Author Topic: Harriman Reservoir report (Read 8061 times)

buckshot464 · « **on:** Jan 28, 2009, 06:04 PM »

The whole lake is froze up good now, it is just a matter of getting around with the new foot of snow on the ice. It is going to cause quite a bit of slush around the shore lines.
Today I set up with dead smelt and live smelt, after a slow morning of pecking away at the smelt with my jig pole. I had a flag about 11 with a small trout on a live smelt. lost him in the hole. My first trout of the season.ahhh so close but so far. lol Maybe tomorrow they will bite better. I hope to get out early. The smelt and perch are biting well on the north end of the lake.
Good luck everyone, and Remember the Harriman reservoir fishing derby feb 7th and 8th.
ps please sign the lamprey petition if you havn't, here is the link just click and sign.
Thanks
Ben
http://www.petitiononline.com/lamprey3/petition.html

buckshot464 · « **Reply #1 on:** Jan 29, 2009, 07:54 PM »

Fished this afternoon with some pretty good luck on the smelt. Caught a couple dozen in an hour. didn't set any tipups as I had to mess around jacking my shanty up because the new snow turned to slush.

CJiceaddict · « **Reply #2 on:** Jan 30, 2009, 09:17 AM »

I wish harriman derby didn't conflict with the winni derby, other wise I would be there- wanted to do it this year but maybe next year if the dates don't conflict..

vermontster · « **Reply #3 on:** Feb 03, 2009, 06:02 PM »

Was out sunday on south end, caught a few rainbows and perch. 8"ice center 14"+edge. Edges are dry very slushy center. People both sides in eye sight were also getting good hits. Very few shanties as compared to Derbies in past. I have seen all the shanties on north end(45?)

Keep putting them up there and spook the fish to me!!!!!!!!!!!

JigStickShaker · « **Reply #4 on:** Feb 03, 2009, 07:44 PM »

Can anyone provide a link on where I can find more information on the Harriman Derby?

JigStickShaker · « **Reply #5 on:** Feb 03, 2009, 08:25 PM »

Quote from: JigStickShaker on Feb 03, 2009, 07:44 PM

Can anyone provide a link on where I can find more information on the Harriman Derby?

http://www.dvscvt.com/derby.html

Found it .... looks like fun!

buckshot464 · « **Reply #6 on:** Feb 03, 2009, 08:27 PM »

Here is there web site

http://www.dvscvt.com/index.html

JigStickShaker · « **Reply #7 on:** Feb 03, 2009, 08:39 PM »

Hey Buckshot i see your from Willmington. What are the chances if I have a bunch of guys coming up this weekend to head out somewhere close at Harriman and catch some fish. We don't need to win the derby or anything but we just want to find a spot relatively close where we can get on and fish with some success. Most of my buddies are looking to catch some big bass. Does Harriman have a good bass population? My father in law has been having some luck there catching smelt and trout, has not said much about bass. I appreciate anything you might be able to share without giving up the honey hole.

grasspikerel · « **Reply #8 on:** Feb 03, 2009, 08:52 PM »

It's loaded with smallmouth that are rarely caught through the ice. There are very, very few largemouths. You have a real chance at trout, salmon, perch, smelt and rock bass.

vermontster · « **Reply #9 on:** Feb 04, 2009, 05:03 AM »

For large mouth and pickerel go to the small lake south of harriman, called sadawga. Use BIG minnows and you will catch some BIG bass. Maybe not through the ice but I think this summer I could pull the state record out of there.
Last summer I landed a couple of 5+ puonders. Just Put em back so I can catch that record.

buckshot464 · « **Reply #10 on:** Feb 04, 2009, 06:10 AM »

I agree with the last posts, Bass fishing in the winter on Harriman isn't very good. Perch, smelt and trout are the species that will be around the most. The perch are pretty spread out so anywhere on the northern end is a good spot for perch, smelt and a possible trout. Also it has the easiest access. The perch hang around the bottom so keep your bait close to the bottom and you should have plenty of action. Half way between mt mills and maynards cove is a very good spot for some perch action. 10-20 feet of water.
I like to set up for trout on the shore lines but there is always the chance for a nice laker in the channel in the deeper water.
Lake champlain has some great laker fishing going on right now if you want to catch some hogs.
Good luck

grasspikerel · « **Reply #11 on:** Feb 04, 2009, 07:24 AM »

Bass fishing season is closed on Sadawga.

lennyvt · « **Reply #12 on:** Feb 04, 2009, 09:49 AM »

I got a nice brook trout on 1/23/09 14" 15 onces norht end of harriman.

buckshot464 · « **Reply #13 on:** Feb 04, 2009, 09:53 AM »

My friend caught one also on sunday, it was a nice fat brood stock brooky they stocked in the fall.

octanehi5 · « **Reply #14 on:** Feb 08, 2009, 06:00 PM »

Fished the derby, sat -sunday as usual very slow caught two nice trout one bow one brown 12" each ,30 smelt they are going to taste good,sat the level of the lake started to rise, all the snow turned to slush, what a mess. they need to let the lake level stay higher for the tourney.

shrub · « **Reply #15 on:** Feb 08, 2009, 08:36 PM »

I fished both days as well. Got about 30 smelt and 4 perch.

grasspikerel · « **Reply #16 on:** Feb 08, 2009, 08:43 PM »

I caught a bunch of perch, a sublegal lake trout and a 16" brookie that just missed placing as it weighed 1.15 lbs and it needed to beat 2.01 lbs. My brother caught nice 14.25" brookie. The slush was no fun. Nice to see the landlocks showing up and pushing 2 lbs.

lennyvt · « **Reply #17 on:** Feb 09, 2009, 07:11 AM »

got 2 salmon 15" & a 13" couple perch and a small fallfish.

octanehi5 · « **Reply #18 on:** Feb 09, 2009, 07:33 AM »

For that size of lake it should have much larger fish in it,with all the fishermen that were on that lake,we should see something in the 10 lb range YA Think with all the bait thats in there. Its most likely not well managed fish wise,or over fished in summer. Anyway it was good to get out meet a few new friends,smelt were great, it would be a great lake to introduce walleye into I think they would reproduce in the river

buckshot464 · « **Reply #19 on:** Feb 09, 2009, 07:52 AM »

All in all we had a nice weekend, no trout, I missed one at the hole, it was small. We ended up with a good catch of smelt and perch, plenty for a good meal or two.
I also agree that the trout fishing should be much better with the available food sources. The lakers catches were dismal and the brown trout even worse. There is just not enough fish stocked in the lake for them to make it to holdover.
I also agree with the above post that walleye would do great in this lake, with all the perch and smelt to eat I think they would do better than the trout. I have said it to the biologists before and they don't think it wouldn't work. but how do you know if you don't try. I know there trout stocking program on harriman really sucks.
They put 800 trophy rainbows in Raponda every year and they are all dead by mid august. They water is to shallow and warm for any trout. Plus the pickeral and bass just have a feild day. Maybe this year they will smarten up and put them in harriman where us fisherman can enjoy them since we are the ones paying for them. Just another on going battle. lol
It is really great they put the brood stock brookies in they really made a lot of people happy with those. If they put more trophy trout in harriman we would have an awsome place to catch a few trout.
Oh well good fun had by all, except getting my sled stuck in the two foot deep slush. lol

grasspikerel · « **Reply #20 on:** Feb 09, 2009, 03:57 PM »

Jesus. I feel terrible now. Lol

Look, we all wish it was Champlain, but it's not. The water is acidic and there is a 40 foot annual draw down that basically kills the near shore food like bug, crayfish, snals..... The walleye egg survivial is poor at a ph below 6. Walleye spawn in the spring. The Deerfield system is pretty acidic, especially in the spring during runoff. Kiss the reproducing walleye idea good bye. Sorry oct.

http://books.google.com/books?id=DnAbO7XxTCoC&pg=PA33&lpg=PA33&dq=walleye+ph+requirements&source=web&ots=jksDe0hBGd&sig=kKepo3Bd7PzAejJrKc5qdKWlvpM&hl=en&ei=5JSQSc2cIKSoNc7RjJkL&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=6&ct=result

Personally I would be against stocking more of the smelt competitor species like salmon, lakers and browns. The salmon looked better and their stocking numbers were cut in half over the last two years. That may or may not be coincidence. The lakers looked good last year. There were not many this year. Some years they show up more than others. It seems to depend on the day and random chance.

I like the big brookie stocking program. A great many were caught at large size based on the pages of entries berby officials looked at to decide if my fish qualified. If the trout stocking were increased I would prefer if it were large brookies which would likely stay shallow and not compete meaningfully for smelt.

One other thing I would look at is creating a protective slot limit on Harriman and raponda for that matter to get rid of more those small bass under 10". I might look at a slot limit to try to increase the number of larger bass.

Managment techniques used in other states to improve off shore fisheries for species like salmon include restricting smelt fishing. That would mean taking away a popular fishery.

buckshot464 · « **Reply #21 on:** Feb 10, 2009, 06:57 PM »

We have a great thread going on Harriman if anyone wants to chim in that would be great. Get the old idea juices flowing.
here is the link
http://cjohn2979.proboards31.com/index.cgi?board=Forum

wishniwuzicefishin · « **Reply #22 on:** Feb 12, 2009, 08:40 AM »

I also fished the derby the other weekend. As usual it was very slow. Only managed a handful of perch, rockbass and some nice smelt but no trout. It's a shame because I only live about 15 minutes away from this gem of a lake which at first glance one would think would be teeming with trout but I can never put a decent catch together. However, I certainly don't mind putting my time in on that lake because it's so beautiful and during the week you can fish in absolute solitude if you want. Personally I just like getting out there and when I do hook into something nice I'm that much more excited. I did have quite an experience while moving the shanty the other week. Here is my original post.. http://www.iceshanty.com/ice_fishing/index.php?topic=107349.0

Anyone else that fishes Harriman notice the huge gas pockets that bubble out of their holes lately? We hit another one the other day and my friend took a lighter to it and singed off the hair on his hand!

buckshot464 · « **Reply #23 on:** Feb 12, 2009, 11:07 AM »

Ha ha That funny cause I have done the same thing. One thing to remember that usually the gas poctets are around the channel of the lake because thats where the leaves and debree settles. Good way to know you in the deep spots.
I have been getting together with some people brain storming how we could help Harriman become the fishery that it could be. I Have heard many say lets try some walleye and more trophy trout stocking would really help this fishery. I also live only minutes fromt he lake and would like to try and bring us southern vt fisherman together to get a plan together and then go to the fish and wildlife dept with it.
I will post as soon as I have some more info. Some great ideas have been thrown around on the lake champlain forum.
Here is the link
http://cjohn2979.proboards31.com/index.cgi?board=Forum&action=display&thread=2122&page=1

lennyvt · « **Reply #24 on:** Feb 12, 2009, 11:37 AM »

Buckshot I would love to help you, if you need pics or story's of the old days. Im only 29 but have lots of older friends and family been fishing harriman since the sixties. lennyvt

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Author Topic: Harriman Reservoir report (Read 8061 times)