Thursday, August 25, 2011

Lake Champlain Permit

Such a cool lookin' fish!
So I am chasing one of the most difficult fish found in Lake Champlain. It gets big, can be pretty spooky at times, fights hard, and is extremely selective. The majority of its cousins live in saltwater and it is the only fish in the lake that has planktonic larvae.  They are one of the noisiest fish in the lake and when they spawn at night it sounds like thousands of bullfrogs underwater. This fishes' diet has made a huge shift in the past 20 years and now 2/3 of what it eats are zebra mussels which makes them very difficult to catch on a fly.

I landed a small individual the other day of about 23" and hooked up with another that was much larger, which came unbuttoned during the fight (causing great disappointment). I am back out after them this week after work.

Anyone know what the identity of the fish I call the Lake Champlain permit?
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7 comments:

  1. UnknownAugust 25, 2011 at 5:59 AM

    It's a Sheepshead (aka Freshwater Drum). I've never found them to be picky eaters though. I catch them in crankbaits and jigs all the time and sometimes in drop-shots with small plastics. I like 'em, they pull hard. My biggest is 14-7 in Champlain and 17lbs on Kentucky Lake.

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  2. JeffAugust 25, 2011 at 7:20 AM

    Didn't know drum lived in the lake. First impression of the fish in the pic I thought it looked like a redfish so I guess I wasn't too far off. Must be fun.

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  3. dead fisherAugust 25, 2011 at 7:41 AM

    Obviously a sheephead. They're not terribly picky eaters in Lakes Ontario & Erie although they do seem to be rather fond of round gobies. Should be a blast on a fly rod...go get em Drew!

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  4. flypredatorAugust 25, 2011 at 1:58 PM

    They may not be picky feeders on crankbaits and jigs but sight fishing them in shallow water on Lake Champlain is a challenge. I know they are picked up by hardware much more easily but I like to do things in a manner that makes it more fun...

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  5. Auglaize Fly ShopAugust 25, 2011 at 8:28 PM

    Gotta love those freshwater drum! They fight like mad and love to eat flies! I get into them all the time here. No sight fishing though, just blind cast into holes and moving water near dams. They love carp flies and streamers.

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  6. David McKenzieAugust 25, 2011 at 9:01 PM

    Nice, do they work flats simalar to there saltwater cousins?

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  7. flypredatorAugust 26, 2011 at 3:03 AM

    David- they definitely do and when they do they can be tough to get! I pretty much only target them in those situations.

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