CTFishTalk.com: Lake Champlain Father's Day Derby 2011 (June 18-20) - Connecticut Out of State Reports ( CT Out of State Reports ) - A Community Built for Connecticut Fisherman.

OldBassTurd · Joined: 26 Feb 2010 Posts: 14

Back from another great LCI Derby at Lake Champlain.

Great weather, only one day with decent wind/waves, only a sprinkle here and there (of course the thunderstorms JUST missed us one day, but it's nice to fish a lake big enough to get away....thanks to my Iphone Weather App....)

Fished smallies mostly, with easily 50 fish taken over the weekend by my son Shaun and I (I would say probably more like 75 smallmouth, and maybe even more.....)

Caught a lot of nice smaller fish in the 14-15" range with four over seventeen inches (minimum derby length) weighing between 2.68 and 3.9 pounds. Mostly caught on tubes (green tubes and purples hottest) with some on spinnerbaits and a couple on jerk baits. Five or six on a JDC rockcraw with a stand-up jig head. Three or four more on a shaky-head Kut-Tail worm in black/green.

Caught some smaller pike from 18 to 29 1/2 inches.

Minimum length 32" for the derby. Some on tubes (many bit us off that way, even with braid....) some on spinnerbaits, a few on jerk baits. Didn't spend our last afternoon trolling for big pike 'cuz we got hooked on bowfin.

Did I say bowfin? Oh my God, I'm hooked. Big bowfin at Champlain. We found them in the backwaters and brought some yellow perch as bait. Dead perch hooked with Striper hooks on heavier tackle and braid back in the bushiest, brushiest, weediest of swamps only a foot or two deep.....then it's like wild shiner fishing at Okeechobee....cast that bait to a hole in the grass and wait....then it's wham-o! Have to set like a home run swing to drive the hook, but you risk not hooking the bowfin.....we found that a big bowfin will let you reel him right to the boat just holding on the baie with those huge toothy jaws.....only when they see the net or boat do they go crazy fighting.....and if you don't have them hooked, they'll eventually spit the bait out.....next year I'm making up some double hook rigs for those perch.....

Here's one just waiting in the water just off the boat....they are awesome predators....

We lost a monster at the boat....my son had him in the net twice but he was too big and heavy and flipped out....easiily 34" and thick.....I can only guess easily over 12 or 13 pounds, and maybe much heavier.

We did get a 29 1/4" bowfin that weighed in at 8.99 pounds....still an awesome fish.....

If you've never been to Champlain, you don't know what you're missing.....four hours from Hartford, and worth a 12-hour drive![img][/img]

DirtyDawg10 · Joined: 27 May 2009 Posts: 2238 Location: Granby, CT

Nice! I had a great time fishing Champlain earlier in the year. Sweet looking bowfin.

nicklovesPK · Joined: 10 Jan 2011 Posts: 102

i used to fish the LCI but the group of guys i went with started whipping me with their fishing rods something fierce and had to bait all everyones hooks so i quit

OldBassTurd · Joined: 26 Feb 2010 Posts: 14

Hmmmm....I heard you got chased away from Champlain and banned after having an accident on a dock.......

Nice to hear from ya, Bud! You've got to come back up.....it's crazy good fishing, as you remember.

Fish-head · Joined: 07 May 2007 Posts: 82 Location: Lancaster, SC

I used to fish the LCI every year till I moved to South Carolina. Actually came in 4th in the TEAM category one year. Unfortunately 4th gets you NOTHING. Did have 5th place LMB that year too.

Might make the 22hr ride next year and fish it again.

What part of the lake were you fishing?
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"Men and fish are alike. They both get into trouble when they open their mouths." - Jimmy D Moore

OldBassTurd · Joined: 26 Feb 2010 Posts: 14

We stay in North Hero and I primarily fished from the Bridge at McGregor's Point down past Alburg into Carry Bay. Most of my smallies came from the McGregor through Butler Island area (east side of North Hero.)

I found the Bowfin, though and can't wait to get back to "our spot" next LCI (or maybe sooner if I can pull off a miracle.)

OldBassTurd · Joined: 26 Feb 2010 Posts: 14

We couldn't get into Missisquoi Bay by boat, since the water was too high for my boat (Starcraft Superfisherman aluminum with a full windshield) to get under the railroad trestle.

Most years you can get under the RR bridge but even bass boats couldn't get under last weekend. I found the fishing so good around the greater Hero area that I didn't bother trailering up to Missisquoi.

Fish-head · Joined: 07 May 2007 Posts: 82 Location: Lancaster, SC

Wow! The water was that high? We mostly fished the ST. Albans bay area and if the lake was super windy, we would fish the Missisquoi river. Some big smallies and Bowfin in there.

Talking about this makes me want to go get in the truck and GO!
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"Men and fish are alike. They both get into trouble when they open their mouths." - Jimmy D Moore

OldBassTurd · Joined: 26 Feb 2010 Posts: 14

Yeah, I missed St. Albans and Missisquoi this year....we usually fish up around Campbell's but he lost just about his whole place from what we heard....we would always fish up in Charcoal Creek there for largemouth, but Carry Bay and Macomb Bay (Alburg) were really producing this year.

St. Albans was a great ride in years past (buddy's boat has a 200 hp) but my Starcraft has a 75 and I never drove down to put in.....they moved the weight station off of Kilcare State Park into St. Albans proper so we didn't head down that way....

There is so much productive water to fish in that area that I swear you could get in a 12' rowboat and win the LCI just by concentrating on one bay.....what an incredible place.

pondhopper · Joined: 31 Mar 2011 Posts: 49

Wow! sounds like a great day on a great lake! Congrats on the nice smallies too! My father and I love working a good smallie lake.

One of these days I gotta get up there. Everyone who goes tells me its one the best fishing trips they have had.
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Am I obsessed, or is it normal to play with my lures every night?