MyFishFinder Forum
MFF US Northeast => Vermont => Topic started by: lakergirl on Sep 26, 2006, 03:59 PM
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hey all...anyone having some action around? we've put away the saltwater gear and have been trying for some late bass or trout. news???
jan
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Not much to report. I trolled with a buddy a couple days ago on Dunmore, no hits. I hear some salmon are down deep. Maybe this weekend I'll get out.
I was still seeing trout in my backyard that were fishable before the rain. Hopefully I'll get some stream salmon fishing in soon.
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VT streams have been on fire the past two weeks, and usually is good until the end of the season (last Sunday of Oct)
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I thought the fishing was excellent this year for wild brook, brown and rainbow trout.
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Salmon and Rainbows have been showing up in Sucker Brook that feeds Lake Dunmore. I landed a 4 lb male salmon last week and have seen some sizable rainbows in there as well.
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Can you post a picture? I need incentive to try Dunmore again. Great job.
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I caught a little salmon of about 15" today and missed another of the same size, I saw at least four bigger fish that were refusing my flies. The fish are holding in the tailrace below the powerplant. I probably won't fish them this weekend.
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Do you see recruitment from spawning? I've seen a wild salmon at around 7" down here but never a legal fish ever.
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Sucker Brook doesn't appear to have much gravel for salmonid spawning, plus where most of the fish run up into is the powerplant's tailrace which is usually dry most of the year except for the spring smelt run and for power generation or lowering of Silver Lake/Goshen Dam.
Yesterday I caught a 12" laker up there on my first cast. I saw one large fish probably a rainbow and a couple of small salmon.
This rain should get some fish moving around wherever you go, but with the inland season closing on the 31st, it's time to start fishing Champlain.
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Nice job.
Any particularly good techniques for salmon on the big lake for November? I imagine the fish will start looking for warmer pockets.
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I'm not an expert on finding consistant action in November, but my plan of attack is trolling downriggers from 25 feet to the surface with spoons 5 to 30 feet behind verticle blades, I'll add "cheater" spoons to the downrigger lines which generally get the most action close to the boat.
I prefer to run flyrods with sinking line or sinktips, 10 feet to the surface about 100 feet back, sometimes one close to the boat. I also will run a planer board off the side with some type of minnow plug 50 to 100 feet behind the board. I mix up my techniques depending on how rough the water is and if I have a crew to tend the extra lines.
The best thing to look for IMO is strong wave action/currents coming around points of land, which is why I usually troll from Otter Creek to Converse Bay. Lots of points and coves. Another thing that has worked the last couple of years is looking for gulls working the surface. Many times it wont put you on fish, but the last couple of Novembers I have had good action staying close to gull flocks. I've actually done very well over deeper water verses shallow warmer water this time of year. I'll be fishing over 100 feet and find fish on the surface.
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Is the shoreline north of Otter generally weedy or rocky?
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Just as you go around the north corner it is rocky and drops off to 50 feet or so. I've seen salmon around there this time of year. Follow the shoreline to porter bay, which is shallow 12-17' and weedy. You could probably flatline flyrods in there. Furthur north from this bay is rocky ledgy shoreline all the way to Swifts Castle which is on the point, it drops off to over a 100 feet off of here. This area is good to go if the winds are from the south. There are lots of smelt schools off of this area from porter bay to swifts, 50 to 60 feet of water. People jig smelt here in the winter.
When you go around the corner there is a small bay before Kingsland bay, I've seen lakers spawing in the shallows around now. All the shoreline around here is either ledgy or cobbly with a few shallow(25') humps all the way past Kingsland. People troll this area spring and fall. The deltas around Little Otter and Lewis shallow to about 10 to 20 feet.
A couple areas that I noticed salmon/gulls on the surface this time of year was off of Kingsland Bay over 120 feet and another was off of the island in front of Lewis which was about 30 to 50 feet of water. The salmon could be anywhere now with the water temps the way they are.
Depending on the wind directions this weekend, I'll be either fishing off of Otter or out of Converse Bay. Weather is supposed to be great from Thursday on through the weekend.
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I checked out Lewis Creek this afternoon. I landed a VERY active steelhead of about 18". I fished for about an hour and a half. Might be worth checking out after the rain.
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I got on Champlain on Tuesday and got very nice laker 25" and close to 6lbs. The laker had a clipped pectoral fin so that if I was looking at it face to face, the clip would be on the right.
Nice to hear some acclimated steelies are in Lewis.
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I'm going to try and get the boat on the lake this a.m. provided it starts and the wind doesn't.
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I hit a couple of steelhead on Lewis, east of Rt.7. Both fish were around 18", adipose clip. One male, one bright female. I was using crawlers, water is low and clear. A better fisherman should do well, provided it doesn't get cold and ice up.
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Nice. Sounds like they may be fall spawners? Any signs of lamprey hits? I haven't fished Lewis in years. I'm starting to consider it again. Thanks for the report.
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Winter steelhead tend to run up the rivers in the fall to feed on salmon eggs and hold in the river until the spring. These fish coming back to Lewis are probably Chambers Creek strain, the same fish that return to Lake Ontario tribs. The male had one lamprey scar. This will be my go to river if it stays ice free.
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Do salmon move in there much? I haven't heard of that, but I would imagine they would get in there. I would imagine it would be decent nursery water for salmon and steelhead provided there are enough fish surviving in the main a lake to to provide a "run." I only tried it once in April a few years back. About 20 folks out there and no one catching anything. I never went back, but now I'm interested. I don't recall if salmon are stocked in there, I know steelhead are placed low down.
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I heard of salmon being stocked in there a few years back, but it has really been the focus of steelhead stocking, down below Rt 7 and I think above the falls as well. Considering I have logged lots of time, about ten years ago in the springtime with the "domestic" Magog steelhead stock being the favorite and only three fish landed in several YEARS. I'll give log entries if needed. I gave up on Lewis many years ago.
The new steelhead stock is the real deal.
I've fished Lewis Creek twice this season and landed three steelhead which fight exactly like Lake Ontario fish but much smaller. Did I mention one of those fish was dime bright. Yes I am trying to promote this fishery ;D. Use a four or five weight fly rod or light spinning, keep to the bottom. And cross your fingers.
I'm wondering if the Winooski is worth checking out as well.
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Well as long as your promoting it, what's the window of opportunity out there? They must move in the spring?
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I would think from now until it gets really cold and the mouth starts freezing, fyi when I put my boat off of the creek last weekend the river was in the mid 30's, but the lake was mid 40's. I didn't take a temperature where I was catching fish. I would think this rain would get some fish moving around, if not new fish in the river, it would at least move what fish are in there now.
As for figuring out the best time in the spring, ice out in mid march/april. From my experience, the river runs high and muddy until about early April, about the time of trout season opener. I usually hear of fish being caught in the first couple of weeks of April, then the suckers start moving in, then by May the bass are moving in to spawn. Somewhere in the middle of that the lampreys move to spawn as well.
If the winter stays mild and rainy I'd hit it anytime.
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Thanks for the info. I'll definitely try to make it up there. By the way, you mentioned the Winooski, do you know if they counted much at their trap and truck station? I know they're using a new strain of Landlocks and of course steelhead and was wondering if they were passing more fish.
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I haven't heard much about the fish lift on the Winooski this year.
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I've been over on ice shanty complaining about the lack of ice. Guess I should have checked here! See what the weather does this weekend, but I may give Lewis creek a try.
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The last time I checked Lewis Creek in early December it was icing up and I didn't catch anything. This rain should open it up a bit.
You can also fish Otter Creek for pretty much anything from Rutland down to the Lake, if you are targeting trout you must use artificials and practice catch and release.
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hi guys....no action here :'( thinking about going up to basin harbor and fish the lake from the cement dock. better than nothing!
jan
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I have pretty much lost interest in trapping bait this season as well.
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I have pretty much lost interest in trapping bait this season as well.
Did you get some this year? I got about three cups of pinheads from the Poultney, but that was all. Also got some brook silversides, but had to give them to VT F&W.
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The two places I trap near my house were washed out from flooding, one hole got filled in with gravel. The other spot has yielded some bullhead, a brook trout and a couple of chubs and fatheads. There are lots of little pinhead sized minnows in there but I haven't trapped them.
The other places I usually trap are ponds and I like setting under the ice.
I'll be in sunny Florida in two weeks, so that will keep my interest away from ice fishing :laugh:.
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Well, have fun down south. Don't know what I'm doin this weekend yet, slim chance of ice, but still a chance. The following weekend I'll be at the Yankee show all three days.