The Fish Sniffer

(Winters) Anglers can expect bass fishing to shift into high gear as the water temperature warms up at Lake Berryessa. However, the bass were still in winter mode at press time.

“Steve Wood and I experienced good fishing in a recent Sacramento Anglers Tournament at Berryessa,” said Patrick Miller of Citrus Heights. “We placed second with five fish weighing 13.16 pounds.”

The anglers hooked around 20 bass while fishing hula grubs and drop shotting Magic Worms in the Vineyards area of the reservoir at 15 to 25 feet deep. “We landed a mixture of smallmouth, smallmouth and spotted bass to 3-1/2 pounds,” he noted. 

Trout fishing has been up and down at Lake Berryessa. The water temperature needs to warm up more for the fishing to be more consistent. After a good trip in January, Rick Kennedy of Tight Lines Guide Service decided to try fishing the lake again.

“The lake won yesterday,” he quipped. “I fished hard for two bites. I threw everything I had at these fish. I did talk to a friend that got a few drifting live minnows up in some brush in a cove."

On his previous trolling adventure to the lake, Kennedy and his fishing partner ended the day with about 10 hookups landing seven of them. All of these rainbows were very nice two pound plus fish caught on Pautzke Blue Fire Brined Shad.