Six Pound Landlocked Smashes Personal Best

A 24 inch, six pound Landlocked Atlantic Salmon SMASHED by personal best by more than 1.5 pounds today while fishing solo on Lake Champlain. 
Granted, I've only been fishing the lake since 2004 but this fish hit and stuck!! When the net slid under him, I'm sure my whoops and hollers where heard from one end of the lake to the other.

The fish hit a Tamiron Honeybee number 1575 at 40 feet down, over nearly 200 feet of water at 2.4 miles per hour GPS.

I didn't see the release, as I had just reset the rod after releasing a nice Lake Trout and was making corrections to my course.  The lure hadn't been in the water for more than 60 seconds when the big bruiser hit.
The fish made a magnificent jump, completely leaving the water and catapulting through the air.  He then dug, hard, for all he was worth.  At one time during the ten minute battle, I was worried he may pass the boat, out about 20 yard on the port side.  Digging, pulling, stripping line, bowing my rod and stressing my line.
I worked him, ever so gently, knowing this was a nice Champlain Landlocked.  Nice indeed, what I've been after since taking on these great, flashy, leaping fish in 2004.
After a bit, he began to tire and started to slide back behind the boat.  I began to work him up towards the stern of the boat and began to reach for my net.  I think he sensed what was inevitable and decided he wasn't ready to be conquered, not just yet.
I could see the fish... and then in the flash of an eye, he pointed his head towards the bottom, his tail waved, and the tip of my rod pulled hard toward the surface of the lake.  My reel began to scream once again and the line pulled ever so tight.  Sixty seconds or so went by and he began to relax, I could see my line rising out behind the boat and knew he was tired.  Soon he neared the surface, back 50 or 60 feet behind the boat, just under the surface, not wanting to touch the air.  I could see him, shiny, silver, beautiful!
I kept my rod tip high, worked him toward me gently, always keeping steady tension on him.  No jerks, no slack...steady as she goes.
I grabbed my net, laid it down just below the surface of the water and steadily pulled this beautiful Lake Champlain Landlocked Atlantic Salmon over it.
IN THE NET!
Safely in the boat!
My whoops and hollers then began...
Out loud, inside, and on the radio.

The fish gods owed me and my time was due. 
I've lost a bunch that "felt" the way this one did. 
But, up until today, I wasn't able to feel them...in the net!

Fish on

Fish H8 me™

Six Pound Landlocked Smashes Personal Best

Frosty

Winter is on the way.
I stopped and took a couple photo's on the way to work the other day.  The air temperature was in the high twenties and the water temperature is in the mid fifties.

This is looking toward the "narrows" from inner Mallets Bay.  Frosty.  It'd be nice on the water. Fishing.

Inner Mallets Bay

Fish on

fish H8 me ™

Frosty

October 18th on the New York Side of the Lake

  Sunday, I had the pleasure of fishing on Rob's boat along with Bill and Mike.  We left  Burlington Harbor just before sun up with air temperature hovering around 28 degrees and headed out across the lake to the New York shoreline.  We began to set up just as the sky was beginning to show some light.
  We got set up just out side of Willsboro Bay and headed South.  Fishing was slow and we finally found some fish that would hit our lines near Ligonier Point.  We trolled around Ligonier Point  for a while and then decided to head further south towards the Mouth of the Bouquet River.  Entering the River Delta, we had a salmon hit, a "barely legal" fatty that was released to be caught again another day.  We trolled out around the shallow delta, trying to stay on the ledge and found a few more fish just south of the red buoy.  Nothing big, but enough to keep us active and happy.
  After a few passes in this area we decided it was getting near time to head back.  We pulled our lines and headed over to make a pass or two outside the Burlington Breakwater.  Rob was setting out a lead core line, only had half a color out when a salmon hit. "Hey Fish On" he yells.  We thought we'd be into them good at the breakwater but it wasn't meant to be.  That was the only fish netted on the Vermont side today.
  Time to go we agreed as Mike and Bill had other engagements to attend.  All in all not a  bad day.  We didn't "smoke 'em" but had a riot.  Great company on a Great Lake! We ended up netting 8 Salmon and 1 Lake Trout.  We lost 4 or 5 other fish that didn't want to stay hooked.  We kept a total of 3 Salmon and the Lake Trout for the grill.
Lead core set ups, 4 to 5 colors seemed to take most of the fish.  The fish were hard to find and finicky, and most of them wanted small red and white spoons today.  The laker took a larger blue and white Magnum spoon from Tamiron.

The fishing should get better from here on out.  Get out there if you can.

Fish on, fish H8 me.™

October 18th on the New York Side of the Lake

Are the Salmon Beginning to Fall Back Into the Lake?

It's still early in the fall for the cold water species fishing to kick off in Lake Champlain but it looks as though it has begun.

Indications are that the Salmon are beginning to return to the lake after their annual migration up the tributaries.  Some of the local fisherman have been out since late summer, mostly catching smaller, immature fish that were stocked this spring.

However, recently some bigger, nicer landlocks are reportedly being caught.

"CrazyIvan" boated 14 legal Salmon and lost at least 10 during a recent outing.
Take a look at this beautiful 24" Landlocked Atlantic landed by CrazyIvan, fishing solo, in heavy seas!

Congratulaions to CrazyIvan on his impressive catch.

On another boat, a crew of three managed an impressive GRAND SLAM.  An outstanding catch of the four Cold Water species that Lake Champlain has to offer. Landlocked Atlantic Salmon, Brown Trout, Lake Trout, and Steel-head!  AMAZING!

Congratulaions to all!

Of the Salmon, this trio netted 22 legal sized fish. A great day on Lake Champlain.

Kicking off the fall "Frostbite Season"!


Fish on, fish H8 me.

Are the Salmon Beginning to Fall Back Into the Lake?

Two More Sponsors Join the Frostbite Fleet Salmon Shootout

Two more sponsors have jumped on board to help with goodies for the FIRST ANNUAL FROSTBITE FLEET SALMON SHOOTOUT.

Lake Champlain International and Fish 307 have come aboard to show thier support for what is to be a very exciting event.

Fish on, Fish H8 me.

Two More Sponsors Join the Frostbite Fleet Salmon Shootout

Salmon Shootout UPDATE

Apparently the projected turn out for the Frostbite Fleet Salmon Shootout  to be held on November 1st is going to be better than projected.
Preregistration is now available for participants of the tournament.

Anglers can preregister by stopping in at  Vermont Home and Marine in Williston Vermont.  Stop by and see Ron Winters (digitroll).  Ron is available on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, 9:00 a.m to 5:30 p.m. And Saturdays 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Preregistration is not available on Tuesdays or Sundays.  Those are Ron's days off.

All participants will need to check in by radio or in person with the "staff" on site, prior to the "shot-gun" start at 7 a.m.

Tight lines to all!

Fish on, fish H8 me.

Salmon Shootout UPDATE