Lake Champlain Bass Fishing Report July 2013
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Lake Champlain Bass Fishing Report July 2013! Professional angler Melvin Smitson hooks up with some Lake Champlain smallies for this 2013 FLW Everstart Tournament. Read his Lake Champlain bass fishing report, videos included. Get Report > |
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Story From: www.melvinsmitson.com Date: July 30, 2013 My first bass fishing trip to Lake Champlain is officially in the books! The fishing action started off quickly after a seemingly never ending eight and a half hour drive. I was running short on practice days and time so I dropped the boat in the water as soon as I arrived. I parked my truck, fired up my 250 hp Mercury outboard motor and off I went. After a few minutes of running along and surveying the lake from my 21' Triton bass boat. I pulled up to a hot looking fishing spot that I thought would hold a few nice sized largemouth bass. That's what I fish for back home. This spot looked like home and felt like home long before my 109 lb thrust Motor Guide trolling motor hit the water.
Submerged grass beds with a little cut through of open water headed towards the shoreline. I noticed a few rock piles through my newly acquired Amphibia sunglasses and confirmed my discover with my Lowrance HDS 10 depthfinder. GAME OVER, give me my 5 bass limit right now because this hot spot looks like it's on fire!!
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| Bass fishing video from Lake Champlain, New York. FLW Everstart Practice Highlights Day 1 Part 1. Products In Video: Big Bear Fishing Rods, Soft Stick Baits |
You know what they say the proof is in the pudding. On my very first cast on Lake Champlain I threw in my wacky rigged soft plastic stick bait. Nibble, nibble and then I sent the hook. To my delight it was not the familiar largemouth bass I came to lake Champlain to fish for. It was a New York Smallie and I captured it with my high definition GoPro video camera!
After a hundred cast or so the jubilation of what just took place wore off. It was then that I realized that the hottest looking fishing spot on the lake had suddenly cooled. So I moved up around the bend with the help of my trolling motor.
| Lake Champlain Bass Fishing Video July, 2013 Lake Champlain, New York FLW Everstart Practice Highlights Day 1 Part 2. Products In Video: Big Bear Fishing Rods, Soft Stick Baits |
It was there that I landed another Lake Champlain smallmouth bass. This smallie was not as big as the first SMALLIE but it help me put things quickly into perspective. From this point forward I was going to be an equal opportunity bass angler. No longer was I going to overlook the smallmouth bass bite on Lake Champlain.
At the end of practice day 1 there were two things that were absolutely clear to me. I needed to switch up my approach so that it was tailored for Lake Champlain smallmouth bass fishing.
Secondly, the scenic views surrounding Lake Champlain where absolutely breath taking and incredibly relaxing. If you have never been to Lake Champlain add it to your bucket list.
==== Lake Champlain Bass Fishing Report July 2013 : Practice day 2 ===
On my second day of Lake Champlain practice I was ready for some serious smallmouth bass fishing action. I switched over to a Eco Pro Tungsten drop shot rig and went searching for some open water. I found a nice looking spot in 23 ft of water. A quick look at my Lowrance HDS 10 told me everything I needed to know.
There was a HUGE School of smallies surrounding my boat! With my heart rate pumping and my adrenaline kicking in off my extra strength 5 Hour Energy Shot. I quickly reached into the tackle storage compartment for a 3 inch Gambler TZ swimbait to use on my drop shot rig. It did not take long for the smallies to find my offering!
| Lake Champlain Bass Fishing Video July, 2013 Lake Champlain, New York Summer 2013 FLW Everstart Practice Highlights Day 2. Products: Big Bear Rod, Gambler TZ, Eco Pro Drop Shot |
I managed to capture this smallie catch on camera for your viewing pleasure. On the second day of practice I went on to catch around 20 bass total. With my 5 best totaling 18 lbs.
Catching mostly smallies on a few wildly popular smallmouth bass baits like drop shot rigs w/ Gambler TZ swimbaits, weightless flukes baits like the Gambler Super Stud.
I also tried a few other baits like Rat-L-Traps, shallow diving crankbaits, swimbaits, War Eagle spinnerbaits but did not have as much luck.
With practice now over, It's now the night before the FLW Everstart Series tournament. I have two days of practice behind me and I'm starting to feel pretty confident about placing well in this $40,000.00 Lake Champlain event.
=== Lake Champlain Bass Fishing Report July 2013: FLW Everstart Tournament Day 1 ===
On day 1 of this FLW Everstart tournament I caught 12 lbs 06 oz and while I was not 100% good with that I knew that I also missed two other smallies that probably weighed about 4 pounds a piece. In my mind with my best 5 fish, I had 17 lbs for day 1.
I fished cut through's and islands on the Vermont side of the lake on day 1. Using flukes, drop shot rigs, Carolina rigs, wacky rigged soft plastic stick baits. The biggest bass came on the fluke and the soft plastic stick baits.
I went to bed thinking that there is no need to change my game plan or approach tomorrow. Now all I need to do is go out and execute better on day 2 to be squarely in contention for day 3.
=== Lake Champlain Bass Fishing Report July 2013: FLW Everstart Tournament Day 2 ===
On the second day of this FLW Everstart tournament I was locked in and knew exactly where I was headed. Back to the spot that I had missed two 4 pound smallmouth on day 1 of this event.
I pulled up on the spot I had marked on my Lowrance HDS 10 and saw a large group off smallies stacked up on my graph. I put the trolling motor down and started fishing.
It didn't take long after I threw in my fluke bait before I knew it there it was boom a 4 pound smallmouth. Fully confident that there were more big smallies in the same spot I threw back in and wham another 4 pound smallie.
This is when it hits me, I have two 4 lb smallies in the boat before 8 am. I have a real shot at making the cut today!!! Just about that time my co - angler lands a 3 pound smallmouth bass. "Man Melvin you have to come back here and look at your graph it's filled with smallies. Have you ever seen so many bass on your graph before?"
The answer was no, if I wasn't excited before, now I'm over the moon and back. Immediately I thought to myself this is the day I'm going to win $40,000.00 fishing here in this spot!
After a few more cast my co-angler ask me if I could take him back to the dock because he was not feeling up to a full days fishing. It was early so I called into the dock and they said no problem bring your co-angler on in and we will send an observer back out with you when you get here.
Once we arrived at the dock. I quickly gathered that the most promising day 2 tournament day of my career was over. No observer to go out with me, no scales to weigh my fish in and no more fishing for $40,000.00. I was told, our observers are not answering their phones, throw you fish back, your tournament is over. Really, it's only 8:30 - 9:00 am...
WOW !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you for reading my bass fishing blog entry. This concludes my Lake Champlain Bass Fishing Report. I would like to thank all my sponsors for standing behind me in this FLW Everstart event.
Rat-L-Trap, Eco Pro Tungsten, Flatbellies Fishing Lures, The Crab Place, Zeko Shoes, War Eagle Custom Lures, Buckeye Lures, Gambler Lures and Big Bear Fishing Rods.
Please purchase their products at your local bait and tackle shop or visit their websites by clicking through their logos at the top of my page. Tell'm Smitson sent ya!!!
Tight Lines & Heavy Limits,
P.S.
Update: FLW called me the following Monday. They are paying forward my entry fee for the upcoming Chesapeake Bay Everstart tournament. Thank you, FLW...
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