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Vermont => Ice Fishing Vermont => Topic started by: PIKE426 on Jan 05, 2019, 07:30 AM

Title: Holiday Harbor status lake Champlain North Hero
Post by: PIKE426 on Jan 05, 2019, 07:30 AM
Hello wondering if anyone has fished  this year at Holiday Harbor motel North Hero Island VT thank you
Title: Re: Holiday Harbor status lake Champlain North Hero
Post by: woodyvt on Jan 05, 2019, 03:41 PM
Drove through islands yesterday.....at HH all the shantys were in the driveway and not a track on the ice. Hope it is helpful info.

Wdy
Title: Re: Holiday Harbor status lake Champlain North Hero
Post by: PIKE426 on Jan 05, 2019, 03:49 PM
thank you headed up Thursday
Title: Re: Holiday Harbor status lake Champlain North Hero
Post by: Champlain Islander on Jan 05, 2019, 06:11 PM
I haven't seen any activity at the HH Lodge. Not sure if Bruce went on vacation or what the story is. I tried south of the motel for sunfish several days ago. Watch out for the bubblers. They are in the usual spot again this year in a big way. If we get some snow on top of the ice it will be dangerous for those not familiar with that spot. No warning markers have been placed last time I checked.
Title: Re: Holiday Harbor status lake Champlain North Hero
Post by: PenguinIII on Jan 05, 2019, 06:49 PM
I haven't seen any activity at the HH Lodge. Not sure if Bruce went on vacation or what the story is. I tried south of the motel for sunfish several days ago. Watch out for the bubblers. They are in the usual spot again this year in a big way. If we get some snow on top of the ice it will be dangerous for those not familiar with that spot. No warning markers have been placed last time I checked.

You are spot on Champlain Islander. Those bubblers can be real dangerous. Last year in Macomb bay it was a real problem in February and March. Also caused the water to get real cloudy.
Title: Re: Holiday Harbor status lake Champlain North Hero
Post by: Champlain Islander on Jan 06, 2019, 05:50 AM
Just to clarify what I am talking about in case someone doesn't understand. My use of the term bubbler is for a methane release in spots in the bay. There are spots that decaying plant life gives off bursts of gases resulting in thin ice or open water in small areas. Normally Bruce places Christmas trees out there marking the edge of it and always warns his guests. Usually the bubblers are open and are spread all over an area about 100 yds wide. Sometimes after a cold snap the bubblers seal up but have ice only an inch thick. Then if it snows it looks solid like all the other parts of the bay. Every year people unaware fall through or have close calls. The area is 1/2 mile south of the motel in the area past the camps that are lined up close to the shore. Bruce places his shanties in a line on the edge of the channel and that bad area is inside the shanties towards the east.
Title: Re: Holiday Harbor status lake Champlain North Hero
Post by: PIKE426 on Jan 06, 2019, 07:13 AM
Thank you very helpful and learned something new.. tight lines!
Title: Re: Holiday Harbor status lake Champlain North Hero
Post by: vaughan on Jan 06, 2019, 05:18 PM
If you go by again and the shanty’s are out I would appreciate knowing that.
Title: Re: Holiday Harbor status lake Champlain North Hero
Post by: Champlain Islander on Jan 06, 2019, 05:38 PM
I know Bruce pretty well and will try to go that way tomorrow and see what the conditions are. I'll probably be headed south tomorrow towards the sandbar for pan fishing but live in the same town as HH so I'll swing by and check to see if he is open.
Title: Re: Holiday Harbor status lake Champlain North Hero
Post by: PIKE426 on Jan 07, 2019, 07:04 AM
thank you
Title: Re: Holiday Harbor status lake Champlain North Hero
Post by: Champlain Islander on Jan 08, 2019, 09:46 AM
Big time wind out of the south today so didn't fish. Took a ride past HH and it looks like they aren't open. Sign that says no vacancy and no sign of activity. My guess is that Bruce went somewhere on Vacation.
Title: Re: Holiday Harbor status lake Champlain North Hero
Post by: vaughan on Jan 08, 2019, 02:54 PM
Bruce and Joanne are there and doing fine, talked to him yesterday. 
Title: Re: Holiday Harbor status lake Champlain North Hero
Post by: lowaccord66 on Jan 08, 2019, 03:51 PM
Bruce and Joanne are there and doing fine, talked to him yesterday.

Place still up for sale at 1.3m? 
Title: Re: Holiday Harbor status lake Champlain North Hero
Post by: Champlain Islander on Jan 09, 2019, 02:25 PM
Saw on this weeks issue of the Islander newspaper an add for the HH saying open for the season. Great news for all the regular guys that come up from Mass and CT.  Great place to stay and super place to fish.
Title: Re: Holiday Harbor status lake Champlain North Hero
Post by: bootstrap on Jan 09, 2019, 02:33 PM
went by yesterday looked like a ghost town to me.
Title: Re: Holiday Harbor status lake Champlain North Hero
Post by: bassin212 on Jan 11, 2019, 08:55 AM
thinking about making a trip and staying at HH. Is there good Laker fishing in that area? I've had success in South Hero, but don't know the lake well as I've fished it once.
Title: Re: Holiday Harbor status lake Champlain North Hero
Post by: Champlain Islander on Jan 11, 2019, 09:19 AM
Not much for lakers in the passage or ransom bay. Great for pike and bass and panfish though. Best bet for lakers would be if the broad lake outside of the Carry cut ices over or the northern Inland Sea. Any spot in South Hero though is less than 1/2 hour from HH.
Title: Re: Holiday Harbor status lake Champlain North Hero
Post by: bassin212 on Jan 11, 2019, 10:18 AM
Last time I was there I fished right off of South Hero, is that typically the best area? Not asking for a specific spot. Just general area
Title: Re: Holiday Harbor status lake Champlain North Hero
Post by: Light liner on Jan 11, 2019, 10:50 AM
Lakers are hard due to most areas they're it just doesn't freeze.
Title: Re: Holiday Harbor status lake Champlain North Hero
Post by: lowaccord66 on Jan 11, 2019, 10:56 AM
Lakers are hard due to most areas they're it just doesn't freeze.

Same thing on the NY side which is a shame.  You can get pretty close but not on the real good spots.  Too much current out that way too.
Title: Re: Holiday Harbor status lake Champlain North Hero
Post by: lingcod on Jan 11, 2019, 11:21 AM
HH ad stated that most sizes of minnows are available for sale. Grubs also.
Ice there is not safe at all...  Yet!
Title: Re: Holiday Harbor status lake Champlain North Hero
Post by: bassin212 on Jan 11, 2019, 01:05 PM
I guess I'll just have to see if I got lucky or if they're cruising where I caught one last year. Seems like ppl catch Walleye near HH though, that would be pretty sweet!
Title: Re: Holiday Harbor status lake Champlain North Hero
Post by: Champlain Islander on Jan 11, 2019, 04:20 PM
Just took a ride all the way to the border checking ice. Looks like a couple of people are at the HH Lodge so their season has started.
Title: Re: Holiday Harbor status lake Champlain North Hero
Post by: PIKE426 on Jan 12, 2019, 08:18 AM
Canceled the weekend trip there due to weather taking daughter. but headed up on Tuesday night. Is there alot of snow on top of  ice?
thank you for your help I'm 3 hours away
Title: Re: Holiday Harbor status lake Champlain North Hero
Post by: shiveringjoe on Jan 12, 2019, 08:31 AM
You were in a good spot last year. Didn’t you have private access or something? Otherwise it’s a long walk or a drive out to those areas in outer malletts. As said before most of the lake trout areas are late to freeze, and the best ones only freeze every few years.

I guess I'll just have to see if I got lucky or if they're cruising where I caught one last year. Seems like ppl catch Walleye near HH though, that would be pretty sweet!
Title: Re: Holiday Harbor status lake Champlain North Hero
Post by: Light liner on Jan 12, 2019, 09:22 AM
If you are after lakers, I would go to the NEK or Caspian.
I love lake champlain, but the lakers out of it are nothing to get excited about.
The ones out of the NEK lakes are a completely different fish.
And edible.
Title: Re: Holiday Harbor status lake Champlain North Hero
Post by: ice fiend on Jan 13, 2019, 09:59 PM
Just to clarify what I am talking about in case someone doesn't understand. My use of the term bubbler is for a methane release in spots in the bay. There are spots that decaying plant life gives off bursts of gases resulting in thin ice or open water in small areas. Normally Bruce places Christmas trees out there marking the edge of it and always warns his guests. Usually the bubblers are open and are spread all over an area about 100 yds wide. Sometimes after a cold snap the bubblers seal up but have ice only an inch thick. Then if it snows it looks solid like all the other parts of the bay. Every year people unaware fall through or have close calls. The area is 1/2 mile south of the motel in the area past the camps that are lined up close to the shore. Bruce places his shanties in a line on the edge of the channel and that bad area is inside the shanties towards the east.
that area used to be a great sunfish spot but hard accessing it now unless you go to HH and pay to use his shanty’s otherwise he won’t let you on. Used to be able to park by the culvert and walk the frozen creek out to that bay but they stopped that
Title: Re: Holiday Harbor status lake Champlain North Hero
Post by: PIKE426 on Jan 14, 2019, 08:13 AM
Do you know if he has put the shanties out? thank you
Title: Re: Holiday Harbor status lake Champlain North Hero
Post by: LittleFishin on Jan 14, 2019, 12:23 PM
Did not see them out on Saturday. He had a lot ready to go when we were doing some recon. But they were all in the driveway.
Title: Re: Holiday Harbor status lake Champlain North Hero
Post by: Champlain Islander on Jan 14, 2019, 04:53 PM
I went by there yesterday and the shanties were all on shore. He does have some people staying there or so it appeared. Even though it has been real cold for some reason the whole passage stayed open as of yesterday. Must have been the wind and currents. I am sure Bruce won't put the shanties out until good ice is out in the channel.
Title: Re: Holiday Harbor status lake Champlain North Hero
Post by: SkunkLuvver on Jan 14, 2019, 08:23 PM
I don’t think he’ll drag those things out until he can drive a tractor on it.

Wonder what the liability insurance bill is for renting shanties? Bet it’s impressive.
Title: Re: Holiday Harbor status lake Champlain North Hero
Post by: bassin212 on Jan 15, 2019, 01:39 PM
If you are after lakers, I would go to the NEK or Caspian.
I love lake champlain, but the lakers out of it are nothing to get excited about.
The ones out of the NEK lakes are a completely different fish.
And edible.


Light Liner, thanks for the tip! Looks like there about just as far from me as Lake Champlain is too, so maybe i'll give them a shot this year. Do you like one more than the other?
Title: Re: Holiday Harbor status lake Champlain North Hero
Post by: Light liner on Jan 15, 2019, 03:49 PM
Yes. For lakers I would much rather fish the NEK lakes.
Title: Re: Holiday Harbor status lake Champlain North Hero
Post by: bassin212 on Jan 15, 2019, 04:01 PM
I might in terms of the lakes in the NEK like Caspian, Lake Memphremagog, etc.
Title: Re: Holiday Harbor status lake Champlain North Hero
Post by: vaughan on Jan 16, 2019, 08:35 PM
Shanty’s are out at Holiday Harbor
Title: Re: Holiday Harbor status lake Champlain North Hero
Post by: ice fiend on Jan 17, 2019, 12:05 AM
I’d rather fish caspian for lakers their smaller than champ lakers but if you get a good day you can catch em all day long my best day on caspian  I caught and realeased 20 I had my limit by 8:30-9 lol that was last year I can wait to get on em this year
Title: Re: Holiday Harbor status lake Champlain North Hero
Post by: Nthaburgh on Jan 17, 2019, 04:18 PM
Shanties are in the ice at HH
Title: Re: Holiday Harbor status lake Champlain North Hero
Post by: bootstrap on Jan 17, 2019, 05:19 PM
in or on ? big difference.
Title: Re: Holiday Harbor status lake Champlain North Hero
Post by: PIKE426 on Jan 17, 2019, 06:56 PM
On the ice watched him do it
Title: Re: Holiday Harbor status lake Champlain North Hero
Post by: Frustaci18 on Feb 10, 2019, 10:20 PM
Headed up to HH in a few weeks, just checking how the ice is holding up after the few warm days. thanks
Title: Re: Holiday Harbor status lake Champlain North Hero
Post by: Light liner on Feb 11, 2019, 07:11 PM
Bring ur creepers