ping: RichZ
 

I wonder if I could appeal to your generosity and knowledge base.

If you remember, I'm up here in Western Mass and my buddy has a boat
docked on the Conn. in Brattleboro, Vt. which he bought 4 years ago that
started all my, and his bass madness. Years of listening to your reports
from Champlain has convinced my buddy and I to spend some time on the
lake this year, probably around the last week of June. I have Googled
back and complied basically all your reports and comments on the lake
for the last 3 years so have a pretty good idea on a plan of attack We
plan to center around the Ti/Larabees Point area as that's about the
right size water for us as well as the promise of good fishing. I
imagine you will share your reports from there this spring, per usual,
so I'll wait till then to pick your brain a little more. For now, we
need to figure out lodging. I've spent a bunch of time surfing the net
for this but have so far come up empty, maybe asking the wrong questions?

As you have spent so much time in the area I was wondering if you could
suggest, and/or steer me to info on where we can stay for 3-4 days in
the middle of the week. Preferably a place near the water, or better
yet, maybe on the water, and ideally, one that has its own dock as it
would be great to put the boat in the water and forget about the hassle
for the next few days. Motel, hotel, cabins, anything will do, doesn't
need to be fancy, and as I said, around Ti on either side of the lake if
it exists. I guess if that doesn't exist, a good place to stay and maybe
a Marina nearby where we could dock the boat for the time would be a
good second choice; last would be fumbling with the boat each morning
and night and still a nice place to stay, again preferably on the lake.

We talked to one of the speakers after his seminar at the Springfield
Sportsman's Show last week and as he has had allot of experience on
Champlain as well, confirmed your experiences and said if he had 3-4
days that we couldn't go wrong starting at Ti and just working up the
lake to the paper mill, Port henry and everywhere in between on both
sides of the lake.

any help would be greatly appreciated ....

ping: RichZ
 

There is precious little lodging on the lake. There is one
campground/cottage enterprise with docks, etc. south of crown point on the
VT side. It's right on rte 125 about 2 miles south of the bridge. It might
be too late to get reservations there for this season though. I think it's
called 10 acres (or it used to be called 10 acres). I have an old phone #
here. Not sure if it's good any more. 802 759 2662.

http://www.lakechamplain.worldweb.co...y/Campgrounds/


Personally, I prefer to stay close by, but not ON the water, and to trailer
my boat every night, so I can launch wherever I feel like it each day.
Toward that end, there are plenty of motels in Ticonderoga and in
Whitehall, any of which is within 15 minutes of a boat launch.


RichZ©
www.richz.com/fishing

ping: RichZ
 

RichZ wrote:
There is precious little lodging on the lake


I should have said DIRECLTY ON THE LAKE AT THE SOUTHERN END. Lots of places
up north.

RichZ©
www.richz.com/fishing

ping: RichZ
 

Rich wrote:

Personally, I prefer to stay close by, but not ON the water, and to trailer
my boat every night, so I can launch wherever I feel like it each day.
Toward that end, there are plenty of motels in Ticonderoga and in
Whitehall, any of which is within 15 minutes of a boat launch.

thanks, guess that will have to be the way ...

on a side note, I need to pick your brain a minute on the timing.

I actually misspoke in that we really haven't nailed down in stone the
week in June we are going to go as I figure I should ask for your
feedback first. I notice your reports are usually like the first week in
June, is that to get the spawn and have them on their beds or is it just
the way things work out for you? We would probably be more interested in
a little warmer water conditions so there might be a few good mornings,
or evenings of top water action; but hell, we don't really know what to
expect in some ways as my thinking is Conn. river mentality and is that
a misnomer on my part. As compared, say to most guys around here, we're
newbies and actually this will be the first lake will bass fish since
all our fishing has been on Conn. river. However, we fish allot in the
setbacks and in general the dam area, lots of LM, which is kinda a lake
environment with all the vegetation with one difference, running water;
but the Champlain does have current flowing north at a lesser degree so
again, another reason we feel comfortable tackling this lower section of
the lake. I don't think we'll be completely out of our element except
our water temperature and seasonal, or more specific monthly bass habits
are different than we're use to because of the river flow which
drastically lowers the temps depending on the spring and early summer
weather.

That said, what are the general water temps through June. We probably
would actually compromise and go the middle of June to stay away from
say an early summer heat wave but there is the Father's day tournament
on the 19th which pretty much dictates somewhat how you might approach
the week, either before or after. We could go the week of the 14th
before the tournament, but do you think there will be more activity of
guys learning the water that week and maybe harder to get lodging as
well? If we choose after, it probably doesn't make sense to go out and
fish waters that were hit heavy a few days before we arrive so we
figured best to wait a week and let things settle down, so the last week
of June or is the water really warming up by then? If you had to make
the choice, what would you do and would the fact of that tournament
influence your decision.

thanks again in advance!

ping: RichZ
 

Dscotts wrote:
I notice your reports are usually like the first week in
June,


Actually, I always go up the 1st or 2nd week in June to capitalize on the
northern pike bite. Believe it or not, the vast majority of the LM in the
southern end of the lake are usually done spawning by then. They tend to
spawn back in shallow backwaters that warm very quickly. I will often
devote one of those early June days to smallie fishing, and they are almost
always presapwn, out in the big water. And I usually make it back up there
by Late June to concentrate more on LM in the lower lake.

this will be the first lake will bass fish since
all our fishing has been on Conn. river.


Southern Champlain (From Ticonderoga south) actually fishes more like a
River than a Lake anyway.


That said, what are the general water temps through June. We probably
would actually compromise and go the middle of June to stay away from
say an early summer heat wave but there is the Father's day tournament
on the 19th which pretty much dictates somewhat how you might approach
the week, either before or after.


If you're fishing on a weekend after the NY/Champlain bass season opens,
you can pretty much be assured that there will be one tournament or another
going on.

but there is NO time from early June to mid-October that I don't feel that
Champlain would provide me with the most memorable/enjoyable fishing
experience that I might encounter.





RichZ©
www.richz.com/fishing

ping: RichZ
 

RichZ wrote:

Actually, I always go up the 1st or 2nd week in June to capitalize on the
northern pike bite.
good reason ....

Believe it or not, the vast majority of the LM in the
southern end of the lake are usually done spawning by then. They tend to
spawn back in shallow backwaters that warm very quickly. I will often
devote one of those early June days to smallie fishing, and they are almost
always presapwn, out in the big water.

that's what we figured as well ..... sounds like my seasonal clock is
about right, so that's good!

And I usually make it back up there
by Late June to concentrate more on LM in the lower lake.

all things considered, that confirms our first impressions and probably
what we want. hopefully the pike will still be crusin' a little for a
surprise every now and then ...

one last question and I'll leave you be for now. by lower lake, what do
you mean for your boundaries. North: Ti, Crown Point, Port Henry down to
.....South: Bensen's landing, further down????

Southern Champlain (From Ticonderoga south) actually fishes more like a
River than a Lake anyway.

again how we looked at it and it does seem we will have at least an idea
what to expect ...

but there is NO time from early June to mid-October that I don't feel that
Champlain would provide me with the most memorable/enjoyable fishing
experience that I might encounter.

can't offer thanks enough .... I hope you don't find this bothersome -
I'm sure I'll ask some more questions once you've reported in this year
from Champlain - as a little info on your part will probably go a long
way for making our experience more enjoyable ....

as I said, just a collection of your past reports gives a wealth of
material on general location and techniques which has us feeling much
more comfortable from the start and at least a handle on how to attack
the area and if truth be told, as I said before, the major reason we are
going to give this a shot.

ping: RichZ
 

Dscotts wrote:
by lower lake, what do
you mean for your boundaries. North: Ti, Crown Point, Port Henry down to
.....South: Bensen's landing, further down????


I consider from the lock at Whitehall to Crown Point the 'lower lake'.
Including South Bay.

Since I fish a small boat with a 20, I launch where I want to fish. South
Bay, Benson's Landing, Larabees (or Ti) Crown Point, Button Bay, Westport
(NY), Otter Creek, Little Otter, Converse Bay, Mallets Bay, etc., etc.
There's always some place to launch close to where I want to fish.

a collection of your past reports

Here's a few more if you want to immerse yourself in reading material about
that end of the lake. Some from me, and some from a local up there that I
exchange info with from time to time.

http://www.wmi.org/bassfish/reports/94915.htm

http://www.wmi.org/bassfish/reports/95606.htm

http://www.wmi.org/bassfish/reports/93090.htm

http://www.wmi.org/bassfish/reports/91695.htm

http://www.wmi.org/bassfish/reports/90987.htm

http://www.wmi.org/bassfish/reports/90763.htm

http://www.wmi.org/bassfish/reports/90651.htm

http://www.wmi.org/bassfish/reports/81558.htm

http://www.wmi.org/bassfish/reports/79892.htm

http://www.wmi.org/bassfish/reports/57149.htm

http://www.ctfisherman.com/ubb/ultim...;f=19;t=000324

http://www.ctfisherman.com/ubb/ultim...;f=19;t=000368

http://www.ctfisherman.com/ubb/ultim...;f=19;t=000510

http://www.ctfisherman.com/ubb/ultim...;f=19;t=000480

http://www.ctfisherman.com/ubb/ultim...;f=19;t=000462


RichZ©
www.richz.com/fishing

ping: RichZ
 

RichZ wrote:

Here's a few more if you want to immerse yourself in reading material about
that end of the lake. Some from me, and some from a local up there that I
exchange info with from time to time.

.......your a veritable fountain of information!