Looking to burn some vacation time and need to get a fall trip in Mid-Oct..

 

Was looking at the following:  Oneida Lake, Lake Chaplain (NY Side @ Platts), Lake Erie, Erie PA

 

Wanted to go for nice size smallies for a few days..  Running a 20' BassBoat - so big water not an issue...

 

Any sugguestions ?????  Should I wait till end of Oct ??

 

Wanna cap off a great season !!

 

 

Thanks again...

Im leaving for erie thursday, i will let you know how it goes

Thanks - ever been there in Oct ?

Stop up at Chautauqua to. Some good smallmouth fishing in the fall.

Lake George is a very nice smallmouth lake and the scenery is top-notch!  32 miles of crystal clear water, 170 rocky islands, rocky shoals...

 

If you stay in Ticonderoga at the north end, you can put your boat into Lake George or Lake Champlain.

 

Tight lines,

Bob

Lake George is a very nice smallmouth lake and the scenery is top-notch! 32 miles of crystal clear water, 170 rocky islands, rocky shoals...

If you stay in Ticonderoga at the north end, you can put your boat into Lake George or Lake Champlain.

Tight lines,

Bob

X2 on this.

 Of your choices I would recommend Lake Champlain. Northern Lake Champlain. Tabor point, inland sea, Mississqouis bay, rouses point, Georgia shore, Alburg passage, Isle la Motte, all are great areas to catch a lot of smallies and big ones too. From what I have heard from friends that fish and live up in that area on the lake the smallies have schooled up bit time. Big schools. Not uncommon to pull up onto a spot and catch 20-30 or more smallies and big ones over 5lbs are not uncommon. Catching 100 smallies in a day is very possible. A group of my friends were just up there for a week on vacation. My boss is up there on vacation now smallie fishing. If you specifically want to target smallies it is very difficult to beat northern lake champlain. Lots of 3-4 lb smallies up there more then willing to bite. The time is now. They have schooled up and are feeding actively. The bite will last a few weeks.

Erie or Chaumont Bay.

 Of your choices I would recommend Lake Champlain. Northern Lake Champlain. Tabor point, inland sea, Mississqouis bay, rouses point, Georgia shore, Alburg passage, Isle la Motte, all are great areas to catch a lot of smallies and big ones too. From what I have heard from friends that fish and live up in that area on the lake the smallies have schooled up bit time. Big schools. Not uncommon to pull up onto a spot and catch 20-30 or more smallies and big ones over 5lbs are not uncommon. Catching 100 smallies in a day is very possible. A group of my friends were just up there for a week on vacation. My boss is up there on vacation now smallie fishing. If you specifically want to target smallies it is very difficult to beat northern lake champlain. Lots of 3-4 lb smallies up there more then willing to bite. The time is now. They have schooled up and are feeding actively. The bite will last a few weeks.

 

Rouses Point is one of my all time favorite places to fish.  Have a 2 day tournament each year up there and it never disappoints.

Early october you might be hitting prime fall foliage time. So you might run into an issue finding a place to stay during that time.

Henderson harbor (ontario bay) is famous for double fisting big smallies 6 and 7 lb plus. Brandon palinuck smoked thee competition there last year. Onieda is a really fun droo shot and point jigging, jerkbaiting lake with nice fish in good numbers. Champlain holds nice LM. If it was me, I would head upstate to lake ontario bays

Oh and btw if you head to onieda, take it easy until you laybdown a safe track. The lake in know as a lower unit killer. It is marked pretty good but there are plenty of suprise shoals, especially on the north central part of the lake. You can get in trouble quick

I may need to put more time in to get to all those places !! 

 

Anyone experience St Lawrance River up by Waddington, NY

 

Heard it may be very good in Oct....

 

Thanks -

I may need to put more time in to get to all those places !! 

 

Anyone experience St Lawrance River up by Waddington, NY

 

Heard it may be very good in Oct....

 

Thanks -

 

It's on my list... It's supposed to be the premier pike fishery in the north east United States, and I've heard the smallmouth bite isn't half bad either

I'd take a long look at the St Lawrence. Had a bunch of buddies fish the TBF Divisional two weeks ago. Some others fishing the BASS nation that's going on right now. They are in love with that place... these are guys who live on Champlain.

That being said I live on Champlain (6 minutes from Georgia Shore launch) and it's a great place late September to 3rd week of October. Rouses Point area and the Inland Sea are the smallie hubs on this lake. The southern Champlain Largemouth bite can be real hit or miss. Be ready for any weather... this weekend is supposed to be 80, could be 50 by next weekend.

The fishing in waddington is ok, but stats will show that a tourney in waddington can easily be won with a run to once again henderson harbor and that whole area of ontario. Happened last year at the st lawrence showdown (elites)

Good luck and come pick me up on the way lol. Great place to visit but terrible to live unless you enjoy 40 below zero

St. Lawrence is an amazing place.