South Bay Lake Champlain access

[Mitchy]

Not looking to steal anyone spot just looking for any information on ice thickness and if anything is biting. On either side of Rt22.

[adk iceman]

Not looking to steal anyone spot just looking for any information on ice thickness and if anything is biting. On either side of Rt22.

Don't sweat it man there isn't any spots left to steal on the bay. Guys are fishing both sides bite is slow and no size.

[Mitchy]

Thanks for the info. I fished there a lot as a kid and did well with the Walleyes, but have not been there in quite some time and was looking to give it a try again.

[HairyBagpipes]

I heard the blame for the Walleyes being fished out can be placed directly on Iceshanty. That’s what’s circulating around the interweb anyways.

[jfp]

NY has not stocked walleye in Lake Champlain for a long time only Vermont
Past walleye stocking in NY waters was done by the Lake Champlain Walleye Association, from about 2001-2011.  DEC staff used to help with stocking the fish.  Hurricane Irene (2011) destroyed their facility on the southern end of Lake Champlain.  No walleye rearing has been done on the NY side of the lake since.

[adk iceman]

I heard the blame for the Walleyes being fished out can be placed directly on Iceshanty. That’s what’s circulating around the interweb anyways.

I'll go with it. Absolutely. I blame Iceshanty for everything from my lack of production at work to the bruise on my forehead from beating my own head off the wall. I got too many years invested to leave though

[adk iceman]

I was still in elementary school when the walleye fishing tanked on southern Champlain. The village elders blamed it on everything from white perch to people poaching the walleyes from the brooks in spring and even on the state itself milking and taking the eggs. Who knows what happened

[mdougla1]

I was still in elementary school when the walleye fishing tanked on southern Champlain. The village elders blamed it on everything from white perch to people poaching the walleyes from the brooks in spring and even on the state itself milking and taking the eggs. Who knows what happened


Wish I had a dollar for every time I've been milked on southbay.....

[Mitchy]

adk iceman, those three things plus milfoil, waterchest nut, changed the whole landscape for the walleyes. Not just one thing did it but the combo did them in. I've seen it go from a great fishery for walleye to the dead sea. Last one I got was May of 2019 up by Dresden, 6lbs. Hopefully they make a come back.

[Mitchy]

Has anyone been catching anything on South Bay.

[adk iceman]

No

[HairyBagpipes]

South Bay has suffered the consequences of Ice Shanty. Too many blowhards running their mouths in this forum and now the fishing sucks. I wasted my time there on early ice. I’d rather go fish the separation tanks at the Paper Mill than waste my time on South Bay.

[Adironzach]

South Bay has suffered the consequences of Ice Shanty. Too many blowhards running their mouths in this forum and now the fishing sucks. I wasted my time there on early ice. I’d rather go fish the separation tanks at the Paper Mill than waste my time on South Bay.

Ah yes, the forum that has been around since the early 2000s is definitely the ONLY reason for South Bay declining. No other factors such as a more popular online forums to post information, invasive species of fish and plants pushing out native species, over a decade of no stocking, & a general increase in popularity of the sport have absolutely nothing to do with it. Got it 

[mdougla1]

Ah yes, the forum that has been around since the early 2000s is definitely the ONLY reason for South Bay declining. No other factors such as a more popular online forums to post information, invasive species of fish and plants pushing out native species, over a decade of no stocking, & a general increase in popularity of the sport have absolutely nothing to do with it. Got it 

Agreed Al Gore should have thought about the northern pike population in south bay before he invented the internet

[Adironzach]

Agreed Al Gore should have thought about the northern pike population in south bay before he invented the internet

He should at least let us borrow ManBearPig to help scare people away

[HairyBagpipes]

I’ve never seen folks get so fired up about a horrible spot to fish. Keep telling everybody where you fish, post pictures with an address in the background for all I care. Hell, Brant Lake has been a hidden gem for Crappie for years but you don’t hear guys telling everyone about it.

[Adironzach]

I’ve never seen folks get so fired up about a horrible spot to fish. Keep telling everybody where you fish, post pictures with an address in the background for all I care. Hell, Brant Lake has been a hidden gem for Crappie for years but you don’t hear guys telling everyone about it.

LMAO dude youre telling people about it right now. dont be a hypocrite 

[krobin222]

I’ve never seen folks get so fired up about a horrible spot to fish. Keep telling everybody where you fish, post pictures with an address in the background for all I care. Hell, Brant Lake has been a hidden gem for Crappie for years but you don’t hear guys telling everyone about it.

  you just did...

[HairyBagpipes]

Nah. Most likely it won’t have any effect on Brant Lake being that no one reads the South Bay thread.

[mdougla1]

Nah. Most likely it won’t have any effect on Brant Lake being that no one reads the South Bay thread.

I hear the crappies in brant lake are the size of Frisbees and are as plentiful as hackey sacks at a phish concert

[Adironzach]

Nah. Most likely it won’t have any effect on Brant Lake being that no one reads the South Bay thread.

Only ~2500 views on this thread so definitely not a person reading it. got us again bubs!

Ohh thats about 1900 more views than the failed thread you started earlier this year about Brant Lake Crappie fishing, trying to literally do the thing youre getting after other people for on this thread, telling them where you fish.
        https://www.iceshanty.com/ice_fishing/index.php?topic=387751.msg4229674#msg4229674

[HairyBagpipes]

Stick with me and you might learn a thing or two.

[mdougla1]

Stick with me and you might learn a thing or two.

The only way you could pay me to fish south bay would be If a local fella began selling slices of wood fired pizza on the lake

Think about it.   You could call it "southbay slices" 

Sell some pizza so people could at least have a nice meal while watching their tipups not go up for hours on end

[HairyBagpipes]

That would be about the only reason to go to South Bay. But the Pizza genius would be better off putting his Slice Chalet on Brant Lake with the way the fish are biting up there. Would probably be able to pay their taxes with pizza money.

[mdougla1]

That would be about the only reason to go to South Bay. But the Pizza genius would be better off putting his Slice Chalet on Brant Lake with the way the fish are biting up there. Would probably be able to pay their taxes with pizza money.

It would be hard to sit down to eat meal on brant lake with the furious bite on that lake

[adk iceman]

What species of fish stocking that takes place would have any effect on South Bay?

[Adironzach]

What species of fish stocking that takes place would have any effect on South Bay?

I believe that the Lake Champlain Walleye Association use to stock walleyes for about a decade in 00s.

[WARRIOR_ON_ICE]

South Bay absolutely sucks    if you want to catch fish. I speak from experience after having fished several locations on Champlain. The same bait, and everything else being equal, always ends up being WAY more productive anywhere else on Champlain - so based on this I have concluded that there are way fewer fish to attempt catching in South Bay compared to other places not too far away

[lowaccord66]

I guess a hoard of people go there regularly to get skunked.  The crappie spawn there is quite possibly the easiest limit of crappie I have ever taken.

[regulator]

Just a side ramble...My first ever ice fishing trip was on Lake Champlain in the mid 80's when I was stationed at Plattsburgh AFB. Went with a buddy who befriended an older gent that showed him the ropes up there. No electronics, just a hand augur a bucket and a wooden jig stick with an eyelet carved in the end. Loaded up with 50 lb test that was easy to grip for handlining, big 'ol sinker below 2 snelled hooks. Caught a bucket load of perch mostly 2 at a time, a few smelt too. Went out of Ausable Point. Used perch eyes for bait...Carry on, lol.