Magog pike a problem? Let me ease your pain.

[Vt Piker]

A little bird told me that the Northern Pike have been beating up on Magog and that some salmonid type fisherman aren't very happy about it. I would like to make my services available and would be happy to remove some hog Northerns from your fine lake. All I ask is to be pointed in the right direction, as I have never fished Magog before. Also, would some kind soul please describe the location of a bait shop with huge  Goldens or Suckers? Or should I BYOBait? Certified of course!!
    Thanks guys,
                  Sam

[chocklab07]

South Bay for pike, some nice ones have been taken out of there in the past. People fish there for perch too. The only place I know of to get bait this year is Wrights in Derby. I don't know if they have any huge Goldens or Suckers though.

[TRT]

Go get'em Sam, most are coming out of South Bay, i have not run into
them North of Newport. 

[Vt Piker]

Thanks for the info, major help. Would there be a State launch or some other place where I could park the truck and then take the wheeler onto the ice?

[TRT]

yes there is a state access just south of Newport on rt 105

[chocklab07]

Alot of people get on the ice off the Glen RD. Go east on Main ST past Poulin Grain, across the "long bridge" take a right(Glen RD), go a mile or so turn RT by the Agway grain plant. There is a spot between the grain plant and the RR yard that people use to get on the ice. The state acess is easy to find and looks like its being plowed.

[fishandbeer]

How is the trout and salmon fishing in South Bay? Are there any rainbows to be caught out there? If so, what techiniques are being used. Thanks

[Vt Piker]

How is the trout and salmon fishing in South Bay? Are there any rainbows to be caught out there? If so, what techiniques are being used. Thanks

Pike and trout in the same bay?  I may not know anything about fishing Magog, but if the fine folks on IS say "South Bay for Pike", then you might want to focus your efforts a tad to the north. Pike and trout only get together for lunch...when trout is on the menu.
  If one wishes to find some info about Magog salmonids, one might want to try starting a thread on the subject of trout fishing.
                               Just a thought,
                                                   

[TRT]

VTPiker  Check out (highway maps) where all the big rivers flow into
magog an decide for yourself.   

[grasspikerel]

The river are pretty well back up and flat when they are within a mile of south bay.  A dam in Canada on the outlets raised the water levels a long time ago, so that causes more of an impounding effect. The exception is the Clyde, but that doesn't flow into south bay.  Trout will move into those river to feed or spawn, but this probably isn't the best time of year for that.  I'd poke around the west side of the lake if I was fishing for salmonoids, but their season doesn't open until the 3rd saturday in january.

[fishandbeer]

Grass Pickeral, when you say the west side of the lake are you talking about what they call Strawberry Acres? At least that is what I think it's called. Have you ever fished rainbows or salmon over that way? I was thinking about trying that area this year. What is the best time of year for fishing that part of the lake? Thanks

[hizzy19]

We used to catch a lot of rainbows(steelhead) through the ice on South Bay, before we started catching northerns... We do still catch a few though, I always put out a trap or two just under the ice with a nice lively emerald... As we started getting northerns regularly out there, the steelhead bite seemed to turn off... The later in the Spring it is out there, the better your chances are of getting trout, as they all run through South Bay to get to their spawning grounds...

As far as "where" to get pike out there, I would go out in the middle, where all the shacks are, out in front of the Agway Plant... I love catching them too, but I love catching steelhead in the tribs even more.. Please practice "catch and fillet" 

[fishandbeer]

I heard last year they were getting the steelhead out by Strawberry acres early in the season. I have never fished that side of the lake. Is it only steelhead over that way, or is there a chance to get other species like salmon or lakers? thanks

[grasspikerel]

I've fished the west side from strawberry acres and up past Maxfield Point.  I didn't do much for coldwater fish, but there is more depth.  Some really nice perch and chain pikerel.

[fishandbeer]

Grass pickeral, have you fished up by the twin islands? That is the only place I have tried on this lake. Do you know if they catch smelt only close to those islands, or do they pick up some trout as well? When I fished it I fished well away from the islands and caught some trout and salmon. We also caught some huge perch, but could only seem to catch them on tipups. When we tried jigging you would catch one or two, but not very many in one spot

[grasspikerel]

I've only tried off Providence and twin islands open water by boat and didn't get much there.  That was only once so I wouldn't get too discouraged.

You may want to poke around during the Kingdom derby.  Seems most of the caught through the ice are Lakers and steelies pick up in the spring. Some years the browns bite well.  That usually depends on whether someone dumped a lot of manur down the spawning tribs in recent years and killed them all.

[fishandbeer]

Do you fish Seymour much? We have fished it some the last few years and caught a lot of small lakers. It's kinda neet catching more fish than you have tip-ups out. With the change in bait laws that will be tough to do anymore. Always fished those lakes with live smelt. Tried with shiners last year as they didn't have any smelt opening day, and the catch rate seemed to really decline.

[grasspikerel]

No, I spend most of my winter fishing locally on harriman reservoir, no name pikerel Ponds in eastern VT and some small pike ponds in Western Vt.  I do a little on the Ct River, but it's so slow and I catch pikerel as big as the pike I usually get there with way more action on other ponds.  Being a father and dealing with gas prices has slowed my Champlain and NEK fishing down.  I still do the steelhead diary program and fish there in the spring.  I caught nice VT size steelies in the spring so I'm not noticing a decline due to pike.  No bite marks or anything. 

[hizzy19]

I actually had my best year ever for tributary steelies last spring... Which is strange... It is hard to believe there isn't some major predation going on. After ice-out I caught some bruiser northerns in or near the mouths of the main steelie tribs, while bass fishing...

[Vt Piker]

TRT,
 I went to Google Earth and the sat photos show the tribs and the subsurface channels and shallows quite well. Veeerrrrdy eeenterdesting....   Thanks a ton for the advice.

Hizzy19,
  Catch and fillet it shall be!! But the big ones make good roasts too. Just stuff em with garlic flavored croutons and a bunch of chopped onion.
 I'll give the middle a try if I'm not encroaching on someones territory. I'm don't like to set my jacks near someones shack...it's that "do unto others" thing.
      Appreciate the advise,
                                   sjg                                           

[grasspikerel]

I actually had my best year ever for tributary steelies last spring... Which is strange... It is hard to believe there isn't some major predation going on. After ice-out I caught some bruiser northerns in or near the mouths of the main steelie tribs, while bass fishing...

I remember some years pikerel would swim to the falls and cruise looking for out migrating steelies. I wanted to get rid of the pikerel personally, but no one else liked the idea.  I think that if the state could find money to do some restoration work on the tributaries we'll be in good shape, even with the pike.  I bet there are more trout being eaten by birds than pike.  In an open shallow channel a trout is pretty much bird food these days. 

[putback]

I heard last year they were getting the steelhead out by Strawberry acres early in the season. I have never fished that side of the lake. Is it only steelhead over that way, or is there a chance to get other species like salmon or lakers? thanks

I've fished strawberry acres for years. Good salmon just under ice, good perch on bottom, occasionall a brown. Noticed 2 yrs ago getting rainbow instead of salmon up top.  If its a cycle thing it has'nt happened to me in the previous 20 yrs. Never did well w/lakers there, have to move further north.

[chocklab07]

have you fished up by the twin islands?  Do you know if they catch smelt only close to those islands

Most of the shacks close together right tight to the island are catching smelt. It was a good place to catch smelt to bring elsewhere, but we can't do that anymore.

[Bailbuster]

Grasspikerell do you buy Canadian tag I thought Providence island was on the other side of the line.BB

[TRT]

BB Providence island is mostly in Canada but small sliver is in US waters.
 

[Leafmountain10]

   First time doing the forum thing....was motivated with all the Magog posts and talk about the ice fishing as well as the runs in the Clyde, Barton/Willoughby, and Black. 

anyways... FYI I first started seeing Northerns in South Bay about 10 years ago.  Most of the ice fishermen were just leaving them on the ice after they caught them.  No real monsters, mostly in the 5lb neighborhood....must be getting bigger by now. From what I've experienced there are so many factors in the decline of the runs since the 70's.  Water flow from Willoughby lake, polution from Rock's junk yard, Stocking with geneticaly different fish,... Pike?  Who knows all may factor into the weak runs of today?

Back to ice fishing....went up to the twins last week and caught about 75 perch. It was a Saturday and very few people on the ice there.  Did see some folks south on Straw. acers and a few Can. fisherman north of Prov. island.  About 6" of good ice under some frozen white stuff.  Try this up there....jig up a few medium or small smelt and put them on a hook on bottom....good chance you will get a real nice perch! We started doing this last year.

[whitetail05401]

I have seen some photos of nice perch from Magog and I really need to get up that way....jim s

[Bailbuster]

Leafmountain10, are you walking out or using some means of transportation.BB

[Leafmountain10]

  We walked out on the 28th but could have easily driven our 4 Wheeler and trailer.  Later in the day a guy with one came out and fished closer to Providence than we were.  We drilled test holes every 200yds or so after the twins.  Seemed to have just as much ice in the middle than between the islands or just off Eagle Point.

Don't know what this weather will bring? 
LM

[hizzy19]

It could get ugly by the end of the week... A friend of mine fished off Eastman's point last week for a couple days and did a limit of perch both days. Pimples tipped with maggots.