. It is a good idea to learn the narrows (a big area to fish!) as, like Clear Lake, the main body is just too dangerous to fish in a heavy wind. Both lakes are wide open in the main bodies, creating huge, dangerous swells. Many times I take my clients out to the mouth of the narrows so they can see the size of Berryessa and get a better idea about the lake. Most agree during a heavy wind - "Yea - I don't want to go out there!!" A final positive note. You may be getting to know the lake at an excellent time. Last year 2016/17, the spawn was outstanding, especially for largemouth because of the high water flooding. Keeper largemouth are everywhere now, and the future for bigger bass is excellent!!!

[WB Staff]

Some Berryessa reports, if you're interested

https://www.westernbass.com/lake/berryessa

[basshol]

The bite is extremely tough. We did well but others we talked to had a hard time getting fish to bite.they are all over the screen but have lock jaw. We manage a solid 16 pound limit.1 large mouth and 1 smallie at 5 lbs each. We only caught 12 fish the whole day.

[ash]

Not a problem my brother that’s what this forum is all about! It took me a few years to bust that nut and take to the vineyards. Once you start to explore and graph around you’ll see how to break it down. I really like it for late winter - post spawn and do better on the islands and narrows in the summer. My deepest bass came from berry 80’ That same school was crushing on the bank in the AM and slid out to 80’ to suspend in lay down trees. Make no mistake Berryesaa is a special place that holds DD and a great fishery

[M Pollard]

Berryessa is one of my favorite lakes. I fish the Vineyards alot when i go to Berryessa. From Gooseneck Point all the way North on the East side is the Vineyards. As others explained there are many ditches that extend out 200-300 yards in the lake from the bank. it may only be 30 ft deep. the fish will move in and out in the ditches.. there is tons of these ditches, and they all hold fish.. cruise the area with the graphs, mark it, throw a bouy and catch some fish......