Question For You Non-Florida Viewers

Canesfan · June 08, 2019, 06:22:22 AM

Or Floridians with knowledge. Last year my oldest son invited me to go fishing for smallmouth on Lake Champlain in Vermont. This year he wants to target largemouth. We will be going with a guide who is a co- worker of my sons and guides on the side from his main job (Fireman/EMT) so not wanting to know areas to find fish but rather what baits to use. I like to throw mainly plastics here in Florida and wondering if any of you all have any suggestions that might be different from what he may suggest. Colors, type of plastics to use, etc. Thanks in advance. Will be going this upcoming week.

Capt. BassinLou · June 08, 2019, 07:26:17 AM

Dave, good thread, you may get more responses by asking this question over on the main forum of the site versus back here. Have a fun trip.

Deadeye · June 08, 2019, 07:41:47 AM

Guys like Rodney (old fart) and Smallie should be able to give you some good tips.

From living and fishing in Pa, the lakes there are much clearer and cleaner than the water here and the cover is more Rocks and Wood. Or call it structure if you so choose.

Worms work everywhere. I used to use Crankbaits with good success.

You will find a different feed style, or at least I did. It was common to have a Bass come from 20-30 ft away to smash a bait unlike here where you usually need to hit them on the head.

Lots of guys used to drag tubes on the bottom for Smallmouth and have success.

Hope you guys have a blast!

Bud Kennedy · June 08, 2019, 08:11:31 AM

I have fished Champlain a couple of times but a long long time ago. Our bass club would go there once a year for a weekend trip. Our visits were usually in late August.

As deadeye mentioned plastics work everywhere with green pumpkin or watermelon red always being a reasonable choice. I found that the best baits for Largemouth were moving baits like cranks. In particular I loved using a lipless chatterbait. Chrome and Chrome blue colors seemed to work well. If I went today I would likely explore using vibrating jigs tipped with a plastic swimbait.

Our visits there were good but not spectacular but we did catch fish that were mostly smallmouth. I have caught largemouth there but not a whole lot but they were fairly good size.

Not a lot of grass there and not many pads. I would think if you could find some the frog bite should also work great.
As you found from your last visit there these fish will chase. I love early fall in New England for that crazy topwater smallmouth bite as my favorite but never got todo it on Champlain.

bassmanstan · June 08, 2019, 08:18:45 AM

I've never fished Champlain, but for me I'd start with top water, poppers, spooks... As well as jigs, on shallower cover, and wacky rigs. I've never gotten very good at the deep game, but if your targeting largies, I'd start shallow anyway.

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Canesfan · June 08, 2019, 08:21:17 AM

Lou, I thought of that and still may but there are a few that cone here as mentioned and they are like regulars so I tend to favor them.

Capt. BassinLou · June 08, 2019, 08:30:38 AM

Quote from: Canesfan on June 08, 2019, 08:21:17 AM
Lou, I thought of that and still may but there are a few that cone here as mentioned and they are like regulars so I tend to favor them.

I perfectly understand, I just want you to improve your chances of receiving the most responses as possible.

Canesfan · June 14, 2019, 04:01:06 PM

Really bad weather made us leave early and because of high winds, did not end up on Champlain. Caught this nice smallmouth on a Neko rig which is slow and tedious but at least it produced. Not sure if I would incorporate it in my regular repertoire though. Did get some father-son time in though so worth it regardless.

Capt. BassinLou · June 14, 2019, 04:04:33 PM

.. very nice Dave, thank you for sharing.

big g · June 14, 2019, 09:50:54 PM

Nice smallie Dave. I see your not fishing in unbearable heat!

Canesfan · June 15, 2019, 06:44:14 AM

It was in the low 60's. Not quite like S. Fla.

FlatsNBay · June 15, 2019, 12:06:29 PM

Nice brown bass Dave. I noticed that a bird pooped on your hat!

Just kidding! Nicely done.

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Canesfan · June 15, 2019, 03:40:55 PM

Quote from: FlatsNBay on June 15, 2019, 12:06:29 PM
Nice brown bass Dave. I noticed that a bird pooped on your hat!

Just kidding! Nicely done.

Sent from my moto e5 play using Tapatalk

Ha,ha. Thanks.

coldfront · June 15, 2019, 10:17:40 PM

Quote from: Bud Kennedy on June 08, 2019, 08:11:31 AMIn particular I loved using a lipless chatterbait. Chrome and Chrome blue colors seemed to work well.

did you just invent a new class of lure Bud? back in the day, we'd just call 'em rattle-traps (lipless crankbaits)

Bud Kennedy · June 16, 2019, 10:23:23 AM

Nope, Sorry about that. Guess I was thinking about something else. Of course it would be the lipless crankbaits.

coldfront · June 16, 2019, 10:41:14 AM

Quote from: Bud Kennedy on June 16, 2019, 10:23:23 AM
Nope, Sorry about that. Guess I was thinking about something else. Of course it would be the lipless crankbaits.

just teasin.

from what I've read/heard/seen: what to toss depends on when to a certain extent. but if it's largmouth that are targeted?

frogs. jigs. punch/flip. tubes.

normal stuff. just might consider if forage base is more bluegill/perch oriented (yellows, oranges, etc) than some of the southern shad based 'world'?