Lake Champlain United - Forums

Headed down this morning with my girlfriends father Randy, started at the point drifting crawlers, Rapala's, Phoebe's, spinners, you name it. Not too long after we were there, Randy was hooked up into a Steelhead, dark pink in color, could tell he'd been in the river for a while, no lamprey marks either. He pulled him up on the rock, I went to take out my phone to take a picture, before I knew it the fish unhooked itself and flopped back in the water! A little while after, he was hooked up again! Another Steelhead, this one only about 15", but put up a great fight. This one managed to get off right before the rock on the point. After that we couldn't hook into another, so Randy headed towards the turbine and under the Falls, no luck. He called it a day shortly after, so I stayed hoping to hook into something. Had no luck for a few ours, so I ventured towards the beach area with no luck, and then the canoe access to hook into a few Fallfish, and a tree branch.... A few people on the Burlington side hooked up, someone using a fly waded out towards the rock pile in front of the point and hooked into what he thinks was a Salmon for about 4 seconds on a fly. Another person was tossing a spoon/spinner and landed a Steelhead probably 18". Saw them running the trap around 1 PM, no fish though.

Will be back down in the morning to see if my luck has changed

Great Post Matt.

Question:


Is there any fixed times posted anywhere where they lift the trap and take the fish out for sampling on a daily basis? It would be nice to know ahead of time when they are doing this so a forum member could go down and shoot video to post here.

Just need some rain to bring the water flows up and that should trigger a push of fish up the rivers. These cool nights are helping bring temp down.

Thanks for posting Matt.

Digitroll has a great question. If there is some sort of a schedule when the trap is operating it'd be cool to check out.

Matt wrote:someone using a fly waded out towards the rock pile in front of the point and hooked into what he thinks was a Salmon for about 4 seconds on a fly.

That was me. I was using weighted nymphs by then. No other hits for me. They are in there, just have to put your time in.

fishfarmer wrote:

Matt wrote:someone using a fly waded out towards the rock pile in front of the point and hooked into what he thinks was a Salmon for about 4 seconds on a fly.

That was me. I was using weighted nymphs by then. No other hits for me. They are in there, just have to put your time in.

Ah, nice! That rockpile has always produced fish for people when I've seen them out there. I may bring my waders down later in the week when solo to give it a try. I think after you left a younger guy was throwing a spinner or spoon and that's where he got the Steelhead. I think I had my back turned while he fought it, but saw him holding it in the air to show his friends.

I was glad to get the spot to myself at 9 am on a Saturday . It takes me over an hour to get to the Winooski. Must be no one got the memo that 50 salmon got lifted, only a matter or time until some steelhead show up in the lift.

fishfarmer wrote:I was glad to get the spot to myself at 9 am on a Saturday . It takes me over an hour to get to the Winooski. Must be no one got the memo that 50 salmon got lifted, only a matter or time until some steelhead show up in the lift.

Yeah, the smaller ones are already here, I landed 2 of them today. At least you hooked into one though, that always gets your blood pumping. I was surprised myself that nobody was down there Saturday early, even early today. Once it gets to around 11 A.M everybody starts showing up. Although I think some of the best fishing is between 7 and 10. If you head down this upcoming weekend you'll see me on the point again, good luck!

Fly fished it yesterday. No salmonoids. Tried most my flybox, wet and dry.

Nice Matt. Sounds like some fun action. Keep us posted!

lateforwork wrote:Fly fished it yesterday. No salmonoids. Tried most my flybox, wet and dry.

Randy hooked up into a nice 4 LB+ female on the point a little while after we got there, but after that things shut down until later in the day when I got the 2 Steelhead.

I fished down there for a couple hours on the rock point yesterday. Got 3 small salmon and a bunch of bass and fallfish.

labbybass wrote:I fished down there for a couple hours on the rock point yesterday. Got 3 small salmon and a bunch of bass and fallfish.

Nice! What did you catch the Salmon on?

Matt wrote:

labbybass wrote:I fished down there for a couple hours on the rock point yesterday. Got 3 small salmon and a bunch of bass and fallfish.

Nice! What did you catch the Salmon on?

All on a spinner. I did lose one nice steelhead on the spinner too...

labbybass wrote:

Matt wrote:

labbybass wrote:I fished down there for a couple hours on the rock point yesterday. Got 3 small salmon and a bunch of bass and fallfish.

Nice! What did you catch the Salmon on?

All on a spinner. I did lose one nice steelhead on the spinner too...

Darn! Were the Salmon those little 12" ones, or were they the 18"ish sized ones? Surprisingly I haven't hooked up with a spinner yet...I throw out my sized 2 Gold and Silver Vibrax as much as possible but just can't seem to entice anything to hit them. What part of the hole did you fish? Burlington or Winooski side? I might do a little exploring tomorrow, my girlfriends going to be in class all day and I don't have to work...so I may venture off my normal routine and see what I can come up with. Thanks for sharing your info as well, maybe we'll see eachother this Weekend, I'll be down for sure.