Post by Brian on Apr 24, 2018 15:52:50 GMT -5
I was psyched to get up to Champlain with Roy Sunday for our, sort of, semi annual cold water fishing trip. It seems like the water was colder than usual, but the sun was warm, breeze was calm, the fishing was easy. Catching was more difficult, but we had a pretty nice day...and did scour out a few bites...even boated a few.
Had a chilly start (water temp. 42 degrees)at a couple of community holes, no fish landed, although a Champlain mystery monster grabbed my crankbait and just swam away until the hook pulled free. Hmmm, maybe a big cat or drum. It's what makes Champlain a destination for me. Then a chilly boat ride south to Benson. A pike showed itself to Roy's lure there, but no fish were caught. So we decides to give the drum fishing a shot and headed further south. There wasn't enough current or activity on the sonar to have very high hopes of a big bite day. We stuck with it and after a few bites that didn't stick Roy boated an 11 lb + on a blade. Meanwhile I was dragging a jig that wasn't getting a sniff. Reluctantly, I switched to a blade and after two bites that didn't stick landed a nice drum. Roy got one more small one, I had a couple more hits. Headed to Dresden Narrows, even less current there, no bites.
Took a cold boat ride back to the Ti area and focused on bass. Found cleaner and somewhat warmer water there, although by now the sun had a chance to heat things up. Fish didn't seem to notice, still no bass landed.
Sometime in late afternoon I boated a 2 1/2 LM that inhaled a chatterbait, yea...first Champlain bass. Later I got a smallie to eat a jerkbait, and another to eat a crankbait, an LM to eat the crankbait. Meanwhile Roy bags one of each on his trusty 'trap. Throw in a pike Roy boated and that's the day, 6 bass, 3 drum, 1 pike. Not bad really and what a nice day! Thanks for the trip Roy, we'll hit it again November 15th or so
. Maybe find some bowfin 
.
yeah, it's not a bass, but since we caught more bass than drum.......
Had a chilly start (water temp. 42 degrees)at a couple of community holes, no fish landed, although a Champlain mystery monster grabbed my crankbait and just swam away until the hook pulled free. Hmmm, maybe a big cat or drum. It's what makes Champlain a destination for me. Then a chilly boat ride south to Benson. A pike showed itself to Roy's lure there, but no fish were caught. So we decides to give the drum fishing a shot and headed further south. There wasn't enough current or activity on the sonar to have very high hopes of a big bite day. We stuck with it and after a few bites that didn't stick Roy boated an 11 lb + on a blade. Meanwhile I was dragging a jig that wasn't getting a sniff. Reluctantly, I switched to a blade and after two bites that didn't stick landed a nice drum. Roy got one more small one, I had a couple more hits. Headed to Dresden Narrows, even less current there, no bites.
Took a cold boat ride back to the Ti area and focused on bass. Found cleaner and somewhat warmer water there, although by now the sun had a chance to heat things up. Fish didn't seem to notice, still no bass landed.
Sometime in late afternoon I boated a 2 1/2 LM that inhaled a chatterbait, yea...first Champlain bass. Later I got a smallie to eat a jerkbait, and another to eat a crankbait, an LM to eat the crankbait. Meanwhile Roy bags one of each on his trusty 'trap. Throw in a pike Roy boated and that's the day, 6 bass, 3 drum, 1 pike. Not bad really and what a nice day! Thanks for the trip Roy, we'll hit it again November 15th or so
. Maybe find some bowfin 
. yeah, it's not a bass, but since we caught more bass than drum.......
