Saint Albans Bay

[packersskyline]

How is the bite? Anyone catching pike?

[WVBoy]

The pike bite has been tough everywhere this year, not going to lie. There hasnt been alot of people out targeting Pike this year either from what Ive been seeing on Champlain. Most of the people are just trying to find perch numbers which has been difficult this year. Ive been out a half dozen times so far for Pike in various spots and have been lucky to get one or two. I know guys who have had huge tip-up spreads and never even got a flag all day. Hopefully we see some stabilization in weather and the bite turns on. Good luck out there!

[thefishingweatherman]

The pike bite has been tough everywhere this year, not going to lie. There hasnt been alot of people out targeting Pike this year either from what Ive been seeing on Champlain. Most of the people are just trying to find perch numbers which has been difficult this year. Ive been out a half dozen times so far for Pike in various spots and have been lucky to get one or two. I know guys who have had huge tip-up spreads and never even got a flag all day. Hopefully we see some stabilization in weather and the bite turns on. Good luck out there!

We got into a big school of good sized yellows yesterday down at 80 feet. Were very aggressive and spitting up baby smelt.

[Light liner]

80' down that's fun. Only a few spots that deep in that bay.

[thefishingweatherman]

80' down that's fun. Only a few spots that deep in that bay.

Forgot to mention this was in the main lake up near North Hero, not St. Albs.

[WVBoy]

Forgot to mention this was in the main lake up near North Hero, not St. Albs.

I think the fishing has been better off the eastern side of Champlain this year so far.

[packersskyline]

Anyone ever fish off of killcare? what way you recommend I go out to catch some pike? I did well on Sunday in Swanton for pike, but I want to try closer to home.

[PerchReaper]

Anybody have an updated Ice Report for the bay? Looking to head out Saturday for the first time.

[Light liner]

White perch!!!

[bootstrap]

White perch!!!

how many buckets?

[Light liner]

how many buckets?

They're slowly coming in, big schools not there yet.

[Neksportsman850]

Anyone know where I can get a map of the lake? I want to fish the bay but don't want to fish the crowds.

[LittleFishin]

Google "navionics wen app"

[LittleFishin]

Google "navionics wen app"

Web**

[Crayfish2]

Navionics is better, but this works, too :

http://www.charts.noaa.gov/OnLineViewer/14781.shtml

[ice fiend]

When the whites come in I’ll be out there

[Light liner]

It's getting close

[VTMatt]

Saw a dozen people off the point on Fri. I'm sure theyre trickling in.

[Light liner]

How is the snow on  the ice or is it blown off?

[VTMatt]

How is the snow on  the ice or is it blown off?

Everywhere else ive been it's 6-9" on top. There were trucks out there though.

[HardWater518]

What does everyone use for bait/jigs for the whites? My son and I fished them a few years ago for the first and only time. I don't recall what we used for a jig.

[thefishingweatherman]

What does everyone use for bait/jigs for the whites? My son and I fished them a few years ago for the first and only time. I don't recall what we used for a jig.

Various bibbet jigs work well at times, esp tipped with a small piece of crawler. Pink hali jigs tipped with crawler or spikes have been working the best for me the past couple years.

[vtcountrychamp]

What does everyone use for bait/jigs for the whites? My son and I fished them a few years ago for the first and only time. I don't recall what we used for a jig.

Last year I caught 3 1/2 pails on trout worms, and a blood swedish pimple. All from one hole in 4 hours. The next day, a half a pail. The tend to not stick around long unless you're their day 1.

[Light liner]

Anything works pretty much

[Neksportsman850]

Saw a dozen people off the point on Fri. I'm sure theyre trickling in.

What do you mean exactly? What point?

[VTMatt]

What do you mean exactly? What point?

Hathaway point. There wasnt many on Sunday later in the day though. Havent seen many people hit the 60 FOW range to find the deep schools yet....hard to find but can pay off big time, especially when the jumbo yellows are around.

[mudchuck]

Hathaway point. There wasnt many on Sunday later in the day though. Havent seen many people hit the 60 FOW range to find the deep schools yet....hard to find but can pay off big time, especially when the jumbo yellows are around.

Still is early for them to stack up.
I've recorded in my journal every year since 2010 that they stack up around mid-February, and I was out there last Saturday over 22FOW and only got into a dozen little 7-9" ones with 3 being over 10"
It really is still early for them, but they're there and coming on.
Van Everest has had schools of jumbo whites flashing thru chasing a lot of bait in 40-60FOW, but they're not organized/stacked up in one spot and that makes for a tremendous amount of hole hopping out far from shore to stay on them.
If they're at VE, then they should be coming along up the shoreline to Georgia Rec Park and outer St. Albans Bay/Kill Kare/Hathaway Point to the boat launch...be patient folks, I bet they're gonna be found all over this area come this weekend!

[bootstrap]

how many buckets should we bring?

[Crayfish2]

Just bring an empty Jet Sled ... you're going to need lots of room!

[mudchuck]

how many buckets should we bring?

Well considering the average 5 gallon bucket holds around 30# of fish, and once the whites really stack up it's not uncommon to see guys bring in 100-300# of whites to the fish mongers, guess you could do the math on how many buckets wold be needed depending on how much you want to catch before you have to say enough...LOL