The Gut

[fishstalker]

has anyone been out to fish the gut yet this season? Or have you seen anyone out there on the ice yet this year?

[mrch33]

I saw guys out in the back corner a week and a half ago.  Most of it froze over during the freeze at the beginning of the week.  Not sure how thick it is in the middle.  Might head there tomorrow

[Troutmagnet]

I rarely get to L. Champlain but I've read the "GUT" location several times over the past couple of years. Where is that located???

[webster2]

Use google maps, and you will see better than I could explain!  I am terrible with directions.  Good place to fish!

[mrch33]

if you take rte 2 up through the islands into grand isle, its right at the end on the left before you get to the drawbridge.

[Troutmagnet]

Thanks for the directions. since I'm down in central VT, probably won't ever get up that far.

[bradroy55]

Anyone catching on abnaki bay yet? That gill and sunnie run last year was amazing!

[vtnyhunter]

I am new to the ICE Shanty.  Are you fishing for Northerns at the gut?

[diamondsteel]

Anyone catching on abnaki bay yet? That gill and sunnie run last year was amazing!

might give it a try this week, I'll let you know if I do.  The last time I went up there a few weeks ago, there was not much ice.

[bradroy55]

Yeah, that place seems to freeze up pretty slow

[Land of 10,000]

Anyone catching on abnaki bay yet? That gill and sunnie run last year was amazing!

Was at the gut in abnaki today for the first time this year. Well below average & kind of dinky:  1/5 pail, 7.25 pounds on the meat scale at home.  One 18" pike jiggin w/buck shot rattle spoon (8 FOW).  10-15 people in Abnaki this morning, mostly tip-up fisherman, wasn't watching but didn't see any action, just a perch on a flag.  Clear water as usual, can sight fish if you don't have a vex.  Mostly dinks though, 4.5-7 inchers.  Would guess 1:5 or 1:6 was 7" or bigger. Was in front of campmeeting point (10.5 FOW)and moved back further in the bay.  Hand drilled probably 30 holes, some schools but surprisingly dinky.  Whereabouts you get the sunny's last year Bradroy55??  Didn't get any gills today, I usually got 2-3 sunnies an outing in Abnaki last year. 

[bradroy55]

Last year we Slaughtered them a few times towards the spring, It was in relatively shallow, maybe 5-8 FOW pretty far back in the bay, just about straight out from the trail you come in from when you park at Knight point, but you could watch them take it, For a guy who has never had a flasher, Thats good fun to actually see the fish just looking down the hole! We filled a 6 gallon pail so they were sliding off the top  Had to have been one of my favorite days of fishing.

We drove down the road by camp abnaki today just to see who was out, and we tend to always see trucks park way down at the end, is that Ok to park their? I saw a few guys almost knock each others teeth out last year over a parking scuffle, but that was on the side of the road...

[Land of 10,000]

Today was first day I parked at Knights, last year I always parked on the side of the road just past the drawbridge.  Probably the same distance to get to the point and Knights woods w/the wood on the trail kind of stunk.  Couldn't tell you about your question about the parking situation, I'd rather haul all my stuff for an extra ten minutes then put up w/stupid drama or get a parking ticket.  We definately have way to few access' to the lake, & the ones we do have are very iffy!!  Were you in the weeds, or in a weed pocket or over zebra mussells, or bare terrain/bottom when you got the sunnies last year.

[bradroy55]

We were in the weeds, Sparse cover but they were there. It wasn't just us either, The whole bay full of people were catching them, As well as some perch, The biggest golden shiners ive ever seen and dare i say it here... a few Crappie Shhhhhhhh though 

[Land of 10,000]

We were in the weeds, Sparse cover but they were there. It wasn't just us either, The whole bay full of people were catching them, As well as some perch, The biggest golden shiners ive ever seen and dare i say it here... a few Crappie Shhhhhhhh though 

I assume you were their in early march? morning or afternoon or both?  One day, or a few day bite?  I caught what my buddy thought was a state record golden shiner last spring back by Simms Pt. in the gut.  Took it to a fisheries biologist in Essex and he confirmed it was a Rudd.  That is probably what you were catching.  You get them in Keelers and Carry as well.  Never caught a crappie in the gut, only in Carry just before sunrise.   

[bradroy55]

We were in the weeds, Sparse cover but they were there. It wasn't just us either, The whole bay full of people were catching them, As well as some perch, The biggest golden shiners ive ever seen and dare i say it here... a few Crappie Shhhhhhhh though 

I assume you were their in early march? morning or afternoon or both?  One day, or a few day bite?  I caught what my buddy thought was a state record golden shiner last spring back by Simms Pt. in the gut.  Took it to a fisheries biologist in Essex and he confirmed it was a Rudd.  That is probably what you were catching.  You get them in Keelers and Carry as well.  Never caught a crappie in the gut, only in Carry just before sunrise.   

Boy you sure are full of questions arnt you? Haha
It was an all day long bite, Seemed to slow down toward the end of the day like always, and I dont remember but I think late march is probably right. It was a few days, and they were definatly crappie, maybe 7-10 between the two of us. And by all I could tell, it was a golden shiner, I look at them a lot as I am usually a pike fisherman and know them pretty well, but could have been something else. We didnt catch a ton of them, maybe 4 or 5 but boy i wish i had them that sized for my tip-ups!