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Author:
PECo
Date:
Sep 29, 2010
Subject:
Lake Champlain - VT from Plattsburgh NY 09/29
Message:
I had been looking for a fishing charter on which to take my father-in-law for his birthday when I read this report by Vudak: [url]http://www.ctfishtalk.com/lake-champlain-9-18-t5680.html[/url] Thanks, John! I contacted Captain Mickey Maynard (aka Cap'n Mick) almost immediately and booked a trip for today with my father-in-law and my daughter. Before I go any further, I have to say that if you want to fish Lake Champlain for northern pike, you'd be crazy to not book your trip with Cap'n Mick: http://www.angelfire.com/home/lake/fishing/lake.html Unfortunately, my father-in-law decided that he and my daughter could handle only a four hour outing. Although I would have loved a full eight hour outing, four hours turned out to be the perfect amount of time on the water today. And the three of us managed to boat a ton of fish in four hours, anyway! :D But let's go back to the beginning. We met Cap'n Mick at a service station in Plattsburgh, NY, and followed him and his boat to the Point Au Roche State Park Boat Launch: [img:aefb56c775]http://img266.imageshack.us/img266/5803/vtfromplattsbughny071co.jpg[/img:aefb56c775] I had told Cap'n Mick that we wanted to fish for pike and bass, so he brought his 20-1/2 foot center console fishing boat. The day was overcast and cool, with temperatures rising throughout the day from 62 to 68 degrees. The wind was out of the south at 15 to 20 mph, but shifted to south-southwest as the day wore on. It was beautifully overcast almost the entire time we were on the water. As we left the launch, I sat on the raised section of the bow, while my father-in-law and daughter sat on the cooler in front of the console: [img:aefb56c775]http://img541.imageshack.us/img541/6348/vtfromplattsbughny003cr.jpg[/img:aefb56c775] The rough water and brisk wind made for a somewhat wet cruise across the lake from NY to the VT side of the lake. But the spray wasn't the worst of it. The first time the boat crested a wave and hit the next one with a thump, I was reminded that water doesn't compress as I felt Mike Tyson sucker punch me in the kidneys. It didn't take long for me to get to my feet and move to stand behind the console with Cap'n Mick, who was kind enough to shield me from the worst of the spray. He took us to some calmer water in a passage between two sections of the lake and we began fishing as we drifted over weeds in about 12 feet of water. We all used St. Croix spinning rods and Pflueger spinning reels. My father-in-law and I each threw red Strike King Premier Plus spinnerbaits with double willow blades and a trailer hook. My daughter threw a black one. She said that it was a battle to see whether fish preferred strawberries or licorice! :shock: Fittingly, my father-in-law (aka the birthday boy) landed the first fish of the day, which was a decent pike: [img:aefb56c775]http://img826.imageshack.us/img826/9257/vtfromplattsbughny013cr.jpg[/img:aefb56c775] And, thankfully, my daughter landed the second fish of the day, which was a decent pike/chain pickerel hybrid: [img:aefb56c775]http://img62.imageshack.us/img62/5801/vtfromplattsbughny014cr.jpg[/img:aefb56c775][img:aefb56c775]http://img299.imageshack.us/img299/4808/vtfromplattsbughny015cr.jpg[/img:aefb56c775] [img:aefb56c775]http://img442.imageshack.us/img442/8631/vtfromplattsbughny019cr.jpg[/img:aefb56c775] Cap'n Mick said, "Now we have to get one for Phil", and I told him that my minimum goal had already been met, since both my father-in-law and my daughter had each caught a decent fish. But he said that he expected us to catch at least eight to 10 fish in four hours. After a while, I caught the next one, which was a decent hybrid: [img:aefb56c775]http://img64.imageshack.us/img64/7145/vtfromplattsbughny021cr.jpg[/img:aefb56c775] Then, my daughter yelled, "Fish on!" and landed a decent pike: [img:aefb56c775]http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/68/vtfromplattsbughny024cr.jpg[/img:aefb56c775][img:aefb56c775]http://img295.imageshack.us/img295/7456/vtfromplattsbughny025cr.jpg[/img:aefb56c775] [img:aefb56c775]http://img338.imageshack.us/img338/9356/vtfromplattsbughny032cr.jpg[/img:aefb56c775] And shortly after that, I caught what turned out to be the lunker pike: [img:aefb56c775]http://img545.imageshack.us/img545/5697/vtfromplattsbughny036cr.jpg[/img:aefb56c775] Cap'n Mick didn't have a tape measure and the battery had died on his digital scale, but I'd estimate that the pike was 34 to 36 inches long and weighed about 10 pounds. At this point, he revised his estimate of the number of fish that we would catch upward, to 12 to 14. After a short stop at a marina to go potty :roll: and gas up (and where I caught a little smallmouth bass while I was waiting on the boat for everyone else to get back :D ), we hit a different spot and drifted over weeds in about six feet of water. While we were there, my daughter caught the lunker hybrid: [img:aefb56c775]http://img33.imageshack.us/img33/4205/vtfromplattsburghny070c.jpg[/img:aefb56c775] We could see the bulge of a fish in its belly. I think that the hybrids were the prettiest fish we saw all day and were also the best fighters by far. They combine the size and strength of a pike with the fighting spirit of a pickerel. After a final upward revision by Cap'n Mick of his estimate to 20 fish, we ended up boating 25 fish of four different species. :o I caught 10 and got the cycle (i.e., a hybrid, a pike, a smallie and a largemouth bass). My daughter caught nine and my father-in-law caught six. All told, we got one smallie, two largies, four hybrids and 18 pike. Here are the bass: [img:aefb56c775]http://img18.imageshack.us/img18/3237/vtfromplattsbughny040cr.jpg[/img:aefb56c775] [img:aefb56c775]http://img830.imageshack.us/img830/1329/vtfromplattsbughny053cr.jpg[/img:aefb56c775] [img:aefb56c775]http://img339.imageshack.us/img339/2565/vtfromplattsbughny066cr.jpg[/img:aefb56c775] It turned out that on average and except for the bass, the fish preferred licorice over strawberry, nine to eight! :shock: We had a great day: [img:aefb56c775]http://img813.imageshack.us/img813/2610/vtfromplattsbughny058cr.jpg[/img:aefb56c775] Thanks, again, Cap'n Mick! We'll definitely be back to fish with you again!
Author:
SeaDog1
Date:
Sep 29, 2010
Message:
Hi Phil! Looks like you and the family had a GREAT trip! Also that Lunker Pike picture -> You have to use that as your New Avatar :!: :P Can we now say your the "Prince of Pike" !!!!! :D :D :D Best regards, SeaDog1 :mrgreen:
Author:
PECo
Date:
Sep 29, 2010
Subject:
What?!?!
Message:
But SeaDog1, I love my bass avatar! :D
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