Mainebass1984

I do believe that these pics are of the same fish. Earlier this spring 5/4/15 weighed 5 lbs 10 oz This past weekend weighed 5 lbs 4 oz The markings next to my index finger appear to be the same in both pics. Pretty interesting. In my view that is the same fish. Catch and release !

Fishing big lakes with a small 10 ft bass raider and a 55 lb thrust trolling motor... Makes it a bit tough to fish bigger lakes like Champlain. Wind and waves an be pretty harsh at times.

Pretty interesting information on fishing deep highland reservoirs. In the northeast deep highland reservoirs aren't common. Naturally formed lakes are most common, falling into Eutrophic and Mesotrophic classification. There are numerous Oligotrophic lakes as well. A proven pattern here in the heat of the summer is fishing hollow bodied frogs shallow, usually 3-5 ft deep but as shallow as 1 foot, in the thickest green weeds you can find. It is an exciting way to fish. It is a stark contrast to fishing 15-35 ft in deep highland reservoirs which seem to be common in the western US.

Got another nice northern largemouth last Saturday. A 5 lb 5 oz largemouth from Lake Champlain.

I pay less and less attention to this list. In my own opinion it is not a good representation of the top 100 lakes in the country. It seems politics and opinions have much more value then actual data when it comes to the rankings. If the lakes is not tournament fished then it wont even be considered for a ranking. If the lake isn't one of the more famous lake in your state then it probably wont get ranked appropriately as well. In my opinion northern lakes do not get there fair share of respect. There are many great lakes in the northern fringes of the country. Of course every fisherman's opinion is biased and each angler has there own lake that they feel is worthy of ranking #1 or otherwise. Just like every other angler I have my opinions as well. Kezar Lake and China Lake in Maine take 28-30 lb 5 fish limits to win most tourneys. Lake Champlain you got to average 4 1/4 lbs sometimes for multiple days to win. Not to mention the amount of trophy fish that come from all three of the lakes I mentioned.

Thanks A-Jay. I was pretty excited to do so well on my first outing to a new lake. Id love to check this place out in the spring. Looking forward to the fall as well. I am fishing out of a Bass Raider 10E.

Biggest Smallmouth 4 lbs 13 oz from Vermont Biggest Largemouth 7 lbs 13 oz from Maine Not to bad for Northern New England

That fish only went 5 lbs 14 oz. I post more regularly in the northeast section.

Fishing has been good up here in the northeast ! Got this one the other day in Maine.

The bass fishing in Vermont has been pretty great lately. Depending on where you are the water temps are all over the place. Last week I decided to fish a new lake. It was the weekend of July 4th and I expected a lot of traffic on the water. I was surprised to find I was the only boat at the launch when I got there. I had never fished this lake. I didn't know what to expect. The wind was light it was bright sun and the surface temp was only 70 degrees. I could see docks, emergent weeds along shore and off of shore, and after 5 minutes of launching I saw submerged deeper weeds in 15 feet. Everywhere looked like it could hold some fish. The first hour went by and I hadn't caught a bass. Not the best feeling on a new lake. I was fishing a jig, a senko, and a frog most of the time. A few crankbait and chatterbait casts mixed in. As I was fishing down a shoreline I spotted some fry and saw a decent bass near them. Couldn't get it to bite but it was a good sign. At the first grass patch I came to I saw a couple nice fish swimming around. I saw more fry. I fished the area thoroughly and got my first bass of the day a 3-4 largemouth. After finally catching and seeing bass I tried to repeat what seemed to be the pattern. The next grass patch I found was near a dock where a cookout was taking place. I cast into the grass patch and immediately get a bite and set the hook. A decent bass jumps out of the water a couple times before I get it into the boat. This got the attention of the cookout. It was about 2.5 lbs. I released it to some hoorays and clapping. One of the guest at the cook out told me he fishes the lake all the time and that was a big one for the lake. Now it seemed as if everybody was watching me fish. Not the most comfortable feeling in the world but there were fish there and I wanted to catch them. A couple casts later I hook into a big fish. It comes completely airborne between the people at the cook out and myself. I was very nervous about loosing it. I was using 8 lb flouro and this fish was pulling out drag like a tarpon. After a few tense moments that seemed like forever I slid the fish into the net. It was by far the biggest fish I had caught in Vermont this year. This had pulled me near there dock and everyone had come down to the dock to see the fish. It weighed in at 6lbs 14 oz. The people from the cook out couldn't believe the size of that bass. After a couple pictures I let it go. They asked if they could take some pictures to and I didn't see why not. I talked to a couple of the people for a few minutes. Before I left there were 3 children fishing from the dock. The clearly had been inspired which was great. I continued my way around the pond targeting the same grass patches while mostly skipping everything else. The fish seemed to be in the areas where there where fry which was near grass. It had to be grass, not lilies, or pond weed, or milfoil, it had to be grass. This pattern was definitely working. I wasn't catching many fish but I was catching good fish. I got the feeling that there weren't many fish in this lake but there sure was some nice fish. On the eastern shore of the lake I noticed something a bit unusual for July. I saw what appeared to be a bed that was just being cleared away. I stayed in the area and noticed it was two beds very close together. I hung out for a couple minutes to see what was happening. As I was looking at the bed I saw a big fish clearing away both beds. They certainly were bigger fish. I hung around the area for over an hour trying to catch them. They were big ! There were what seemed to be 2 males and 2 females. I don't think either of the males were under 3.5 lbs or so. The females were huge one was about the same size as the big fish I had caught earlier and the other one was far far bigger. I tried and tried to get them to bite but they just weren't interested. They would stay in the area, swim away from the beds and swim back. I got a real good look at all 4 of them. The decided to move on even though there were 4 really nice fish there. At the next grass patch, the only one along the eastern shore, I caught another nice fish. The more I fished this lake, the more I liked it. By the time I was back at the boat launch it was dark. I had fished for about 6.5 hours and caught 10 largemouth. Only one had been smaller then 3 lbs. The grass patch pattern produced real well for the entire day once I had figured it out. The 6lb 14oz largemouth is the biggest I have caught Vermont. I think I have found a new favorite lake to fish in Vermont. I will be going back very soon. Perhaps tomorrow ?

Awesome. The next bass I put on the wall will have to be a lunker like that, 10 lbs or more.

Ossipee has some HUGE smallies in it. Along the eastern shore in 8-12 feet there are isolated giant boulders way way off shore. The usually mark the few that come close the surface. I have had some luck there. Sebago can be a tough one to figure out. Tons of 1-2.5 lb smallies in there. Some giant largemouth too if you can find them. Muddy River, Panther run and Lower Bay can be pretty good at times.

I was being sarcastic. LOL

What's a rage craw ?

You are 100 % correct. It is my goal to do it locally though. If I were to fish the great lakes I would have to take at least 7-10 days off and rent a boat. I would love to get out there at some point though.

The biggest one weighed 4 lbs 13 oz. The state record in VT is 6 lbs 13 oz.

So far this spring I have been spending a lot more time in Vermont and have been trying to catch a trophy smallmouth. The fishing for smallmouth has been pretty good and consistent. A lot of 3s and a few 4s but I just haven't boated that once in a life time smallmouth. In my search for a true trophy I have been fishing all over the state. Lake Champlain has been good from Ti all the way up to the 78 bridge near Canada. The smaller lakes and ponds of central Vermont have been good as well. The area of Vermont known as the northeast kingdom has been most intriguing especially the closer to Canada you get. It is very scenic and peaceful there. I have been having great luck for bigger fish with a jig. Senkos, crankbaits and tube have been my next best producers. Still looking to catch a once in a lifetime fish. A couple good smallies. Biggest so far Any suggestions for boating finding and catching that once in a lifetime smallmouth ?

Over the past week the bass fishing has been great ! I went Fri-Tues and each day the fishing did not disappoint. Friday A friend and I took a long ride to northern VT and the smallmouth action was incredible. We boated over 41 Smallies for the day. I had lunker at 4 lbs 13 oz. My biggest 5 bass went 18 lbs 2 oz. The fishing was incredible. My friend caught a 4 lb 6 oz and a 4 lb 4 oz. Between the two of us we had another 9 between 3 and 4 lbs. A great day of smallie fishing. The next day I fished an afternoon on a lake in central VT. I hadn't been there for 2 years. I could only fish the afternoon but it was still a blast. I boated 38 bass, 33 were largemouths. They were slamming jigs and senkos, although I did get a couple on a frog. I could see some big fish but couldn't get them to commit. Lunker for that day was 4 lbs 1 oz but I caught a lot in the 2-3 lb range. The next day I went to Champlain in my friends smaller boat. It is a 14 ft with a 25 hp on the back. As soon as we launched we started catching fish. The jig bite was on. Within the first hour my biggest 5 went over 16 lbs with a 5 lb 5 oz lunker. The bite remained pretty good all day until we left at 4. We caught 62 bass. My friend got lunker with a 5 lb 7 oz. It was a great day. Weather was beautiful and we both caught a lot of nice fish including a 5 lber each. It was an awesome time. Mon I decided to go adventuring and fish a new lake. The weather was brutal. A huge cold front had come in and the wind was 15 mph sustained with gusts to 30. Regardless I toughed it out and caught 10 bass in 7 hours of fishing. At this particular place the largemouth had just begun to spawn. I saw a lot of huge fish shallow. The biggest I could manage to bite was a 3-12. I saw much bigger fish but they didn't want anything I tossed there way. Tuesday I had a club tourney in the afternoon from 4-8. I had only fished the place once before 2 years ago. It was a touuuuuugh bite. My boater had a real rough day and didn't boat a bass. My lunker for the day was a 3 lb 4 oz. We finished in 3rd place. My boater didn't weigh in any fish but it was still a blast fishing with him.. He put me on a couple fish. Hopefully the fishing will continue to be good for awhile ! 4-13 smallie 5-5 largemouth

How would you feel if a fish was illegally introduced that threatened the existence of that fishery ? What would you want done about it ?

This is a bass forum. I realize almost everyone here could care less about trout and salmon. I fish for bass almost exclusively. As I said before Moosehead Lake is the largest lake in the country with a native brook trout population. It also offers the best big brook trout fishing in the country. To compromise this unique resource for the sake of another bass fishery seems ridiculous. There already are many, many amazing places to bass fish in the state of Maine as Major League Fishing has shown. The amount of native brook trout waters in the country is very low in the state of Maine. I do not understand why individuals and anglers can not respect this notion that Moosehead is a one of a kind fishery that should be protected. The amount of hate that there is between anglers whether you are a trout fisherman or a bass fisherman is out of control. I wonder how many people on here would feel differently if there was an invasive species introduced that was harming/degrading/devastating the bass population in your local lake... In all reality it doesn't mater what anyone on here says or thinks. The State of Maine knows exactly how special Moosehead Lake is. It offers some of best native brook trout fishing in the country and they are going to manage it so.

Sorry guys but I completely disagree with most of the post here. There is much more to this story then some may believe. Moosehead lake is the largest lake in the entire US with a completely native Brook Trout population. Smallmouth bass are an illegally introduced species that directly competes with Brook Trout. I wonder how many people here commented here have actually ever been to Moosehead Lake ? My family has had a camp on Moosehead for the past 20 years. I also worked for Maine Fish and Wildlife as a Fish Biologist Assistant out of the Greenville office which is located on Moosehead Lake. This isn't a tournament aimed at killing bass for the sake of killing bass. This is an effort to preserve a very unique and famous native fish population. There aren't any big lakes in this country where an angler can catch large native brook trout. If there was an invasive species degrading the fishing in your local lake wouldn't you want something to be done about it. Lets say an invasive South American fish was devastating Lake Fork. Wouldn't you want something done about it ? I think it is pretty selfish of some individuals to not only stock bass in Moosehead but to then have such hatred towards other anglers because they don't like the fact that some bucket biologist decided to put bass in a prestine, remote, world famous native brook trout lake. Lets ignore the fact that this lake is the best native brook trout fishing in the entire country just so we can catch bass. Its pretty ridiculous guys. Smallmouth have been have been degrading the native Brook Trout population. This tourney wasn't just some trout anglers idea. As it stands right now the State of Maine allows for the harvesting of all bass caught by special regulation. Moosehead Lake isn't just some random lake in Maine. Do some research into the subject guys.

This is a common practice on many of the more popular recreation lakes here in VT. The herbicides do not kill the fish. They are designed to be fish and amphibian friendly. Before they treat the milfoil patches they will mark them with buoys. While they are marked fish the heck out them, they will hold fish. While they are being treated don't fish them, there wont be any fish there. While they are being treated there will be a signing saying something to the affect that a treatment is under way. The treatments never kill all the milfoil. Once the treatments are done and most of the milfoil has been killed/removed then the few remaining patches of milfoil become that much better to fish. They never find or kill it all. You locate the remaining patches and you WILL catch fish.

The bite has been hot over here in VT. Smallmouth fishing was great last week. Hooked into a lot of fish 3 - 3.5 lbs, biggest was a 4 lb 1 oz. A couple day ago I fished another lake near me after work for about 6 hours. The largemouth were post spawn, lots of empty bass beds and sunfish were spawning. I saw water temps 72-78 depending on where you were on the lake. Fished 6 hours and landed 84 largemouth mostly 2-2.5 lbs. It was some amazingly fast action. Didn't land any lunkers though which was a bit surprising. Fishing has been great lately. 4-1

All three are this seasons best so far. Looking to upgrade on both species. There is a whole lot of fishing to be done.

Best Largemouth 7 lbs 13 oz caught in Maine Best Smallie is a tie at 4 lbs 1 oz. One from Maine and one from Vermont. Hopefully will be able to upgrade by the end of the year.