Greetings Lake Champlain enthusiasts! Spring is upon us and many boaters are already out navigating across the waters of the big lake. In spring it’s usually the fishermen who are first willing to endure the cold weather to cure their cabin fever. I pride myself in being one of the first few anglers to launch following ice-out. This year I was on the lake targeting lake trout and salmon during the last week of March. Believe it or not, I was catching some dandy lakers trolling just a few feet from the edge of the melting ice on Cumberland Bay. The lake trout fishing has been outstanding. As of this writing, May 1, 2009, my charters have landed 171 trout. Many fish where in the ten-pound range and the largest weighed in at just over thirteen pounds. I fish for Lake Champlain’s Seneca Lake strain of trout in 50 to 80 feet of water even in the early season. The Atlantic salmon fishing has been great too. The spring run in the tributaries brought in a good stock of salmon accessible to riverbank and fly fishermen. Those of us who trolled for salmon just after ice-out on the broad water in spots like Sandbar on the Inland Sea and Willsboro Bay on the main lake also did very well. The key to good salmon fishing in spring is finding slightly warmer water temperatures. The bass and pike fishing heated up in the rivers as well by the last week of April.

 

My fishing charter business, Lake Champlain Angler Charters, is bustling in spite of a weak economy. Thanks to a feature article in the popular Quebec based magazine “Adventure Chase et Peche”, there has been a steady flow of clients joining me from Canada this spring. There have also been a handful of hardy anglers coming to fish from the Boston market. I am booked solid throughout the Memorial Day holiday and have most Saturdays booked well into June. In addition, I am now catering to some handicapped clientele. I’m finding it very rewarding to assist these special needs folks in catching fish from Lake Champlain.

By Memorial Day most recreational boaters will have their vessels ready to go on trailers or on marina docks. With gas prices down from last year’s charges there should be greater number of folks taking advantage of the lake. We celebrate the Quadracentennial this year as well so get out there and enjoy, but do it safely. Be sure your vessel has all the required Coast Guard equipment. Last season Captain Randy LaValley and I came to the assistance of nearly forty distressed boaters. No one goes out on the water expecting to break down, but it’s best to be prepared. If you do have trouble, one of the first things to do after putting on your life preservers is to drop your anchor and fix your position so you can be easily located by rescue personnel. Boaters without VHS radios should keep the Burlington Coast Guard phone number on board.  Captain LaValley and I are also available 24/7 to provide fuel drops, emergency jump starts and tows when commercial assistance becomes necessary. Our business, Lake Champlain Marine Resource and Services, has vessels on trailers and boats in portals at Monty’s Bay and at Snug Harbor near Valcour Island to arrive quickly on scene.

We are blessed to have the pristine recreational resource that is Lake Champlain so readily at hand. Please be a safe and conscientious enthusiast. Here’s wishing each and every Lake Champlain boater and fisherman a pleasant and uneventful season! 

Captain Mickey Maynard

www.LakeChamplainAngler.com 

Lake Champlain Marine Resource and Services

24 Hour Marine Towing, Rescue and Salvage

(518) 578-9273

Coast Guard Station Burlington, VT

(802) 951-6792

Tags: Adventure Chase et Peche, bass fishing, Boat Tow, burlington boatyard, BurlingtonBoatyard.com, charter fishing, Coast Guard Station Burlington, lake champlain, Lake Champlain Angler Charters, Lake Champlain fishing, Lake Champlain Marine Resource and Services, Marine Rescue, Marine Salvage, marine towing, mickey maynard, Quadracentennial, Vermont, Vermont Boating, Vermont Fishing, VT

This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 20th, 2009 at 9:41 am and is filed under Mickey Maynard -- "The Lake Champlain Angler". You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.