Lake Champlain Ticonderoga area: When the pads come up?

[cwen]

Taking a trip to Ti June 2-4th. What are chances grass is up in those shallow water areas? Same with pads?

 

Thanks

[Mainebass1984]

19 hours ago, cwen said:

Taking a trip to Ti June 2-4th. What are chances grass is up in those shallow water areas? Same with pads?

 

Thanks

 

You should be able to find some areas with grass/pads

[webertime]

Pads will be few and far between at that time, weeds should be around.  Weeds in the lake in general this year will be a little goofy.  2 years ago it was average, still recovering from 2011 floods.  Last year was nearly record low, so a lot of what were weedbeds were dry land.  Weed beds were further from shore than normal.  Now we are back up to  slightly higher than average.  Down in ti where the water doesn't let a lot of light penetrate, the weeds at least early on might be a bit behind.  They are chomping down there now.

[Janderson45]

I've never been out there, but I'm going for a few days in July.  I've fished out of St. Albans before but I'm assuming it's a whole different beast down by Ticonderoga.. 

 

could anyone be so so kind as to just give me the general lay of the land out there?  Milfoil lining both sides of the bank until you get into the middle where average depth is what, 20 feet?  Water clarity?   I've fished the St. Lawrence before... are they similar in characteristics?  Does the milfoil really mat up to where all you can really do is throw frogs or punch a bait into it, or is it not that dense?  Definitive weed lines or is it more like clumps?  Hard bottom composition or more like muck?

 

just trying to get a general idea as to the type of fishing I'll be doing out there.. I'm assuming jigs, frogs, chatterbait/spinnerbait, perhaps paddletails.. can you drag tubes and jigs in the deeper sections or is it too locked in with grass?

 

any help is greatly appreciated, thanks!

[webertime]

Ti and the St Larry are about as different as you get.  Clarity, Current, Depth all on the opposite ends of the spectrums.

Ti is terrible right now by the lofty standards it set a decade ago. (Look at the Costa here last weekend mostly all Mid-lake smallies).  Low water last year messed up the weeds, the ones that were shallow are basically gone now that the water has gone up and is even slightly higher than normal.  The weeds that were in 8 ft last year are now in 12, with the cloudy water the growth has slowed a bit.  There might be some dense weed spots depending upon when in July you are here.  Water is a slightly greener version of a Starbucks coffee drink you get from the local gas station.  Find the mats and throw black frogs.  Swimbait the outside edges.  Find Coontail mixed with Milfoil and don't move.  Bulwagga bay on the NY side above the bridge will have clear water.  Above the Bridge to Mallets Bay is mostly Smallies and clear DEEP water.  Honestly St. Albans smokes Ti right now and has been over the last 2 years (6 7lb+ largemouths weighed in at tournaments from that bay). 

[Janderson45]

2 hours ago, webertime said:

Ti and the St Larry are about as different as you get.  Clarity, Current, Depth all on the opposite ends of the spectrums.

Ti is terrible right now by the lofty standards it set a decade ago. (Look at the Costa here last weekend mostly all Mid-lake smallies).  Low water last year messed up the weeds, the ones that were shallow are basically gone now that the water has gone up and is even slightly higher than normal.  The weeds that were in 8 ft last year are now in 12, with the cloudy water the growth has slowed a bit.  There might be some dense weed spots depending upon when in July you are here.  Water is a slightly greener version of a Starbucks coffee drink you get from the local gas station.  Find the mats and throw black frogs.  Swimbait the outside edges.  Find Coontail mixed with Milfoil and don't move.  Bulwagga bay on the NY side above the bridge will have clear water.  Above the Bridge to Mallets Bay is mostly Smallies and clear DEEP water.  Honestly St. Albans smokes Ti right now and has been over the last 2 years (6 7lb+ largemouths weighed in at tournaments from that bay). 

 

 

yeesh not was I was hoping to hear.  I knew Costa was fishing there but hadn't seen the results.  I'm there end of July for a club tournament... So hopefully some more weeds will be up, and maybe it'll have a bit of time to clear up by then?  Wishful thinking I suppose.  We'll just have to make the most of it.   I do love frog fishing though... so not the end of the world!

[webertime]

Water is fir the most part permanently cloudy due to the clay soils around the lake there.  Weeds and frogs should be good then.  30 min run north can get you into world class smallies. Message me when you get closer to the tournament.