Post by Brian on Oct 4, 2017 11:34:51 GMT -5
We got back to Champlain again Tuesday, first time since 5/23. Hit the ramp at Benson at 10:45, not a sole there 
. But there was, much to our surprise and new dock facility, high quality construction built to last. Thanks VTF&W!!! When we quit at 6:15 we were still the only ones there.
We got a new Crestliner this year after 17 years of great service from out old one. We are loving it, especially the four stroke. Tried to put a photo here, but photobucket seems to be all done, for me anyway.
Anyway, the water was low at 94.8', 64 degrees and somewhat dirty. A brisk south breeze was muddying up the weed edges. We tried a couple of areas that usually work in fall for pike, sometimes bass. But quit due to the turbidity. Found some clean water with live weeds in bay behind Stoney Point, but it was only two foot deep. Figured we'd fish it again after the sun went behind the mountain. My areas in Orwell were blown out too.
Went to west side of the pond for wind protection and a stretch of cleaner water. Looked good, but as I hadn't been out in forever wasn't sure how to fish it. Tried a bit of shallow top water, 0. Weed edges 0. Pulled off to about 5' and started getting a few hits, bumps, hook ups that pulled off, nice bass that threw Diane's chatterbait on a jump, a bite off. I was starting to think this was going to be another one of those bluebird days of frustration. Coverd a lot of water for one small pike and two small bass.
Went back across the lake to a protected bay. Diane got two nice pike pretty quickly, I had another bite off. Worked into the back of the bay to try some frogging. The cheese mat looked like a sheet of graph paper, if you know what I mean, had three blow ups....two pike, one small bass. Meanwhile, a bass boat stops to watch the "action", after deciding there probably wasn't any, they dropped the trolling motor and fished the point nearby. Dude in the back released a fish, then bent over to wash his hands. Cool, that's a long green slimy fish, the ones we are looking for. After they departed, I circled back around and we had a solid pike bite. Pike boated, lures bitten off, pike hitting our lures twice, missing them, hooking up, jumping. Fish from 3 to 8 lbs. What's not to like? Just one bass in the mix of 11 pike landed. Diane got them on spinerbaits, I got them on a wired up Big Dipper and 3/4 Johnson spoon. Swimjigs were bitten off again.
As the sun got lower tried the NY side again in the shade, but not for long. Headed back to Benson, hitting a couple of dirty spots on the way. Wind had shifted and layed down some. Tied on the buzzbaits fsihed along the RR tracks but the only activity seemed to be carp jumping. Went to clean pocket behind Stoney as planed. Not much activity, some small minnows jumping. Biggest pike of the day, 34", quietly slurped in Diane's buzzbait. Nice way to end the day.
. But there was, much to our surprise and new dock facility, high quality construction built to last. Thanks VTF&W!!! When we quit at 6:15 we were still the only ones there. We got a new Crestliner this year after 17 years of great service from out old one. We are loving it, especially the four stroke. Tried to put a photo here, but photobucket seems to be all done, for me anyway.
Anyway, the water was low at 94.8', 64 degrees and somewhat dirty. A brisk south breeze was muddying up the weed edges. We tried a couple of areas that usually work in fall for pike, sometimes bass. But quit due to the turbidity. Found some clean water with live weeds in bay behind Stoney Point, but it was only two foot deep. Figured we'd fish it again after the sun went behind the mountain. My areas in Orwell were blown out too.
Went to west side of the pond for wind protection and a stretch of cleaner water. Looked good, but as I hadn't been out in forever wasn't sure how to fish it. Tried a bit of shallow top water, 0. Weed edges 0. Pulled off to about 5' and started getting a few hits, bumps, hook ups that pulled off, nice bass that threw Diane's chatterbait on a jump, a bite off. I was starting to think this was going to be another one of those bluebird days of frustration. Coverd a lot of water for one small pike and two small bass.
Went back across the lake to a protected bay. Diane got two nice pike pretty quickly, I had another bite off. Worked into the back of the bay to try some frogging. The cheese mat looked like a sheet of graph paper, if you know what I mean, had three blow ups....two pike, one small bass. Meanwhile, a bass boat stops to watch the "action", after deciding there probably wasn't any, they dropped the trolling motor and fished the point nearby. Dude in the back released a fish, then bent over to wash his hands. Cool, that's a long green slimy fish, the ones we are looking for. After they departed, I circled back around and we had a solid pike bite. Pike boated, lures bitten off, pike hitting our lures twice, missing them, hooking up, jumping. Fish from 3 to 8 lbs. What's not to like? Just one bass in the mix of 11 pike landed. Diane got them on spinerbaits, I got them on a wired up Big Dipper and 3/4 Johnson spoon. Swimjigs were bitten off again.
As the sun got lower tried the NY side again in the shade, but not for long. Headed back to Benson, hitting a couple of dirty spots on the way. Wind had shifted and layed down some. Tied on the buzzbaits fsihed along the RR tracks but the only activity seemed to be carp jumping. Went to clean pocket behind Stoney as planed. Not much activity, some small minnows jumping. Biggest pike of the day, 34", quietly slurped in Diane's buzzbait. Nice way to end the day.
