Lake Champlain Fishing Report

September Champlain Trip

Spent the week of the 15th up on North Hero Island with my wife for a week of fishing. Had great weather and reasonable wind most of the days. Air temps in the morning were around 45-50 and by afternoon low 70’s. Winds were mostly out of the South and as low as 5mph up to 40mph on Saturday (no fishing that day!) Water temps varied from 57 – 63. Water level was at the 95.5 mark.

We started around Damius and Knight Islands, with water levels low the drops on each side of the almost connecting points are gone. No fish to be had. We then went to the North East point of Knight where steep drops are fairly close to shore. Bottom was a mix of rock, ledge and occasional weeds. As in the past this was a good spot again .... I caught two very good size Smallies and we both caught a few more on Keitech's Fat Swing Impact in Tenn Shad and Watermellon/Orange with gold flake senko's wacky rigged.

We then moved to the Gut, we skipped Hibbard Bay as it was so weed choked with the low water so we started at Abanaki camp where we slayed them earlier this year and we each caught a couple there, LMB, SMB and my wife catching a couple rock bass. These were caught on Fat Albert curly tail grubs in watermelon red flk, same colors on some senko's wacky and one big Larry on a Boag Hawg blk/blue jig with a matched panko trailer. We worked our way west around the opening out to the Alburgh Passage. Eva caught her then PB smallie on the gut side of the entry cannel on a Keitech. She also landed a decent size pike also on the Keitech. We both pulled a few more fish from the opening and to both sides against the banks. Seems like 7-10' was the most productive depth with a couple from under 4'. We fished up the passage to the train trestle across from Carry Bay. It was slow there but we each caught a couple Larry's. I lost a giant bowfin at the boat ... He took the blk/blu jig and fought like crazy right inside the Gut channel. Not sure how he got off as he must have been hooked but somehow got off.

We fished the trestle a few times during the week …. we continued to catch a few but it was slow. I got one good size Larry in the 4lb range and a decent Pike. With a stronger south wind we fished the south side of Carry which was extremely weed choked but figured we would try it. We both setup some Texas rigged crawlers and Alberts. I also was tossing my SPRO bronze eye popper frog with no luck. We were doing ok on the TM in the weeds until we seemed to really slow down, I pulled the TM to clear the weeds but found that I lost the GD propeller and nut! I know it was tight as I check it each launch. Of course I hadn't bought a spare yet but was able to pick one up at a local marine store.

We fished Macamb Bay and decided to drift north along the east shore from Macamb, past Holiday Harbor to the Rte 2 bridge. It was the right decision as I caught around 10 Larry's in the 1.5 to 4lb range. Awesome fishing, I pulled 3 nice ones from front of the remnants of the old wooden crib. I lost a monster smallie just in front of the bridge area, this one on a Keitech. He was pealing line and fighting like crazy. It seemed like he got tired and I got him to the boat and the he somehow got off.

In very heavy winds we tried to fish the rte 2 bridge. Omg that was not easy with the cement pilings waiting to grab u and the bucket brigade just north of the pilings. We caught a couple Sallies on the east most piling .... We worked our way to the west most piling and I hooked into another monster Sally on a Keitech in 12'. He fought like hell and I fought like hell to control the boat under the bridge with the wind howling. It really came down to save the boat or catch the fish, I chose the boat and he got off.

Next day we did a lot of run and gun ….we covered so much. Started in Squires Bay, no luck, very shallow and weeds to the surface and thick. Headed to the trestle past the dozens fishing for Crappies and sunfish at the rte. 2 bridge. We caught a couple at the edge of train bridge. We then head to the entry of the Gut from Alburgh passage. We caught a bunch of smallies here... Probably a dozen between us and Eva with her next PB smallie. It was fish after fish for a while. We then headed to the Abanaki camp .... No luck ... Next we headed under the draw bridge and past the marina fishing the south shoreline heading from the marina to the Inland Sea. Did very good in there. Next we headed to the south points of Ball and Burton Island and we caught a bunch of Larry and Sally's here as well with Eva catching the most including her 5th specie being a yellow perch. We then headed to a 7' hump in 25 feet of water between these islands eastward. Eva caught one Sallie here. We then headed north west to Butler Islands North East point where I caught a solid 3.45 smallie on a 4" orange weighted wacky senko. One fish only and it was getting late so headed back. Had a really full good day. We also worked the drop shot catching one or two and the same with a white spinnerbait.

The new boat was terrific .... Able to cruise in comfort and get around really quick. What use to be our limit on distance with the old boat takes no time to travel now. It was also a little rough this morning and we would have been pounded to death in the old boat but zipped right over it. Overall another great trip to Champlain

• Added By: tate on 10/01/13 08:51 AM
• Location: Lake Champlain
• Report Date: 9/14/2013 - 9/21/2013
• # of Photos: 2
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