WOW,

So yesterday the 8th my dad and i came up to prefish for the flw college tournament on the 25th of june. I had a few spots i was told to try so on wednesday evening we went out but due to the 40mph winds it turned out to be horrible! so we regrouped and geared up for today. We could not go out at first light and launch because a huge thurnderstorm moved in and it was bad, thought it was gonna be a horrible day and a bust for the prefishing/21 birthday trip which i am today, finally lol We launched at 6 and attempted to cross the bay, after crossing and not being able to control the boat in 5 foot swells we crossed back over to the ramp area, we then decided to just fish the close feeder creek, best decision ever. The creek resembled my home waters of the upper potomac and so I fished it the same way and it paid off in a big way. 40 fish!!!  I had a 20 lbs bag for a five fish limit anchored by a 6 pound smallmouth, all the fish were smallmouth with the expection of two 1.5lbs rockbass lol We attacked the creek throwing small crawfish imitating cranks and weightless flukes, bang bang bang bang bang bang . 6 fish in a row, one 5 and a few 2.5's and a 3. This pattern proceeded throughout the morning until the sun started to really beat down and the water rose about 7 degrees to 74-5 from 66 -70. Once the jerkbait bite faded, I turned to the channel of the creek and disected it with a 3/8 football head jig in a greenperch skirt with a brown craw grandebassmegaclaws. 

On the second cast, i nailed a 6 pound smalllmouth and continued to catch fish all day on the jig.

Unfortunately as much as i dont like to admit it, I lost a fish between 6-7 lbs in the same area.

I made the mistake of setting the hook too soon, he hit like small fish and i didnt let him take it nearly long enough, fought him for a while then he threw it.

Regardless, I found a very solid pattern and spot for the tournament and had a great birthday, hopefully the tournament doesnt mark this spot off limits.

There will be a video to come shortly, it doesnt have anywhere close to the number of fish it should on it.

I made another rookie mistake and didnt clear the memory. But, there are pictures to come as well.

Congrats and happy birthday! I do not celebrate them as I want to go backwards! Good luck on the T.

thanks sam!

BANG BANG BANG.. That's is what it's about. Happy B-day.lol

I will say it again Happy Birthday. Upload that like we talked about when you get home and i'll bring it here. Talk to you Saturday.

sounds like a rough start but ended it in a productive way good job!!!. good luck on the tourny!!.... and happy birthday!!

I have talked to several big time pros about Champlain and they always say the same thing:  DO NOT depend on smallmouth.  You will find smallmouth one day and load the boat but on tournament day they are somewhere else entirely.  The creek you found sounds like a great place to go when it's stormy and the wind is pushing the bait into the creek but if it is a calm day don't run there expecting the same results.  Fishing the grass for largemouth always seems to be the best pattern on champlain, or at least the easiest pattern to replicate on tournament day.

im thinking about doing the everstart there this year!

Tom James Smith from FBaitRadio can help on Champlain give him a shout.

ok , ill talk to you about it! thanks

Won 4 up there. We launched out of Ticonderoga. Last year was so flooded we lauched out of the parking lot rather than the ramp! Where we usually go was entirely blocked off by a log jam from the floods. From one side of the lake to the other. Still managed over 25lbs w/ 5 fish for heaviest. Caught over 30 mostly all LM, me and Rick.

very nice! Grats man!

It was a mess last year. Felt so sorry for the people crying and hanging out of their flooded homes and here we were fishing with no worries and some, they lost everything. It was a shame up there. So much damage.

Champlain is SO HOT that those guys with the fish above are not even in the top 20!! 

Hi all, new to the forum and reading through.  This year Champlain was the opposite of last year.  Water to lowest levels I've seen and I've been on for a bout 40 years.  The piers down in front of the Fort were a couple feet out of the water something I don't recall seeing before though I've been told it has been this low before.  By November it had come up a couple fee to more like normal for the end of the year. 

Good to know We will be up that way in the Everstart next year most likely.