Champlain Smallmouth

[KDG0422]

Just recent moved here to Vermont and it’s been super exciting to have Champlain not too far from home. Getting my first bass boat I’ve hit the lake a few times this month, with that I’m struggling to find fish. I launch out of St. Albans bay, fish all around ball island, woods island, butler island, pretty much that whole area. Fishing shallow to 30 feet deep can’t seem to put anything together. I’ve noticed there’s a lot of short weeds with some taller on most of these spots with some rock mixed in. There’s perch but no small use, only spots I’ve been able to get a bit is in rock with no weeds or hardly any where there’s zebra muscles. I seem to get discourage when I see the bottom covered in weed and am already thinking the spot isn’t worthy enough to fish. Any pointers on becoming more consistent would be greatly appreciated on this lake. It’s hard walking away from the place because I know the kind of fishing it can produce  

[Reel]

You are exactly where you should be if you are looking for smallmouth.  Twenty feet to twenty -five is the magic number at this time.  Smallmouth roam a lot so cast far, move a lot.  The points of those islands are the gathering points mostly ( secondary points also good).  A mix of rock and grass is good.

[KDG0422]

Thank you, I feel I become overwhelmed with the amount of water that’s fishable. I give a spot a couple cast and I’m already thinking about the next spot. Half of it feels like a mind game 

[A-Jay]

Champlain is a monster of a lake at over 271 K acers and 400feet deep.

https://usa.fishermap.org/depth-map/champlain-lake/#map

Fishing for bass on water like that really does require one to so something I call.

"Fishing Small'.

Meaning select an area you feel can produce and stay there and fish it.

Then move to the next one, and fish that.

Unfortunately in the summer, SMB bite windows can be pretty brief, early / late afternoon is often best. Cloudy days can be good.

But you'll NEVER fish or even find all the best spots in 2 lifetimes on water like that.

If 90 % of the bass are in 10% of the lake, that leaves a ton of unproductive water.

Our job is to eliminate it best we can.

But it's a process, it takes a while, often a good long while, perhaps a couple of seasons.

If you want to get a bit of a head start, think about hiring a guide for a day or two.

Good Luck

A-Jay 

[casts_by_fly]

the elites/opens/BPT fish Champlain this time of year every other year or so.  The more recent tournaments have been FFS heavy but if you go back just 3-4 years they aren't.  I'd dig through the tournament recaps and videos to see what guys are doing and on what type of water.

 

And I know this is the smallmouth forum, but don't sleep on the largemouth too.  Before the FFS boom targetting big offshore roaming smallies, it was a 50/50 shot whether smallmouth or largemouth would be the winning formula.

[webertime]

I more or less grew up on Champlain and know that area veeeeeerrrrrryyyyyy well.  Shoot me a message if you want.

[A-Jay]

9 minutes ago, webertime said:

I more or less grew up on Champlain and know that area veeeeeerrrrrryyyyyy well.  Shoot me a message if you want.

That'll Do It !

A-Jay

[HOV02]

There is a great camp called Long Lake Camps in Princeton Maine that would be east of Bangor but alot closer than Champlain.Smallmouth fishing is awesome and I do believe they have guide service.

[Champlainchamp]

Hey man, I am a local tournament angler out of Plattsburgh New York.  Finished 3rd in angler of the year race in 2021, finished 2nd in 2022,2023 and I just finished second for the 2024 season as well for points.  I’m consistent and I can help you get in big Fish and using the right baits for the right time of year. If you are launching from st Albans bay and you have a bass boat then you have the ability to chase both big smallmouth and big largemouth within a 15-20 minute ride.   Give me a shout I’ll help you locate some target fish. I’ll even give you some of my hot spots as long as you are catch and release only and you steer clear of them from Thursday - Sundays during the summer lol.   Those spots make money for me.  But I have no problem letting you enjoy the fun as long as you don’t burn them up. 

[Swamp Girl]

On 10/9/2024 at 6:07 PM, Champlainchamp said:

Hey man, I am a local tournament angler out of Plattsburgh New York.  Finished 3rd in angler of the year race in 2021, finished 2nd in 2022,2023 and I just finished second for the 2024 season as well for points.  I’m consistent and I can help you get in big Fish and using the right baits for the right time of year. If you are launching from st Albans bay and you have a bass boat then you have the ability to chase both big smallmouth and big largemouth within a 15-20 minute ride.   Give me a shout I’ll help you locate some target fish. I’ll even give you some of my hot spots as long as you are catch and release only and you steer clear of them from Thursday - Sundays during the summer lol.   Those spots make money for me.  But I have no problem letting you enjoy the fun as long as you don’t burn them up. 

 

Whoa. Such generosity. You're a good man, a true champ.

 

On 6/26/2024 at 6:45 AM, KDG0422 said:

I seem to get discourage when I see the bottom covered in weed and am already thinking the spot isn’t worthy enough to fish.

 

I fished smallmouth for 30 years and whereas I have never fished Champlain, I have fished big lakes, like Superior and Michigan, and on that big, clear water, I was never discouraged by weeds. Rather, I was encouraged and caught many smallies in weedy bays. I especially liked floating mats of weeds. 

[Blue Raider Bob]

On 10/9/2024 at 5:07 PM, Champlainchamp said:

Hey man, I am a local tournament angler out of Plattsburgh New York.  Finished 3rd in angler of the year race in 2021, finished 2nd in 2022,2023 and I just finished second for the 2024 season as well for points.  I’m consistent and I can help you get in big Fish and using the right baits for the right time of year. If you are launching from st Albans bay and you have a bass boat then you have the ability to chase both big smallmouth and big largemouth within a 15-20 minute ride.   Give me a shout I’ll help you locate some target fish. I’ll even give you some of my hot spots as long as you are catch and release only and you steer clear of them from Thursday - Sundays during the summer lol.   Those spots make money for me.  But I have no problem letting you enjoy the fun as long as you don’t burn them up. 

Its anglers like this that encourage me to be generous and overlook and offer the benefit of the doubt to all the rude boaters out there. I needed this jolt of kindly sportsmanship to renew my faith!