Benson's 4/14

[Brian]

The television weatherman said Wednesday would be the pick of the week. The television weatherman said to try get out of going to work. Alright!

Packed up the boat and humped it over the mountains and up the Mettawee valley. Launching at the VTF&W access at Benson's Landing at 11:00. The water was 55 degrees and clean by Benson standards, about 3' visibility. Light NW wind and total sunshine. Lake level 98.92 or so.

Started out, and spent most of the day, within a few miles of the ramp, fishing main lake points with current. We caught both LM and SM, lots of them but mostly small. Poked around in some deep water hoping for a sheephead, but only caught a LM 20' down. Then went into some back water looking for pike. Diane caught one 27" job on a big spoon, only one we saw. Just about every lure we tried worked but crankbaits, jerkbaits and spinnerbaits caught the most. Quit at 6:40 with the tally sheet showing 35 LM, 5 SM, 1 pickerel and 1 pike between us. Best LM weighed in at 4 lb. 14 oz. hit a big spinnerbait in 3' late in the day.

[VT FishBio]

Nice report Brian! I'm jealous you've been out twice already. Although I have handled somewhere around 800 bass myself so far this year, many going 4, 5, and 6 lbs. Just wish they were on the end of my line instead of in my nets!

Interesting to see that the bass are on wood already. I've heard the same from some other guys I know who have been out.

I saw you also posted this over on the Champlain board with pictures, but there aren't any pics here. Did they get dropped out? You should put them here, because that 4-12 you caught is a great photo!

[Brian]

Apr 17, 2010 6:58:31 GMT -5 VT FishBio said:

I saw you also posted this over on the Champlain board with pictures, but there aren't any pics here. Did they get dropped out? You should put them here, because that 4-12 you caught is a great photo!

Yeah, you caught me being lazy. I found I had to go back to Photobucket and re-copy IMG codes and paste in appropriate spots in the text I had copied and pasted here...

Here's a pic to make amends. We usually photograph the first "decent" fish of the day (some days there are no photo's )
The 3 lb. 11 oz. bass ate a Rapala X-Rap jerkbait. This lure does work, and this color is good when water visibilty is around 3'.

Usually I don't throw alot of jerkbaits in southern Champlain. I don't like them bit off or the idea of pike/pickerel with that bling in their maw.

The "missing" 4 lb. 14 oz.



Was caught with a reliable pattern for spring.....2'-3' on the bank with the boat in 3'-6' deep flat. 1/2 oz. single Oklahoma blade spinnerbait.

[Brian]

Thanks VTbass,
I'm not too swift with the computer, but I was going to try exactly what you have described in the future "to see if it would work". Now I know it will.