I am going to fish a lake in a few days (Lake Berryessa in Northern CA).  The local report says that bass are being taken in 20 to 25 feet of water around drop offs and rocky points using green and purple worms.  The area that I intend to fish (and I have had some success there) will have a rocky bottom with nearly vertical rock outcroppings coming out of the water.  There are also some rocky shelfs near the shoreline where the depth goes from 5 feet and drops off quickly.  The water is stained, maybe 4 feet of visibility and the water temperature is 54 degrees at 8 feet.  I expect the skies to be overcast, if not raining.  How about some bait and presentation suggestions from the salty winter fishing guys.  The lake has good populations of LMB, smallies, and spots.  Thanks

First, if fish are being caught on green and purple worms, i'd likely be throwing some green and purple worms.    I'd also try slow-rolling a big white spinnerbait.  Next in line for me would be tube jigs, probably pearl, chartreuse, and black.

Good luck, Hope this helps

You said the words rock and spots.

Man I would be cranking that rock. Make sure you get that bait banging of the bottom!

Also if you have walls I would be thinking about jerkbaits.

Defenately fish the rocky points.

I'm fishing similar structure and have had good results with tubes, T-rigged with a bead, unpegged. I'm staying with a big presentation, specifically the Micro Munch Tackle El Gordo, black neon.

DROP-SHOT TIME!!! Try drop-shotting those green and purple worms on the ledges and drop-offs. Also try small tubes and small 1/4 oz.-1/2 oz. finesse jigs.      

Catch a bigun fer me,ya hear  

Yep......i live in Nor Cal and am familiar with your style lake.........First of all........the weather should be your starting point when trying to figure out what to use.........id say since its been getting colder and its been raining for the last few weeks that fish arent going to be so active..........usually stable weather improves fishing but im not sure that that would be the case right now........i feel that these fish are going to slow down quite a bit...........however.....the Smallmouth and the spots might be more active than the largemouth.  Personally i would go down the bank and fish a suspending jerkbait.  The water temp is just clear enough for this presentation.  I would use either a Rapala X-Rap or a Lucky Craft pointer.  Try fishing it different ways......fast, slow, erratic,.......you are trying to pick up on the more active fish.  Cast parrallel to the rock banks.

If this fails to produce...........try a jig.  This is going to be your go to bait.........get a 1/4oz-3/8oz football head jig......match the jig to the color of the rocks or.........go with a brown and purple skirt........and use a big jumbo pork frog.......you want a slow fall.  Fish the jig super slow........crawling it over every rock.....and pay attention to every little bump.

If it gets sunny for you that day...........then you should really move faster............theres nothing like a good warm day amongst a series of cold dard days.......the bass are likely to move up on those bluff banks and they will probably be fairly easy to catch.

I can't give you any advice because down here in Florida the closest thing we have to a mountain is the dirt pile from the latest housing excavation.  My lake is flat and weedy.  But I was visualizing your lake with the rock outcroppings etc.  Man it sounds beautiful.  Hope you catch plenty of fish but do take time to take in all the natural beauty.