Submit
Report

Berryessa Lake and Reports

Limit:
Click for interactive map

Tuesday, June 16th, 2009

  • By

    Water Temp: 70-2

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: I've tried my luck twice in the past few weeks and have mixed results. Usually this time of year it's pretty consistent, but this year the only consistency is inconsistency. Some top water, zero rip fish. Most fish have been on flukes and various plastics in 10-15ft. I will catch a few fish and think I might have pattern, but not. I try one bait and right away I get bit, but then I don't get another bite. Last week with the winds, I lucked out and got into a consistent blade bite for about 1.5 hours. It was over by Big Island and the fish were not big, but wind related fish are hot and it was fun. I will try again tomorrow and hopefully will find more playful fishes.
    City: orinda

    Tips: Been fishing the East side was not that much success. Maybe I'm too shallow, which is work with all the grass. Best I can say is to keep moving. Fish your favorite bait and you will get bit. You just have to find the fish that want to play. Haven't caught anything over 2lbs, so I give props to guys that are hanging 3+ fishes.

  • By

    Water Temp: 73

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: Sorry I did not post this sooner. T had some trips last week and did great. We launch from Markley. I stopped in the some of the coves in the narrows for topwater first thing and have been doing well on Zarra Super Spooks along the weed edges. Some of the fish will follow the bait out over deep water before comitting. These have been bigger fish up to 4 pounds. I did get a 4.50 largemouth on a strike king wake bait. Then we move out to the main body and work grubs, Carolina rigged worms and drop-shot along the outside weed beds and humps and getting mostly largemouth up to 3 pounds. Some topwater fish also but not as many strikes. Most of the trips have been averaging 10 to 15 fish.
    City: Sacramento

    Tips: Fish are feeding heavy on shad minnows for the most part. Fish the grubs slow just enough to keep it out of the weeds.

  • By

    Water Temp: 69-77

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: Left capell at 5:20am and headed to putah creek for some top water. I through spooks and got short strikes or boils behind the bait, switched to buzz baits with a trailer hook and still had short strikes. Found some steep rocky walls and tossed shallow running crank baits along the walls and picked up a couple large mouth. By 10:00am tied on the old drop shot and hooked up with a nice picture perfect 3lb large mouth. Left to go home and stopped at the old launching ramp at putah creek and tossed the drop shot, missed and good hit and on the next cast I caught a rainbow trout.
    City: Napa

    Tips: It was a tough bite today for me. I would like to hear from some other fisherman who can share some insight on there luck. This season so far is odd all over nor-cal. good luck

Thursday, June 11th, 2009

  • By

    Water Temp: 70 +

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: Fish on flats with 3 blow up on top but bass didn't commit. Went to points with hazard bouys n boated 4 bass 1 1/2-3lbs n lost 2 nice one too. Went to big Island n pull up 2 more. Drop shot seem to get the most hit. Biggest was on a crankbait on slow ..stop..n ..go reeling. Found some green weed bed n got another on crankbait, cast the edge of weed bed n rip the weed edge n stop..thats when i got the hit. Big bass seems to be on points in main body.
    City: elk grove

    Tips: Top water seem to slow down for us, drop shot seems to have the most hit, crankbait then spinnerbait.

Monday, June 8th, 2009

  • By

    Water Temp: 75

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: Looks like I need to take the wife fishing more often she got me on a big fish bite last two trips. Our First trip delta 10lb 1/2 on a frog and now at Berryessa 8.6lb large is dragging a brush hog green pumpkin. Day was tough only got five fish for the day but the big one was a good stick.
    City: Antelope

    Tips: When some days are tough hang in there and don't go home early the big one just might bite like our day. Fish on

  • By

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: Thnks Kenny

  • By

    Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

    Report: Havent fished the lake in a week or so but this is in response to the last post. All my fish had been coming off of rock, no matter the time of day. Not many fish off the weeds unless they are up against underwater rock.
    City: Davis, Ca

  • By

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: normally i fish off the weed bed and seems to produce fish but sunday ..i fish it like crazy and no taker. Weed seems to be brown n not green no more. Does anyone knows if bass still hides in brown weeds cuz its lack of oxygen? Found fish mostly on points n not on weedbeds. Anyone have same problems?
    City: elk grove

Saturday, June 6th, 2009

  • By

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: Fished from 5:45am to 8:30 throwing spooks and big blade spinners across points and shallow dead end coves. Caught and released 8 bass to 3 lbs. Moved out to deep rocky points in 15 to 25 feet of water and throw drop shots and crank baits for another 6 bass. Home by noon.
    City: Napa

    Tips: Fish those spooks slooow... I have not had very good luck in and around weed beds. The fish seem to be ambushing shad if you can find them. Every small school of shad I came across I caught or missed a few fish before the shad disapered.

Thursday, June 4th, 2009

  • By

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: Hey Riverrats- Been fishing Berry for kokes and kings over the past month. Done well for large kokes (15"-17"+) right out of Capell and off of Spanish Flats out to the main body. Most boats are conregating outside of Steele Park in the main lake. There are def. fish there but there are usually so many boats that I try to avoid it until the afternoon when most trollers quite. Had one boat nearly run into me, 3 boaters and no one watching where they were going. Saw their downriggers run under my boat on the fishfinder! I was sitting dead motor reeling in a fish and had to yell at the top of my lungs to get their attention finally.
    Fishing has also been good the early afternoon, so as long as the sun is not scortching you off the lake, dont be afraid to troll as late as 5pm. After that the kokes seem to shutdown.
    Been catching them from 35-50 ft over 100-130 ft. of water. But one day caught a bunch right by the 5mph buoys in Capell. Must have been some cold inflow. Havent caught any in there since. I have been catching almost all of the fish on orange apexs, but also caught fish on pink and watermelon apex, red/pink spinners, and pink super hoochies with gold blades. Most fish coming on lures pulled behind gold dodgers. Silver/red slingblades also working.
    Water has been very clear but might have changed due to recent weather system.
    City: Davis

    Tips: Downriggers 35-50 ft. over 100-130 ft. water. Orange apex (hot orange, not the light orange) behind gold dodger. Put release about 3 feet above the ball and use a ball troll (Cannonball of Capt Jack 6 shooter). Ball troll seems to be really helping. Troll from mouth of capell cove/spanish flats out to river channel. Fish moving to main lake over deeper water so spend more time around the river channel in the main lake between steele park and the big island. Also getting some small kings and larger trout on rolled shad behind silver slingblades from 60-85 feet.
    Try to troll away from the sun or parallel to the sun to keep the shade of the boat off your gear.
    Good luck!

Friday, May 29th, 2009

  • By

    Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

    Report: Great day on the lake with my 4 year old. Started out on the main lake east shore looking for spawning shad, this event happens around this time of year. With the chop on the water it was very hard to spot them. Found a area out of the wind enough to spot them and then it was on. All fish came on a Vixen to first cast into the resulted in a double hook up with a pair of 2.5 pounders. This is the first time I cought 2 at the same time on one lure. I was able to stay on them for awhile ended up with 10 fish out the group not a dink in the bunch all ran from 2-3.5lbs. Ran around for awhile and neaver found another group of shad cought one hear and there on the same lure all solid fish on the topwater not one fish under 2lbs. I think my son let me reel in 3 of them. Finished out in the south end worming for spots my son likes the spoted bass for some reason. Ended up with 20+ fish for the day best five at 15lbs.
    City: Vacaville

    Tips: If the shad are spawning you will need to fish very shallow. 6"-3' I had the boat sitting in no more than 8' of water and putting the bait right on the bank. Some of then pushed a wake as they chased the bait.

  • By

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: I was once taught by Don Paganelli and find his teaching method is very good. Even to this day , when I call looking for pattern n answer to some of the lake/delta question. He alwayz picks up n are happy to answer any question. He doesn't hold back on info. Thnks Don !!!!
    City: elk grove

    Tips: Tim......

  • By

    Water Temp: 74

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: Took a trip out yesterday and on our first stop in the narrows we caught fish on topwater baits. The fish were chasing bait and most were small, up to 1 1/2lbs. Then we moved up to the main body and started throwing grubs on a 1/8oz darthead working it out from the weed edge into deeper water. This was the hot deal of the day as they caught about 20 fish up to 3 pounds. Most of the fish were spawned out Largemouth with spotted and smallmouth mixed in. Only saw 4 other bass boats all day.
    City: Sacramento

    Tips: Work those grubs sloooooooooow. The tail will do all the work.

Sunday, May 24th, 2009

  • By

    Water Temp: 75

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: Yes, its really me!!! This past weekend is the first chance I had to really fish and not think about anything else. Friday night Warren and I fished from the shore using weightless senkos and River2Sea crawdads. The water is gin clear and the fish are active. Launched my boat Saturday morning and fished till about 1 PM using only plastics. Had five bass in the first half hour only one keeper. It was a very soft bite. I sent Warren to the Berryessa Quick Stop to get minnows. We headed out again. It was a very hot day and not much boat activity compared to last year. As the sun was starting to set we headed to my favorite cove and began using top water lures. Albert used a black with silver bottom Zara Spook and I used a white and chartreuse chugger. He was getting roll over fish left and right. He was surprised that when I threw the chugger to the rocks the bass were hitting it at the moment it touched the water. Fishing is good to excellent if you know where to go and what to use. Sorry it was not a more exciting report still waiting to hear if I will be able to keep my boat docked in the water which will make a big difference on my fishing. If I didn't have to pull my boat out of the water that evening I would have fished into the night the top water bite was so fantastic. I hope to be able to fish again soon. 'il next time..............................good fishing!!!!!!!
    www.fishingconnection.net If you have any stories you would like to share please email me at bestguide@hotmail.com or call me at 650-583-3333.
    City: Napa

    Tips: Top was lots of fun

Friday, May 22nd, 2009

  • By

    Water Temp: 61 to 72

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: 30 plus fish today. Mostly on dropshot, tubes small and large, senkos. Quite a few blows on top water today but no hook ups. Did get one on top water at 12:30 near some weeds. Gave me an idea and it almost paid off. Through a lunker plunker at the Vineyards and the first cast got a hugh blow up that through the bait 6 inches in the air and 3 feet away, but never came back for the finish.
    City: Millbrae

    Tips: rocky points fish shallow in the AM and when the sun is high fish 15 to 25 feet in the same area.

Sunday, May 17th, 2009

  • By

    Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

    Report: does anyone know if night fishing is allowed on berryessaS

Saturday, May 16th, 2009

  • By

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: Jon... most of the bass that's hit top water (popper R) which we were using were post spawn bass...those bass were feeding. Try popper R a little later in the morning for an example...when the sunlight are about 10-15 feet off the shore line and shore line with weed beds. Also try some floating jerkbait above weed bed.. try that nxt time
    City: elk grove

  • By

    Water Temp: 66-68

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: I tried topwater (rebel pop-r with feather trailer hook) crack of dawn for an hour and nothing. Fished the south end. Caught a few smallies on plastic worms and all were pregnant. How in the world is it that the smallies haven't spawned by mid May? Crazy.....more evidence for a late season this year.
    City: clayton

    Tips: Quite a few fish were in the muddiest part of the mud line, which always amazes me.

  • By

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: Yes .. top water is open for business. Whatever top water u have n if they're there... they'll hit it. Dust off ur wake bait cuz Now is a great time to use it. Few have spawned n few more will soon.
    City: elk grove

    Tips: Don't be suprise to find smallie, spotted, n LMB on one mile stretch of the bank. They're feeding ...big time !!! Use crankbait to find them, once u find them...fish slow with plastic worms..etc. Have fun n keep ur line tight.

Friday, May 15th, 2009

  • By

    Water Temp: n\a

    Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

    Report: Hello All, It's been two weeks sence I have fished Berryessa, I been up at shasta and it was great! Does anybody know if the top water bite has gone off yet? Thanks for any help..John
    City: berkeley