Averill???

[walleyescooter]

Has anyone been fishing Big Averill? I heard there's some decent trout up there... I am new to trout fishing and am interested in any basic tips for trout. How deep do you fish? Time of day? Any advice is appreciated!

[Browntown]

What kind of trout are you after? There are some different techniques for rainbows vs. lakers.

[walleyescooter]

What kind of trout are you after? There are some different techniques for rainbows vs. lakers.

I was thinking lakers... Does Averill hold decent rainbows?

[Gezzah]

A good guy to ask for tips on trout and good locations is a guy on here called TRT.... Try him I hear he knows all the hotspots.

[hizzy19]

If you are looking to get flags and catch trout, then Averill is the place to go... If you are looking for big trout I would go somewhere else... On Big Averill I recommend going out 100-200 yards from the state access(or wherever you find 40-50' depths) and drilling holes parallel with shore... Fish 2-4 feet off the bottom with smaller suckers, or maybe medium golden shiners... Smelt are ideal, but now illegal to transport alive... You should catch fish, and maybe even a legal one or two.

[TRT]

Hey Gezzah & Walleye scooter,

I have lots of other hot spots guaranteed to get you into
quality fish. We just have to get out an freeze more often
an work harder at it. I hear the Walmart & Sears parking
lots can be hot midnight madness sales...

[Gezzah]

Caspian is great Charlie, my fingers hurt while I type this after some mild frostbite from Monday.... Plenty of flags but only one fish which was not a keeper.....

[walleyescooter]

If you are looking to get flags and catch trout, then Averill is the place to go... If you are looking for big trout I would go somewhere else... On Big Averill I recommend going out 100-200 yards from the state access(or wherever you find 40-50' depths) and drilling holes parallel with shore... Fish 2-4 feet off the bottom with smaller suckers, or maybe medium golden shiners... Smelt are ideal, but now illegal to transport alive... You should catch fish, and maybe even a legal one or two.

thanks for the tip- will give it a try. Is it legal to transport dead smelt? I fished with a guy named Charlie and he seemed to know where to catch Scmhelt like you read about....

[fishandbeer]

Walleyescooter, you cannot transport dead smelt, they are kinda like an illegal alien, you can sneek around with them, you just better not get caught fishing with them....If you want to fish with smelt the only way is to jig them from the body of water you are fishing for trout in. I did that on Saturday. Set up with shiners, moved in close to shore and jigged up some smelt and put them out on my tipups. Stange thing was the only trout that I caught was caught on a pond shiner. When I opened her up she was full of little 2-4 inch shiners. Maybe I shouldn't have switched over to the smelt, but that has always been what we fish with. Go figure!!!!!

[walleyescooter]

funny isn't it?? I have heard lots of guys only caught one or two fish over the weekend and they were all on shiners. I've always been told to use smelt!
Gotta get back out there and keep fishing I guess.

[fishandbeer]

I will bet that most of the fish that were caught were caught very early in the day. The one I caught bit on the 7th jack that I put in and it was just getting light. That damn full moon is messing us up right now I believe. Those trout must chase baitfish all night long when it is that light under the ice from that moon. Just like the deer night feed under it. I feel the problem is that not only is it full, but it is up all night long right now and setting just as we are hitting the water. As far as shiners go, I will stick with smelt. The fish that I caught was a big rainbow out of magog. We usually catch either browns or salmon out of there and they are usually full of smelt. I might try fishing shiners for those rainbows soon though.....

[walleyescooter]

So Magog DOES produce? I have fished 3 times all day and night and caught nothing. nice to hear someone else has had success. Good luck out there.

[fishandbeer]

I have had good luck every time I have fished it. This weekend was the worse I have done, however I was hoping to catch a rainbow up there and the one I caught was a beauty at about 5lbs. It was a hen so I got some steelhead fishing eggs for the spring. I like to get out in the middle away from the noise, however I wanted to figure out how to catch smelt out of there now that you cannot buy them. Tried the way I fish for smelt on Champlain first and got a couple right off. Then I realized how small these guys are compared to Champlain smelt, so I switched to a Hali lure with maggots and caght a bunch of them. There are some really nice fish in that lake, so don't give up on it. I fish with small hooks, and light mono leaders about 30 feet long that attach to a barrell swivel and to my 20lb test MONO backing line. I also fish with no drag on my tipups, and usually in the top 10 feet of the water column. I also either try to fish with no sinkers or the smallest one that will take the bait down, but not hinder it's movement. Hope this helps out a little, and good luck if you go this weekend. I know I will be there again!!!

[TRT]

Hey Gezzah,

I've had white fingers up there as well. You missed a good weekend.
Fish were not biting but good friends, accomodations, shanty & pats won.   
Hows the mrs, send me an email..

[Gezzah]

TRT where are you fishing tomorrow?? If you contact me by the end of the work day I will think about joining you.,...

[TRT]

Hey Gezzah,

I cannot get out Friday but will be fishing Sat morning till about noon
Interested?   I am open to where I fish Caspian/Shadow (never fished it thru ice)
would be my preferences..

[Gezzah]

Charlie I am going to Dunmore tomorrow..... I would be happy to join you on Sunday somewhere though.... Caspian or Shadow your choice.... Even Willoughby might be OK?!?!

[hizzy19]

I plan on giving Willoughby a shot tomorrow.. If I happen to be near a computer Saturday evening, I will let you guys know about ice conditions...

[Gezzah]

Thanks Hizzy, you are a champion!!