"TENCH" FISHES ABOARD THE RAZZLE DAZZLE

Some of his friends call him Tench...
Some folks call him Carmifisher...
but his mother calls him Josh.

Josh joined me on Thursday aboard the Razzle Dazzle in pursuit of Lake Champlain Landlocked Salmon and Brown Trout.
The fishing was difficult at best.  The night before, the Champlain Valley experienced some severe thunderstorms accompanied by high winds and hail.

We found our lines constantly being tangled in leaves, branches, and other debris carried into the lake by the storm.  Some of the branches we had to dodge were 1-1/2 to 2 inches in diameter and up to ten feet long!  It was quite a mess out there.

Salad to go with the salmon...Only the salad was Maple and Oak flavored!

We managed to salvage the day by fishing the up-wind shore line.  We found it much more fishable, with far less debris in the water.
The day ended with four salmon netted, and four others lost behind the boat.  Good conversation, fun with the fish, and another enjoyable day on Lake Champlain.

Josh said he was going to have salmon that night for dinner.  I'll bet that was a delicous feast!

In exchange for the trip out on the lake, Josh offered me a book he had recently read.  LAKE CHAMPLAIN: A NATURAL HISTORY.  I can't wait to see what I can learn from the book!  Thank you Josh!

Fish on, fish H8 me.
Raz

"TENCH" FISHES ABOARD THE RAZZLE DAZZLE

St ALBANS BAY TO GET NEW DOCKS!

From Vermont dot gov press release.  Great news indeed!  I have been in contact with Mike Wichrowski of Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife regarding the new docks at Hathaway Point, St. Albans Bay.  Mike has told me there will be two new docks installed there.  A fifty footer and a thirty-six footer!  I can hardly wait as that access needs new docks badly and I launch from it quite often!

May 26, 2010
Fish and Wildlife Department Installs New Docks to Assist Anglers and Boaters

WATERBURY, VT – Going fishing and boating in Vermont just got a little easier. The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department has been working with a variety of partners to design and construct courtesy docks for fishing access areas around the state.

One of those partners is a Boy Scout from Williston who built a dock for his Eagle Scout project. The department also worked with the Vermont State Police to obtain recreational boating safety funds from the United States Coast Guard. These funds allowed for six docks to be installed at fishing access areas in the Northeast Kingdom, the Connecticut River, and the Champlain Valley.
Two new docks are being constructed to replace the old dock at the St. Albans Bay Fishing Access Area. Larabee’s Point Fishing Access Area will also receive a new 50 ft dock. Both are scheduled to be installed before July 4th.
The Fish and Wildlife Department’s fishing access areas are bought and maintained with funds from user fees: fishing licenses, boat registrations, and a marine fuel tax. These docks will make it easier for anglers and boaters to launch their boats at the fishing access areas and enjoy the wonderful lakes and rivers throughout Vermont.

For more information, call Mike Wichrowski at 802-241-3447.
Source: Department of Fish and Wildlife


Fish on, fish H8 me.
Raz

St ALBANS BAY TO GET NEW DOCKS!

STEELHEAD RAINBOW TROUT

On Sunday, Cathy joined me for a few hours of trolling on Lake Champlain's Inland Sea. We had it tough, we kept dropping fish, just couldn't keep them on the hook.  We ended up going three for seven on salmonids. 
I could only get the down-riggers to fire once, no matter what I did!
Everything else was on 1.5 to 3 colors of lead-core, or the lite-bite slide diver set at about 22ish.

Last fish of the trip, the slide diver fires again. We've decided this was our last run. Cathy doesn't normally want to fight the fish but as soon as the rod fired, I said "here, you take it,,,c'mon"

She wrestles the rod, the fish, and the slide diver and does very well.  The fish made two nice runs and she hung on, each time her eye's lighting up and excitement in her voice.  Several times the fish, carrying the slide diver, rocketed out of the water.
Finally:
Netted...STEELHEAD!  The first on the Razzle Dazzle!

 
Steelhead or Rainbow Trout are in Lake Champlain, they're just not as prolific as the other salmonids.
When one is caught, it's exciting news!
 
In 2004 when Cathy and I bought our boat, she put the first Landlocked Atlantic Salmon in it.  Now, she has the right to claim the first Steelhead!
She's a keeper!
 
Fish on, fish H8 me.
Raz

STEELHEAD RAINBOW TROUT

KopKar

I have the pleasure of working with Tamiron Sporting Goods as a "Champlain Tester" for their products.  Primarily, I'm testing  their line of trolling spoons called honeybees, and I've also begun to "dabble" in taping lures.  Tamiron also sells a great line of "Decorator" tapes that I've been working with.

Lots of fisherman are reporting good catches of Landlocked Atlantic Salmon using spoons with black on them.  Also spoons with white appears to be a common denominator.  Honeybees fit especially well on the "white" list, as many of their products have a beautiful pearl-white back side.

Earlier this year, I received a #2 Honeybee from Tamiron that was different from the rest.  It was black and white with a purple stripe on it.  The black was different.  I looked at it closely, it wasn't tape, it wasn't paint...what is it?  I inquired, what do I have here?  Black Nickel was the response.  Cool, very cool.

The spoon sat in a box of lures during many, many trips out.  I would look at it and think: "man, this is cool", and put it away.  For some reason I didn't drag it...until this week!
I was in an area on the lake, over big schools of bait down deep.  I looked at the lure, threw it on and "tested it" in the water.  Watching it's action and it's beautiful contrast.  "Yeah", I thought, "hell yeah, this will work!"
I hit the down switch on a rigger, and sent it down to Davey Jones Locker.
BANG!!! It fires.  Again, again, and again.
Without all the boring details, I modified it's color scheme, slightly, twice. 
It now contains purple and red dots...The KopKar...

And man has it been firing...It's been a riot. 

Check out these wonderful fish from the Jewel we Call Lake Champlain!

Caught on the new "KopKar"

Friday, May 21...A beautiful 5.84 pound Landlocked Salmon:

Thursday, May 20...Twin Brown Trout.  Weighing in at 3.40 and 3.38 pounds.  These fish "dig, dig, dig"!

Monday, May 17..."Twin Twenties"
Lake Champlain Landlocked Salmon.

Some of these fish are in a brine solution as I write this. 

Later today...they'll be absorbing Apple and Hickory smoke.

Fish on, fish H8 me.

Raz

KopKar

LAKE CHAMPLAIN FISHING TOURNAMENTS AND DERBIES

For a complete list of upcoming  fishing tournaments and derbies, along with those that are already scheduled for the winter months, visit the Lake Champlain Tournaments page of the Vermont Fish & Wildlife website. Simply type in "Champlain" in the "water body" box and click on "look up derby"!

Have fun and be safe!

Fish on, fish H8 me.
Raz

LAKE CHAMPLAIN FISHING TOURNAMENTS AND DERBIES

COOL NEW TEE'S

Dockside Outdoors has just received a new shipment of really cool looking Tee's. 
The shirt features a skull with crossed fishing rods.  The skull has a hole in it that is anchor shaped. Small graphic on the front, large graphic on the back.

It's a real eye-catcher that identifies you as a fisherman!

Stop by DOCKSIDE OUTDOOR SUPPLY to get yours while supplies last!

Fish on, fish H8 me.

Raz

COOL NEW TEE'S

CHAMPLAIN CRAPPIE KING CONQUERS COLDWATER SPECIES

After stopping by Dockside Outdoors and picking up Ben's First Mate Mike,
aka Fishercat,
aka Dockside winter-time poster-boy,
we headed to the Sea for a fun filled day of trolling.

Mike is renowned around the world (er Lake Champlain) for his uncanny ability to jig even the toughest of finicky pan-fish, the Crappie aka Paper-mouth.

Mikes first fish proves he has an outstanding ability to succeed at Pan-sized fish, no matter what species, no matter what time of the year, and regardless of techniques applied. In this case, trolling with lead-core!
Congratulations Mike on Landing this beautiful Salmon!

The next fish Mike lands is a little more than he can handle. He does a great job of playing his fish, and a great job of landing it.

But...it's what comes next that he needs to work on.

With the fish in the boat...
he must of fought it for at least five minutes!
Trying to keep the fish from going down his jacket and shirt!

I'm not so sure he succeeded!

 

Thanks for a great day on Lake Champlain Mike.
We'll have to do it again...
and again...
and again!!!
 
Fish on, fish H8 me.
Raz

CHAMPLAIN CRAPPIE KING CONQUERS COLDWATER SPECIES

INLAND SEA FORAGE FISH

The bait is back!
During the last week I've noticed lots of bait showing up in the Inland Sea. Most bait I'm finding is around structure, very little out in the deeper water. Although I've spent "some" time fishing over the deeper water (80+), I've only managed a couple fish out there. Most fish I'm catching are coming from around structure, structure that's holding bait.
I had a very interesting find last night while cleaning a nice fat, unmarked, chunky 20" salmon; a full gut, packed. Several unrecognizable, 4 or 5 alewife's (3"), one very small perch, and two, 4" smelt!.
Ye-haaa, the smelt have arrived back in the Sea!! (I hope).

The bait is starting to appear!
These guys know it, and they're much better fisherman than I!

 
Fish on, fish H8 me.
Raz

INLAND SEA FORAGE FISH

PLEASE...JUST DON'T SIT ON MY FISH!

Fish on, fish H8 me.

Raz

PLEASE...JUST DON'T SIT ON MY FISH!

SURFIN' SAFARI...CINCO de MAYO

So...I'm trolling along wanting to hook into the big one...wanting to feel the pull...
Off in the distance I see a little spot, I grab the binoculars, take a peek and can't believe my eyes...
I wait until the spot is a little closer...quite far yet, but I decide to snap a picture anyway.
It's a woman...
a woman on a surf board and one paddle!

"CLICK" goes the shutter...
"THUMP"...something behind me.
RELEASE!!! Fish on!!!

So much for my intentions of getting a good close up of this woman on her surf board.
She comes right up along side me, within 30 yards, my rod is bent over and I'm fighting this wonderful energetic silver. "Hey" I yell, "Looks like a great way to get exercise", she yells back "sure is!"
"I got a nice salmon on" I yell, she responds "I didn't know they were in the lake". About that time a beautiful 19" Landlocked jumps and waves at her, then again and again. "Wow, how cool" she yells back. Soon after--it's in the net and the surfer chick is long gone behind me.

Done for the day I say. Time for a Corona and a Siesta!

Total for the day...six for eight, all of them Champlain Landlocked Atlantic Salmon. One of the fish I lost was a line stripping, reel screaming pig... It felt as though it turned to run toward me, and when it did, it was gone.
All in all, a great day to be on the water.

Once again, the honeybee's by Tamiron Sporting Goods ruled the day.

The lost pig, another that dropped, and one other fish, came off a "0" dodger followed by a (SKU) 1611 silver/pink honeybee 35' down, tight to the ball.
Four fish were taken with a (SKU) 1620 white/blue BoBo finish MP6 honeybee.
I had the BoBo on the main line, the same BoBo on a sliding cheater, over Tamiron blue/white/red tips vertical blades, running the main tight to the ball. Fish took both lures.

One fish was taken very deep, 60 down on a stinger red gander glo.

Be safe if you go out. Remember the water is still very cold and within minutes, hypothermia can set in. Wear an approved personal floatation device!



Fish on, fish H8 me.
Raz

SURFIN' SAFARI...CINCO de MAYO

KETCHUP

I'd better play catch up.
I've been on the water a lot lately.  As of today, I've managed being on the boat trolling, five out of the last seven days.  I've taken the time to enjoy what I love, but have ignored sharing it.  Shame-shame-shame.  Thanks goes out to my wife Cathy for reminding me to share.
I've done so-so, been skunked, and have done "quite well".  Fishing for landlocked salmon and brown trout on Lake Champlain has been screwy lately.  Fish bite on one part of the lake while another part, they remain very tight-lipped.

Lets see, how about just a quick synopsis;

Friday, 4-30-twenty-ten...
Fished solo.  It was slow, I fished 5 hours, went two for three on Landlocked Salmon.  Didn't get any Browns...The Tamiron Honeybee, Lemon with Hot Pink Head and Tail took all the fish.

Sunday, 5-2-twenty-ten...
Took out my lovely daughter Ashley.  This was her first time on the lake this year.  Sweet of her to go and hang out with Dad.  Again... slow, we were able to run a four-rod program but again, we were two for three on Landlocks, no Browns again.  Darn.

Monday, 5-3-twenty-ten...

Cathy had the day day off and I was looking forward to her joining me on the water.  I let her sleep in and tried to hide my excitement of another day of fishing, especially in her company.  It didn't work, she called my bluff!

I'm hearing great, positive news on catch rates in a different part of the lake than where I normally fish.  Short road trip I'm thinking.  We hit the water mid-morning, set up and was fishing about 9:30ish.  There were a few boats in the area we wanted to hit, I didn't want to feel like I was crowding them, so we went into search mode.  After a couple hours, we found some active fish hanging over bait in deep water.

We did much better... We ended up six for eight or nine on Salmon.

We caught fish on down riggers, long lines (165 feet back!), lead-core, and lite bite slide divers. Two fish were taken on the slide divers, pretty cool.  The slide divers are a new presentation for me this year...I'm liking them already!

Again, honeybees by Tamiron ruled the water!

Tuesday, 5-5-twenty-ten...

I've created a single post....see above post titled: Surfin' Safari...Cinco de Mayo

Be safe if you go out.  Remember the water is still very cold and within minutes, hypothermia can set in.  Wear an approved personal floatation device!

Fish on, fish H8 me.
Raz

KETCHUP