The Fish Sniffer

(Napa) Trolling for rainbow trout, kokanee and king salmon has been very slow at Lake Berryessa lately, according to Rich Crispi of TW Guide Service. A better bet is to fish with minnows.

Tom Dudenhoeffer of Sweeney’s Sports reported that persistent fishermen are picking up 3 to 4 rainbows per rod while drifting live minnows under bobbers. He noted the store sold out of minnows over the weekend due to the high demand, but they just brought in a large shipment to meet the need.  

The black bass action is improving with the warming weather. Randy Pringle, the Fishing Instructor, was the tournament director for the recent Best Bass Tournament event.

 “Around 30% of the fish weighed in were smallmouths, and the larger fish came on jigs with drop shot producing the most numbers,” Pringle explained. “Hand-poured worms were a good option over the rockpiles, and bass were taken on a variety of techniques from the banks to 30 feet in depth.” 

A few fishermen tried spinnerbaits or crankbaits around the trees floating on the surface, he added. 

The water level has dropped about half an inch to 430.74 feet msl or 9.26 feet below Glory Hole spillwayThe official SCWA season rain total remains at 18.82 inches since July 1, 2012 at Monticello Dam.