Post your shoot-out story here....

[digitroll (ron)]

We had a fun shoot-out with Shayedwinds / Lacy C's for the 4th year in a row! Thanks guys! Congratulations to Steve and Dean! Steve had a fat 5 lb. salmon today to claim the trophy! Well done guys! We batted zero today for silvers and had 1 brown and 3-4 lake trout and one miss at 70 feet off Buckwheat. That was our day in a nut shell for 6 hours on the water. The BBQ afterwards and ceremony Randy put on was awesome! Had a chance to meet Capt. Mick and Ice Dawg (Scott) for the first time! Nice to meet you folks and it was well worth the wait. The Outdoor's Journal folks (VPT) had shot some good film today out on the water and at the BBQ! Can't wait to see the finished product. Thanks Randy!

Can't wait till next year for year 5! Fish on!


Our 6 hour track that began off Garden and ended up 2 miles south of Thompsons!



Gerry from 10 days ago on his most excellent outing:

[FATHEAD]

Great day out there many great fisherman .Congrats to Fishdawg he was in the right area where the the bigger fish have been the past few weeks Heijac and I worked it hard but could only come up with some small salmon and lakers. We saw them net the fish that won and i knew it was a nice one . They were about 100 yards from where i caught my 25 incher a few weeks back and had a few other big ones on in that same area this week. Great barbeque after and nice to see all the folks there. The big fish are below the small fish is what my father always taught me and the 54-62 down range has been holding some nice silvers in that area .
glad to see the winning fish come from there. Big thanks to Surprise for a great event FISH ONNNNNNNN!!!!!!

[raz]

The turnout was phenomenal. Does anyone have any idea how many folks fished?

A big congratulations to Fishdawg for his exceptional catch! It was good to see him win, it couldn't have happened to a better fisherman or a better team than him and the Homewrecker.

Dockside Ben and I started with a salmon on our first pass right away, and thought we'd have big fish numbers but that didn't happen. Our first fish, a salmon, turned out to be our only one. After that, it was a Cisco and a bunch of small lake trout.
It still beat a day at work or being landlocked at the grocery store.

Thank you to Randy for putting it all together again! Another quality time on Lake Champlain with some of the best fisherman the lake has to put up with. Lots of great goodies to eat afterward with some super people...great to see such a big turn-out!
Thanks also to Point Bay Marina for allowing us to use their great facility! A super great host site!

I'm already looking forward to the Shoot-Out 2013!
Ben and I hadn't fished together since about July or August? Great to be back on the water with him. Thanks for putting up with me again Ben!
I only took one picture...hope to see more from others.

[plantstone]

I launched predawn from Lewis and scooted down to Mile Point, hoping for a little space to set up and check out an area I haven't been to since the spring. Graph looked great with bait and fish. A couple of lure switch outs using a rigger and a slide diver, but nothing. Great bait continued over the narrows as I worked my way north over to Snake Den. Time for another switch out, long line with my new favorite lure combo. A deep running stickbait on a cheater attached just above the terminal leader that has a spoon. The stick bait pulls the setup so stick bait runs @ 3' down and the spoon @ 1' down. I also use this set up on the rigger and to gain a cheater on my slide diver. So, Bam! Fish On as I exit the snakeden. Skimpy salmon on the stickbait! Alright, things picking up. Troll to split rock, back to kingsland, back to thompsons, into point bay. A few lakers, perch, and fiesty smallie. A great day to be on the water and sample some delicacies. Thx to the oyster shucker! Looking forward to some great fall reports.

[Fishdawg]

It was great to see the turnout for this year's shootout! I was set to fish with Dean aboard the Homewrecker. Luckily, the Fishdawg had not yet been put away for the season, so when Dean indicated that he was having some trouble with his power tilt, it was easy to shift our game over to my boat. We were thew first boat to arrive at Converse Bay launch, followed by Jeremy (Fathead). He was generous to give us some advice and tips as I hadnt been on the lake in several weeks. Since we had hit the water early we began setting our stuff up so we would be ready to go at sunrise. We ended up getting a mess with one of the riggers and had to do some cutting and splicing to get it back to workable. It was sunrise by that time and we were right off Thompson's Point when we began fishing. I was running a rigger and a slide diver and Dean was running a rigger and lead. The first fish came right off the point on Deano's lead. It was a laker. We then tried to fish out of the big rollers that were flowing south at sunrise and headed into Point Bay. It was a bit slow, but Deano managed another small salmon on a rigger set down to 25 feet. The waves died down a bit and we ventured out around Thompson's Point. I had a release on my rigger, down 30 feet and a fish on for a bit but lost it before we saw it. We fished back and forth from Thompson's to Gardner seeing bait and fish (just as Jeremy had told us). Around 10 oclock, and seeing so much bait and fish congregated from 60 to 100 feet down in around 200 feet of water and i sent the rigger down to 62 feet and could see my ball running right over all of the action. About 10 minutesa later I had a release. I set the hook and began reeling. I could feel fish, but it didnt seem like a lot of weight. As I got to about 30 feet behind the boat the fish came out of the water for it's first of several jumps. We both realized at that point that it was a pig. I slowed down to allow some time for it to tire itself out. in the first attempt to get it to the net, it jumped and ran accross Dean's rigger line. I allowed it to take some line and luckily it never tangled. I was able to bring it back in and Dean was able to slide the net under it. We were both pretty excited after getting it in the boat. about 10 minutes later I still had a bit of shakes from the excitement. That was the last fish that we had on and it came on a small Mooselook lure that Dean had taped and given me and I had added some stick on beads. The other fish that I had on was on this same lure as well. Good to see all the boats and fishermen and women on the water! Cant wait for next year!! FISH ON!!!!!!

[instigator]

way to go CHAMP, we had 4 lakers and 1 cisco, 2 lakers were on the same pole at the same time, later in the day,
awsome day thats the only way to say it, Reggie

[fishhuntadventure]

...A deep running stickbait on a cheater attached just above the terminal leader that has a spoon. The stick bait pulls the setup so stick bait runs @ 3' down and the spoon @ 1' down. I also use this set up on the rigger and to gain a cheater on my slide diver...

Ha ha. Sounds familiar like a secret walleye tr... ...never mind...

...and began reeling. I could feel fish, but it didn't seem like a lot of weight. As I got to about 30 feet behind the boat the fish came out of the water for it's first of several jumps. We both realized at that point that it was a pig...

I love that. Just love it. North of Split I reeled in a sock full of rocks that discovered it was hooked 30 feet back and departed 10 feet back. Probably about a three pounder but my impatience let it remain free. I thought it was a laker until 30 feet. 30 feet seems like some magic number.

Congratulations Great fish! Great Win!

I started out late arriving at the ramp at 8-ish. Just got car back friday quarter to five from extended wait in the shop while they "fit" me in. So I posted a "ride share" before I left the homestead as I had no second stick. Barely got out of converse and made my way to Thompsons not having a clue that was the 'hot spot' recently. Lost a laker, got another, and heard about someone looking "for a ride" on the radio. Cool! Second stick! At Thompsons.

I was right there, but missed the details as I was picking up two transmissions over the radio. Between my affirmative and getting a phone number and calling it and the radio I realized it was a videographer not a fisherman ha ha ha. Gave him a ride off the point. Perfect boat for it with all the rocks on the shoreline. He took some footage, we talked, I caught no fish. Hailed a few boats I recognized with no answer, then hailed Serenity. He said yes, and since not duplicating my first pass I motored over to Split and transferred Jim to Serenity. I would have loved to have given him some footage of a salmon coming aboard The Office... maybe I should have kept him another 45 mins Serenity was trolling, moved rods from starboard and I slid from off his starboard to his fenders. Never even tied off, and they kept on trolling and Jim handed his camera over and stepped aboard Serenity. Worked so good I felt like we were pros! Hope he got some great footage on a heavier boat.

Had a few small salmon, lost an OK fish north of split, caught a bunch of 14" lakers. Motored over to the weigh in Met jabberjaws and son and enjoyed convos with timcarpe, lightandvariable, plantstone, and met Randy Savage and company from lake geeeorge. For timcarpe this was his shakedown on a new boat for him - a 16' Westfield, another bullet-proof MFG but bigger than mine. Proud of timcarpe for making it over to the food-out with his daughter Allison after they spent the day bullheading through several "issues" that you just know are inevitable on first time out- including a gas tank that sprung a leak and his first day out with the Elite 5 DSI. Headed out from Point Bay with jabber and Son and managed a couple of losses, 18' laker, and a psychotic smallmouth. Fished until about 7pm and had to leave in spite of finally locating a TON of fish and bait off the ball grabber. Was a blast having extra hands in the wind. It's was spring (with Dean LaFont and son) the last time I had all the rod possibilities out. Very satisfying to see. Need a bigger boat and do this more often! Had fun at the ramp when my winch handle stripped out but we overcame.

Maybe not a lot of fish but I had a FANTASTIC day relaxing and enjoying people for the first time in a long time.
Awesome day and can't wait to see the show they put together out of the footage of the day. Would have been nice to have gotten Jim on a few more boats. And it would have been fun to see how many over-water transfers he could do without getting wet (just kidding

When you see a white MFG Westfield out there give timcarpe a holler and help him out. Newbie but the learning curve is ramping up good for him.

A great day - thanks to all!

[lightandvariable]

Three of us on board.We started at 8;30a.m. fished three hours. Two small silvers,one laker & one cisco.

[Dockside]

GERRY!!!!!

[Ludo]

All the week, I dreamed of everything I would do with the trophy for one year. I had a great idea of movie... too bad, it's FishDawg the winner.

I was on WallyAndre's boat with Sylvain 'Calumet':

Dreamteam

We had 3 salmons in boat, we kept one 18 inches, the others were too small.

Congrats to the winner:

Fishdawg

Thanks Randy for this event

Randy

[Wallyandre (Andre)]

Me and Sylvain came in Shelburne on Friday nigh at the North Star Motel; it was recommended by Getcha (Gerry). Gerry came in after us and expectations were half feelings considering the last months reports.

Ludo met us at the motel at 5.30 and we left for the ramp heading to Converse. There was many members already and getting in and we chat with some. Once on the water we headed for Split Rock and after 1/2hr we got a 18-19in. so the expectation were on the high side.
Unfortunatly all the other fish were small.

Once we got by the BBQ I could not believe the amount of goodies that were waiting for us. It was great meeting the guys and the only regret I have is the lack of time to exchange with all my friends.

Randy (Surprise) congratulation again on that excellent organisation and I'm sure that next year it will be as good or even better!

[fishhuntadventure]

...I'm sure that next year it will be as good or even better!

The only things that would make it better would be a few dozen 5# fish at the weigh-in and a really good cup of coffee. Provided we are at the same venue (with electricity nearby) I think my food contribution next year is going to be three varieties of freshly brewed Brown & Jenkins coffee. THAT would be about the only better I can think of

[raz]

GERRY!!!!!

I couldn't help it Ben?

[Dockside]

GERRY!!!!!

I couldn't help it Ben?

Gerry it's ok because I brought a dozen donuts that I ate by myself. Every time you changed lures I would eat one.

I really wanted to share them but they were so good!! Then I crashed from my sugar high and woke up at the launch.

12 maple sugar donuts in 20 minutes......I need help

[plantstone]

Ben Was Sleeping! That explains why he wouldn't open the door to Dockside the day before the shootout. Those Maple donuts will do it to ya...