Whoever said it's all about the fishing was absolutely right! These fat largemouth bass are just some of the early season bass that have come to the boat. Largemouth bass can be caught in the nearby waters like the Alburgh Passage, Carry Bay, Pelot's Bay and Macomb Bay.

Fiesty smallmouth bass are coming in good numbers, too. Most fishermen are suprized by the healthy action and clean condition of the fish. As the smallies complete their spawning and return to the deep water humps and reefs, most anglers target the daily movement of these fighters as roam back and forth from deep water to shallow.

Northern Pike are found on the outside weed lines, waiting to ambush bait fish. They fall easy prey to big lures and flashy spinners.

Let the Games begin!

A nice run of warm, fair weather greeted fishermen in mid May with air temps in the 70's and water temps approaching the magic 55 degrees here in the Alburgh Passage. Both large and smallmouth bass, northern pike and even the occasional walleye and salmon chased the variety of offerings.

We're happy to welcome friends (both old and new) back to Holiday Harbor for another fishing season. The lake and fishery seem healthy and the scenery is always changing. Thanks to my brother, Mark, for providing some of these nice shots of life in and around Holiday Harbor.

Early Season Salmon

Captain Tony Bushway has been putting his clients on fish all spring as evidenced by these fine catches of Atlantic Salmon. Capt. Tony leaves from Apple Island Marina in South Hero. You can experience some of this exciting fishing by contacting him at (802) 654-9282 or email at anbradonfishingcharters@yahoo.com These fish are real acrobats; fun to catch and great table fare.

Dandelions and Apple Blossoms

Early spring is preparation time for the approaching fishing season. High water in the Champlain Basin helps to flush out the low lying areas and swamps as fish move in to spawn primarily guided by changing water temperatures. These photos show last fall's water levels compared with this spring.

Docks, which have been safely stored on the shore away from the dangerous ice break-up, are hoisted back into the water. When the water recedes, they will be reattached to the cement foundation anchors using chains.

April - the in between month

Melting snow in the mountains creates dramatic changes here in the Champlain Valley. Rivers unlock their frozen secrets and the rush of open water is heard everywhere. Lake Champlain refills once again as the level of the lake reaches 100' above sea level all the while emptying north via the Richelieu River into the great St. Lawrence Seaway.

Open water enthusiasts ready their boats for another exciting season on the lake.

The Ice of March

The last weekend in March promised good pike action and believe me, it was true to it's reputation. After a slow start with fish grabbing the bait and dropping it on the return, we began to sink the hooks and landed nearly 30 fish for the day. Besides some good pike in the 4-6lb range, we tusseled with a few in the 7-8lb class and even pulled in some big bowfin. A few crappies, sunnies and perch rounded out the day.

We're setting up closer and closer to the marsh where the big hen pike are cruising in as they begin their spring spawn run. Most of the fish were returned to the water and the ones we did harvest for a fish fry were all clean and healthy looking ones both inside and out.

Ice conditions continue to hold up well here in the Alburgh Passage. The channel is opening up out in the middle where the current flows strongest, but the inside bays are still well locked in. Even the shorelines are stable; plenty of 4 wheelers still find good access and can travel up and down the bays. I fished for crappies yesterday and counted 38 cranks with the hand auger to get through the solid ice pack. That translates to about 16" of good ice still in the bay. With temps holding below freezing most nights this week, we'll be ice fishing again this weekend for sure!

Late day on the Ice

Andy and Jason found a weed edge on a deep water breakline as the pike began moving from the channel into the head of the bay. Flags were flying all day. These photos are just some of the highlights.