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Author Topic: Champlain whites  (Read 44726 times)

Offline NHHARDWATER

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Champlain whites
« on: Feb 16, 2019, 09:16 PM »
Starting to get the itch for some whites. Does anyone have any updates on the bay or where folks are finding them in numbers recently?
Chasing Ice

Offline koissu

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Re: Champlain whites
« Reply #1 on: Feb 17, 2019, 10:46 PM »
Was there this afternoon. Not many people out and I didn't see much action. I was only able to find dink perch, no whites

Offline Light liner

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Re: Champlain whites
« Reply #2 on: Feb 18, 2019, 05:43 AM »
Was there this afternoon. Not many people out and I didn't see much action. I was only able to find dink perch, no whites

Where were you?
Champlain
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Offline VTMatt

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Re: Champlain whites
« Reply #3 on: Feb 18, 2019, 05:50 AM »
I saw 6-8 people near hathaway on Sun.  Didn't look like much was going on though.

Offline koissu

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Re: Champlain whites
« Reply #4 on: Feb 18, 2019, 06:34 AM »
Where were you?

Whoops..missed that relevant info. Off of Hathaway Point

Offline NHHARDWATER

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Re: Champlain whites
« Reply #5 on: Feb 18, 2019, 06:38 AM »
Im thinking any day now it should turn on. Its been quiet on here.
Chasing Ice

Offline bootstrap

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Re: Champlain whites
« Reply #6 on: Feb 18, 2019, 07:32 AM »
we have been finding some in the broad lake 40-60 ft

Offline NHHARDWATER

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Re: Champlain whites
« Reply #7 on: Feb 18, 2019, 09:01 AM »
we have been finding some in the broad lake 40-60 ft
Thanks BootStrap! open water or through the ice?
Chasing Ice

Offline bootstrap

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Re: Champlain whites
« Reply #8 on: Feb 18, 2019, 04:37 PM »
ice

Offline perch bait

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Re: Champlain whites
« Reply #9 on: Feb 18, 2019, 08:40 PM »
Fished Hathaways today. There was a cluster of people off the end of the point, probably 5 or 6 different groups. Fished my way out there and only caught 1 keeper yellow, with only 2/12 holes producing any fish. Talked to two guys who were venturing away from the point to find fish, said that no one was having much action, but they did manage to catch one white. It was a slow day overall, but I think that it's safe to say that Hathaways is a dead zone right now. Any day now they should be schooling up and pushing their way into the bay. Fingers crossed for a good run! The more fish we can ice the better.
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Offline ice fiend

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Re: Champlain whites
« Reply #10 on: Feb 18, 2019, 09:55 PM »
Crazy they aren’t in there already they were in there last year at this time it
i told myself id be back by 2 i guess i didnt factor in that the fish were biting

Offline Light liner

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Re: Champlain whites
« Reply #11 on: Feb 19, 2019, 06:39 AM »
I went out yesterday started at hathaway's couldn't find any whites.
Yellow perch bite was real good for me just alot of dinks.
Pretty much non stop all day.
Every 15 or 20 you could get one keeper.
Im guessing couple more weeks.
Cant believe that theyre driving full sized trucks out there.
Ice is 12" thick some areas as little as 8".
Champlain
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Offline koissu

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Re: Champlain whites
« Reply #12 on: Feb 19, 2019, 07:16 AM »
Crazy they aren’t in there already they were in there last year at this time it

That's why I went on Sunday - I got a bucket this time last year and two 14" +. Soon enough!

Offline mudchuck

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Re: Champlain whites
« Reply #13 on: Feb 19, 2019, 07:43 AM »
I've been tracking whites in St. Albans for over 8 seasons now, they really didn't start showing up until after Valentine's Day every hardwater season, and they pretty much stay in the bay year round too, just have to find where the schools are roving.

Right after ice out, they're found near the black bridge and mill river, then after they spawn they move back out past Hathaway launch out towards Burton. They'll tend to stay in the drop off from shoreline in the 20' depth range on both sides of lazy lady/rock island.
They also follow the spawning wally's up the Mississquoi and come in thick at the Swanton dam.

I'm not worried... they're there, I've found them to be sporadic right now, half a pail one day, nothing the next...let's hope that March keeps good thick stable ice and then we'll all be happy as those roving schools will stack up thick near the green can as usual.

On another note, the alewives they're currently feeding on are small - 1-1/2-2" so perhaps need fatheads to match what they're chasing.
Got into some Saturday, worms worked best, but most were small.

Some years there were smelt in the bay and the whites were bigger jumbos those years, so perhaps the alewives lack of nutritional value has made them stunted in growth this season?
I know the few I got into between cowbanks and ball island in my boat last summer were smaller too.


Offline NHHARDWATER

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Re: Champlain whites
« Reply #14 on: Feb 19, 2019, 12:16 PM »
MudChuck, PB, great info here thanks for the reports and update!
I brought my sone to Hathaways for his first time ever fishing the big lake, we got into them and he caught a Master angler class white (we dont submit it, but still an accomplishment). What an experience for him! He still talks about it and cant wait to come back!!!
Lets keep this thread rolling and track them down!
I will be on champ the next week or so hitting it hard for lakers..... possibly whites if someone sounds the alarm.
Good luck!
Chasing Ice

Offline Light liner

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Re: Champlain whites
« Reply #15 on: Feb 22, 2019, 04:44 PM »
Crickets..............
Champlain
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Offline ice fiend

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Re: Champlain whites
« Reply #16 on: Feb 23, 2019, 07:38 PM »
I don’t have a car so at the moment so I can’t go check the bay or I would
i told myself id be back by 2 i guess i didnt factor in that the fish were biting

Offline Neksportsman850

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Re: Champlain whites
« Reply #17 on: Feb 23, 2019, 10:12 PM »
Fished all over today after work. Couple small perch. No schools of whites and only a few people on the ice. Bite was slooooowwww.

Offline NHHARDWATER

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Re: Champlain whites
« Reply #18 on: Feb 25, 2019, 08:15 AM »
Unreal. Any day now. I want to thank all of you who are keeping the updates going here. If I lived closer I would definitely be more helpful to the "checking and reporting" stage of this thread. so I am appreciative for all of your efforts on the info!
Chasing Ice

Offline mudchuck

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Re: Champlain whites
« Reply #19 on: Feb 25, 2019, 09:01 AM »
I'm having a hard time finding them right now, they're not where they usually are at this time of the season.
I fished Hathaway where I was into some about 3 weeks ago, nothing there now, tried way out on the outermost part of the bay on the hump and nothing but yellows.
Left there around noon and went to VE, went out to the 40-60' drop off and nothing but yellows.
This is interesting since for the last 9 seasons I've been able to get on them, now barely a pail full over several outings and at sporadic locations

Offline Light liner

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Re: Champlain whites
« Reply #20 on: Feb 25, 2019, 09:37 AM »
Just a weird winter, they'll be back. Last year schools did appear to be smaller.
Champlain
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Offline Champlain Islander

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Re: Champlain whites
« Reply #21 on: Feb 25, 2019, 12:54 PM »
Got only 3 whites in 2 days fishing north of the 78 bridge. I was after yellows so the whites were unintended catch. One was 1.68 pounds. Nice fight.
Taught ice fishing for pan fish by one of the best...Art Rye may he RIP

Offline NHHARDWATER

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Re: Champlain whites
« Reply #22 on: Feb 26, 2019, 11:33 AM »
Got only 3 whites in 2 days fishing north of the 78 bridge. I was after yellows so the whites were unintended catch. One was 1.68 pounds. Nice fight.


That's a Tank! :flex:
Chasing Ice

Offline Pike Panther

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Re: Champlain whites
« Reply #23 on: Feb 26, 2019, 07:34 PM »
I only fish for them in the summer once in a while with the kids.  So I can't speak about the winter bite however, I did notice last summer there were hardly any white perch boils in the inland sea in the evenings.  Typically on a night when it is calm you can see boils all over the place the last hour before dark.  It just didn't happen last year like it usually does.  I came back to the Hathaway launch at least 15 times in the evening last year and Appletree probably 5 times.  Something is different.  Anybody else notice this?

Offline Adam.love05

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Re: Champlain whites
« Reply #24 on: Feb 26, 2019, 07:57 PM »
I only fish for them in the summer once in a while with the kids.  So I can't speak about the winter bite however, I did notice last summer there were hardly any white perch boils in the inland sea in the evenings.  Typically on a night when it is calm you can see boils all over the place the last hour before dark.  It just didn't happen last year like it usually does.  I came back to the Hathaway launch at least 15 times in the evening last year and Appletree probably 5 times.  Something is different.  Anybody else notice this?

They were boiling,over near georgia shore a lot this summer.. They are nomadic but they are still around! Just gotta find em which is the toughest part!!

Offline wmhunts

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Re: Champlain whites
« Reply #25 on: Feb 26, 2019, 07:58 PM »
Guess we fished em out...
Come on get on the ice fish!!

Offline wmhunts

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Re: Champlain whites
« Reply #26 on: Feb 26, 2019, 08:05 PM »
It's over 😔
There gone
Just when we thought this winter couldn't get any worse....
Come on get on the ice fish!!

Offline JMailbox8

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Re: Champlain whites
« Reply #27 on: Feb 26, 2019, 09:54 PM »
Guess we fished em out...

I blame you, Wes  ;D

Offline mudchuck

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Re: Champlain whites
« Reply #28 on: Feb 27, 2019, 06:06 AM »
I blame you, Wes  ;D


Yup, Wes did put a hurt on them for several winters, he's the culprit...like Pokemon'...gotta catch 'em all!
 ;D

Offline NHHARDWATER

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Re: Champlain whites
« Reply #29 on: Feb 27, 2019, 11:29 AM »

Yup, Wes did put a hurt on them for several winters, he's the culprit...like Pokemon'...gotta catch 'em all!
 ;D

 :clap:
Chasing Ice

 



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