FROSTBITE FISHIN'

This past week I've managed to hit the water twice in search of Lake Champlain Landlocked Salmon.
Sunday I was joined by my lovely wife Cathy.  We waited until the air temperature rose to the freezing mark of 32° F before heading out.

Cathy's bundled up, doing all the driving while trolling Lake Champlain.


We fished three and a half hours and hooked up over twenty times, all Landlocked Atlantic Salmon "clones" in the 15 to 17 inch range.
These fish were absolutly ravenous, it was nonstop action on all four trolling set ups. 

We had two rods on down-riggers, one lead-core line out, and one line out set up with a Slide Diver Lite Bite.  I started out the trip fishing with Honeybees, and never changed lures.  Why change something that is so hot, you can't keep them in the water?
What a riot. 
Soooo many fish, soooo little time!


Starboard side poised for action.









 

Tuesday, Rob calls me and asks if I'm in for a trip on Thanksgiving Day, in the morning.  "Early on, early off" he explains.
"Heck yeah, I'm in!"

We managed to get two other guys, Mark and Henry to join us.
We all met at Rob's house, piled our gear in his boat and headed out.  We hit the water at about 6 a.m. just before sunrise at a balmy 20° F with a slight chop on the water. 

Again, we managed about a three and a half hour trip, lead-core lines freezing up, and balls of ice on our rod tips, determined to catch fish and have fun doing it!
We found the Landlocks hovering around the baitfish just as I had found them on Sunday.  Unfortunately the fish weren't near as active as they were on Sunday but we picked at them and enjoyed our Lake Champlain and the company of each other.

Mark at sun-rise, setting lines.

 We managed to boat 10 Landlocked Salmon and two or three small Brown Trout.
"A great way to spend a Holiday morning on the water with friends!"

As I write this and look out the window, it's snowing and 32°F.  I wish I were on the water; there's something special about trolling through the snow flakes.

If your in the cold north country and venture out onto open water, be safe and be prepared. 
Have fun and catch fish! 
Frostbite season is here!

Fish on, fish H8 me.
Raz

FROSTBITE FISHIN'