ONCE A FISHERMAN, ALWAYS A FISHERMAN!!!
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10 years ago
28.7.10
Adios You Flying Pig You
Got out on the water at Converse yesterday with Matt, a real fun guy to fish with.
Slow going with lots of shakers and perch was the menu for the day.
Target species: Champlain Landlocked Atlantic Salmon!
We got our lines in the water about 7:30, trolled Thompson's for a while with a dry release or two, shakers and yellow perch.
Tolled over to Split Rock and then headed South. Lots of marks on the screen, pretty much all over, but couldn't get much to hit.
We hung between the Unicorn and Split Rock throwing everything we had at them. Finally a slide diver lite bite set on 1.5, a #2 ring added, 160 feet of line out and a custom taped honeybee MP6 fires.
The line screams from the reel, a great run.
If you've ever fished slide divers, your well aware the drags are already set fairly tight to hold the diver, this fish was pulling line like a big yellow fin tuna connected to a freight train!
I gained some line, then off it goes again, another great run, screaming drag, rod doubled up. I began to gain more line and felt the fish come loose...
"It's off" I say to Matt, "NO...It's not, LOOK!" he says.
We see this monster salmon, 150 feet or so behind the boat, rocket thru the air, waving, laughing, mocking us. It was gone, it had spit the hook while bulleting up thru the water column, and just wanted to tease us.
Adios You Flying Pig You.
I'm POSITIVE that would have been my new personal best Champlain Landlocked!
We then turned south, headed along the NY shoreline to enjoy the scenery and wash some more lures. Dockside Ben is fishing with Northernnighmare along the Vermont side and they report loosing a big fish on a big spoon. "Purple/Pink with black and a white stripe" Ben says. Not satisfied with anything I have to match that, I break out my Tamiron tape and begin to make up a custom lure.
Just as I'm getting up to grab a rod to change up, the rod fires.
Fish on.
It feels nice, but it feels like a lake Trout. My light Daiwa Heartland Kokanee rod is doing the job and making it all the more fun. The fish stays deep, (55' down) head shaking, pulling, not wanting to raise to the surface. Finally it comes up and it doesn't look so much like a laker. I didn't get a good look at it but Matt does,,,
"It's green" he says, "Man it's a Steel-head!" " ahh but I've really never seen one" he Adds...
We laughed at that for what seemed like an hour while the fish decided to make a run...
Back to the boat I bring it and Matt slides the net under it. A very beautiful, clean, bright silver Landlocked. A fat football 22" clean, heavy. Finally, a fish for the box. A fish we end up sharing. A nice thick fillet each.
Our speeds ranged from 2.3 to 2.8 mph/GPS depending on the current, and we fished over deep water, greater than 150 feet, fishing from 40 to 80 feet down.
The lure that the fish took was a custom Honeybee MP-6 that I had taped up.
I gave the lure to Matt, I want him to feel the pull next time.
Slow going with lots of shakers and perch was the menu for the day.
Target species: Champlain Landlocked Atlantic Salmon!
We got our lines in the water about 7:30, trolled Thompson's for a while with a dry release or two, shakers and yellow perch.
Tolled over to Split Rock and then headed South. Lots of marks on the screen, pretty much all over, but couldn't get much to hit.
We hung between the Unicorn and Split Rock throwing everything we had at them. Finally a slide diver lite bite set on 1.5, a #2 ring added, 160 feet of line out and a custom taped honeybee MP6 fires.
The line screams from the reel, a great run.
If you've ever fished slide divers, your well aware the drags are already set fairly tight to hold the diver, this fish was pulling line like a big yellow fin tuna connected to a freight train!
I gained some line, then off it goes again, another great run, screaming drag, rod doubled up. I began to gain more line and felt the fish come loose...
"It's off" I say to Matt, "NO...It's not, LOOK!" he says.
We see this monster salmon, 150 feet or so behind the boat, rocket thru the air, waving, laughing, mocking us. It was gone, it had spit the hook while bulleting up thru the water column, and just wanted to tease us.
Adios You Flying Pig You.
I'm POSITIVE that would have been my new personal best Champlain Landlocked!
We then turned south, headed along the NY shoreline to enjoy the scenery and wash some more lures. Dockside Ben is fishing with Northernnighmare along the Vermont side and they report loosing a big fish on a big spoon. "Purple/Pink with black and a white stripe" Ben says. Not satisfied with anything I have to match that, I break out my Tamiron tape and begin to make up a custom lure.
Just as I'm getting up to grab a rod to change up, the rod fires.
Fish on.
It feels nice, but it feels like a lake Trout. My light Daiwa Heartland Kokanee rod is doing the job and making it all the more fun. The fish stays deep, (55' down) head shaking, pulling, not wanting to raise to the surface. Finally it comes up and it doesn't look so much like a laker. I didn't get a good look at it but Matt does,,,
"It's green" he says, "Man it's a Steel-head!" " ahh but I've really never seen one" he Adds...
We laughed at that for what seemed like an hour while the fish decided to make a run...
Back to the boat I bring it and Matt slides the net under it. A very beautiful, clean, bright silver Landlocked. A fat football 22" clean, heavy. Finally, a fish for the box. A fish we end up sharing. A nice thick fillet each.
Our speeds ranged from 2.3 to 2.8 mph/GPS depending on the current, and we fished over deep water, greater than 150 feet, fishing from 40 to 80 feet down.
The lure that the fish took was a custom Honeybee MP-6 that I had taped up.
I gave the lure to Matt, I want him to feel the pull next time.I'll make up another, or two, or seventeen!
Matt shot a short 50 second video while we were out.
Great Lake Champlain scenery on a hot summer day.
Check it out:
Fish on, fish H8 me.
22.7.10
St ALBANS BAY NEW DOCK PROJECT COMPLETED
Back on May 29, 2010 I had created a post that the Hathaway Point Access Area on St. Albans Bay was about to receive two new docks. (http://lakechamplainfishing.blogspot.com/2010/05/st-albans-bay-to-get-new-docks.html)
The other day, Phil, a fishing buddy of mine, sent me an email to let me know the new docks were in. Today I took a ride out on the Point to check on the status and see them for myself. I was greeted with the pleasant view of two very handsome, sturdy, well built docks. This is a public facility in a protected bay that sees a great deal of use by fisherman and pleasure boaters alike. The docks here have been falling apart over the past few years, and for the past two years, there had actually only been one dock in the water. The other dock had completely disintegrated and was no longer serviceable.
My hat is off to Mike Wichrowski, Vermont Fish & Wildlife Administrator for getting the job done. He's done an excellent job upgrading this facility located on the shores of Lake Champlain.If your a frequent user of this facility, or appreciate the work he's done on many of the public access sites located around the state, send Mike a thank you, I'm sure he'd appreciate it. Click here to send Mike an email.
It's a far cry from what we had:
ON ANTHER NOTE
While driving along the shores of St. Albans Bay, I spotted the Weed Harvester, hard at work.
The Weed Harvester is owned and operated by THE ST. ALBANS AREA WATERSHED ASSOCIATION.
The St. Albans Area Watershed Association was created in 2002 with the primary goal of restoring the water quality of St. Albans Bay and the surrounding watershed. To learn more about the association, visit their website at http://newsaawa.homestead.com/.
 |
| I wonder if some of the local farmers could use this as fertilizer instead of what they currently use??? |
Fish on, fish H8 me.
Raz
19.7.10
BRANDON AND JUSTIN'S EXCELLENT PERCH ADVENTURE
With Justin at the helm, all eyes peeled, looking for the perfect fishing spot, we began our day in search of yellow and white perch on Lake Champlain.It wasn't long before we found the right spot, threw out the anchor, baited our hooks, and began to reel in Champlain's Yellow Perch.
Justin, 11 and Brandon, 8 were aboard the Razzle Dazzle to show their "G-Pa" and "Ra-Ra" how it's done. Both these fellas came prepared with brand new rod and reel combos, fresh line, sharp hooks, and plenty of live bait.
"Fish-on...I got one!" exclaimed Justin. Soon to follow was Brandon, his rod bent over, line straining, a big yellow perch fighting for it's life, Brandon fighting for a trophy and the notoriety that goes with it.
With their backs to each other, each not wanting to give up their fish catching secrets, not wanting to share techniques, they concentrated. Sometimes jigging, sometimes "swimming" the bait, sometimes letting it lay motionless.These guys are great fisherman, and the excitement that could be heard in their voices throughout the entire trip is evidence they love the sport. They love to be "fisherman".
Cousins forever, fisherman for fun. One is an aspiring Lego designer, the other is a future soccer Pro. And...they both like to feel the pull of fish!
With tired arms and smoking reels that needed to be rebuilt, it was time to quit. Time to "relax" in the cool clear waters of Lake Champlain. Stow the gear and "hit" the water with a splash.
Fun times for 'ol G-Pa, Ra-Ra, Justin, and Brandon.
Thanks guys for the super fun day! We'll do it again!
Fish on, fish H8 me.
17.7.10
Dockside Outdoors..new 30 second spot
As many of you know that follow my blog, I promote My friend Ben's business. Ben is the owner of Dockside Outdoors. Dockside Outdoors is a place where I can be found just hanging out talking to Ben or some of his customers. Of course I make many of my tackle purchases through Ben, and love his lively, live bait for my "live bait excursions" which I usually do during the winter months.
A few weeks back, Ben asked if I'd help him out with a television commercial he was having made. At first I thought he was joking, but when I realized he wasn't, I jumped at the chance! Ben had been in touch with one of our local television stations and they were going to make him a 30 second spot.
My part in all this was to take a videographer out on the lake for him to get some "water" shots, and with any luck, we could land a Lake Champlain Landlocked Atlantic Salmon while filming.
Well...the landing the salmon shot didn't happen within the allotted time, but we got some good quality "on the water" shots from the Razzle Dazzle anyway.
It was fun being a part of it all. Thanks Ben for letting me help out!
A few weeks back, Ben asked if I'd help him out with a television commercial he was having made. At first I thought he was joking, but when I realized he wasn't, I jumped at the chance! Ben had been in touch with one of our local television stations and they were going to make him a 30 second spot.
My part in all this was to take a videographer out on the lake for him to get some "water" shots, and with any luck, we could land a Lake Champlain Landlocked Atlantic Salmon while filming.
Well...the landing the salmon shot didn't happen within the allotted time, but we got some good quality "on the water" shots from the Razzle Dazzle anyway.
It was fun being a part of it all. Thanks Ben for letting me help out!
If your in the area, stop by Dockside Outdoors at 25 Raymond Rd, Colchester, Vermont and say hi to Ben. He has everything you need to catch fish on Lake Champlain. On top of that, he keeps abreast of where the latest hot-spots are and will do his best to send you in the right direction!
Ben also takes phone orders at 802.891.6158 and on the web. His website is http://docksideoutdoors.com/
Tell him Razzle sent ya!
Fish on, fish H8 me.
11.7.10
VERMONT MASTER ANGLER PROGRAM
Thanks to Vermont Fisheries Biolgist Shawn Good, we now have a VERMONT MASTER ANGLER PROGRAM.
In designing this program, Shawn had a number of goals in mind:
"The program provides a list of 33 different fish species that are abundant and can all be caught by hook and line. Minimum length benchmarks are established, and fish exceeding those benchmarks for each species are considered by the Department to be "trophy quality" specimens. There are two different length lists - one for adults and one for kids.
"Anglers catching one fish species exceeding the established minimum length limit will receive a certificate of achievement from the Department for catching a trophy fish. Anglers catching 5 fish of DIFFERENT SPECIES within the same calendar year will be considered VERMONT MASTER ANGLERS, and will receive a Vermont Master Angler lapel pin (see example below). These pins will change each year, and the idea is that anglers will want to continue participating in this program each year in hopes to collecting the changing pin series over time."
The full rules, species list, and entry form is available at the Vermont Fish and Wildlife website at: http://www.vtfishandwildlife.com/masterangler.cfm
Thank you Shawn for your tireless efforts in developing this exciting new program for Vermont Anglers!
Fish on, fish H8 me.
Raz
In designing this program, Shawn had a number of goals in mind:
- Provide a way to encourage families to get out and catch fish, with the added challenge of shooting for personal "trophy" quality fish. What kid doesn't like getting a certificate with their name on it, commemorating a nice catch?
- Encourage anglers to challenge themselves to develop the necessary skills to catch large fish.
- Encourage the growth and development of anglers to learn about the different species in Vermont that grow large and can be caught on rod and reel, and learn how to catch them.
Shawn goes on to say, "Alot of anglers are basically single-species fishermen. By highlighting and profiling the many opportunities out there in Vermont to catch a wide variety of fish species, anglers will learn about the fish, their habitat and habits, in order to try and catch them.
The final thing to say about this program is that unlike the previous 'annual record fish program' that only recognized one fish of each species each year, this program allows many people to participate and get recognized. Also, annual record fish had to be sacrificed and weighed on a certified scale. By going to a length-based system, the Vermont Master Angler Program allows and encourages catch and release of 'trophy' fish.""The program provides a list of 33 different fish species that are abundant and can all be caught by hook and line. Minimum length benchmarks are established, and fish exceeding those benchmarks for each species are considered by the Department to be "trophy quality" specimens. There are two different length lists - one for adults and one for kids.
"Anglers catching one fish species exceeding the established minimum length limit will receive a certificate of achievement from the Department for catching a trophy fish. Anglers catching 5 fish of DIFFERENT SPECIES within the same calendar year will be considered VERMONT MASTER ANGLERS, and will receive a Vermont Master Angler lapel pin (see example below). These pins will change each year, and the idea is that anglers will want to continue participating in this program each year in hopes to collecting the changing pin series over time."
The full rules, species list, and entry form is available at the Vermont Fish and Wildlife website at: http://www.vtfishandwildlife.com/masterangler.cfm
Thank you Shawn for your tireless efforts in developing this exciting new program for Vermont Anglers!
Fish on, fish H8 me.
Raz
7.7.10
FRIED BRAINS AND BOILED SALMON
With the thermometer hoovering in the mid 90's and the heat index even higher, I hit the water anyway. Big Ben the owner of Dockside Outdoors jumped aboard the Razzle Dazzle with me yesterday for a 1/2 day of fishing out of Converse Bay.
It was far too hot to fish and I "know" we were crazy to be out there.
Barely a breeze, not hardly a ripple.
It was a tough bite to say the least. We went 2 for 3 on legal salmon and got pestered by a bunch of little shakers. Pink on silver worked, blue/purple "hot item" was firing, but I think the lure that fired the most was a purple/black honeybee mp6 by Tamiron. Ben covered 1/2 the white on the back side with black tape and nailed a nice 22 incher with it from 60ish down and a long lead behind the ball, maybe 30 feet.
There were very few boats on the water, we nearly had the place to ourselves. It's just been too hot, the air too still, and no cloud cover to stop the relentless onslaught of solar energy.
Thanks to Jon (Bassbuddy) for the photograph! Fun to fish along side him and his crew!
Fish on, fish H8 me.
Raz
It was far too hot to fish and I "know" we were crazy to be out there.
Barely a breeze, not hardly a ripple.
It was a tough bite to say the least. We went 2 for 3 on legal salmon and got pestered by a bunch of little shakers. Pink on silver worked, blue/purple "hot item" was firing, but I think the lure that fired the most was a purple/black honeybee mp6 by Tamiron. Ben covered 1/2 the white on the back side with black tape and nailed a nice 22 incher with it from 60ish down and a long lead behind the ball, maybe 30 feet.
There were very few boats on the water, we nearly had the place to ourselves. It's just been too hot, the air too still, and no cloud cover to stop the relentless onslaught of solar energy.
Fish on, fish H8 me.
Raz
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