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An Impartial Review of the 2023 Lund Pro-V 2075

I, like many of you, have a dream boat: the Lund Pro-V 2075. I am so enamored with this fishing machine that for years and years I’ve followed the gentlemen at Waconda Boats who routinely post boat walkthroughs to their YouTube page. Each year, I keep an eye out waiting for them to review the Pro-V lineup so I can see what changes were made.

I have to be honest. While many of the changes to the 2023 Lund Pro-V 2075 seem great, I’m not crazy about a few others. This article is going to look at the changes for 2023 and discuss what I like, and what I don’t. One should consider this article a supplement to the thoughts I have about the Pro-V lineup in general in my Lund Impact vs. Pro-V article.

The Waconda Boats’ Video

Given that I don’t actually own a 2023 Lund Pro-V 2075, I am basing my thoughts exclusively on this video by Waconda Boats. I suggest that you watch it real quick before continuing with this article as I’m going to make many references to it, and we should be on the same page.

Changes to the 2023 Lund Pro-V 2075 Sport

The following is a list of changes to the 2023 Lund Pro-V 2075 Sport. I’ve included two columns. Changes I like, and changes I hate. There is no in-between!

Changes I LikeChanges I HATE!
-Custom trailer comes standard now.
-Port and starboard storage drawers have a better design.
-Slightly reduced width gunnels allow more room.
-Center storage will accommodate 9′ rods.
-Console redesign.
-Glove box on both consoles.
-Jig hook quick storage.
-Starboard bow rod quick storage.
-5 Bank battery charger.
-Easy access to circuit breaker and fuses.
-There is no longer a stow-away rescue ladder.
-I dislike the new jump seat style.
-Aft seat bases has two off center standard.

As you can see, I like MOST of the changes, and still feel this is one hell of a boat. The problem is, the three things I dislike, I really, truly, greatly dislike – nay, we’ll call it HATE. One of them in particular (the lack of a stow-away rescue ladder) makes my stomach churn.

The Changes to the 2023 Lund Pro-V 2075 That I LIKE

Let’s be optimists and talk about the changes that I like first, as there are many, and they are far more numerous than the changes I hate.

Custom Trailer Is Now Standard

It seems that the diamond plate custom trailer is now standard. I suppose this makes sense given this is a high-class item. You’ll still need to pay more to upgrade to a galvanized version, which honestly is probably a pretty good idea if you live near the ocean or even trailer it on roads that may have a lot of salt.

Redesigned storage drawers

From the video above, they made a change to the way the cockpit storage drawers open on the port and starboard side. Rather than pulling out they tilt out. This was done because those folks who kept a bimini top in the boat would sometimes have trouble pulling these drawers out without it catching. If you’re someone who used to curse the old design, you should be pleased with this change. Per the video, the overall storage size hasn’t changed – it is just accessed in a different way now.

Reduced Gunnel Width

Apparently the gunnels are slightly narrower in the cockpit, which allows passengers fishing behind the captain’s chair to have more arm and leg room. This should allow a more comfortable fishing experience from the seat. I could imagine jigging for lake trout here would be that much more enjoyable.

Larger Center Rod Box

Whereas the 2022 Lund Pro-V 2075 could only accommodate 8′ rods, the 2023 can handle 9′ rods in the center storage. This won’t matter too much to many fishermen, but for those of you who love to troll, you will really like this.

Console Redesign

The starboard console has been redesigned with the idea of making it flatter and easier to accommodate multiple large graphs. I suppose if you’re the sort of guy who has the cash for one of these boats, you’ve got the cash for multiple graphs as well.

Additional Glove Box

The starboard console now has a (small) glove box of its own. While there’s been a place to put a cell phone or such for a few years now, it’s been exposed to the elements. Being able to lock it away out of the sun and rain is a good thing, so I like this small touch.

Jig Hook Quick Storage

As you can see at 9:37 of the video above, the 2023 Lund Pro-V 2075 comes with a handy jig holder. Placed right behind your throttles, this is meant to be a place you can hook a spinnerbait or jig safely and out of the way when you aren’t using it. It’s a neat little option that would do wonders for me as I currently have half a dozen lures lying on my console for the same reason! While I would be concerned to use it with any lure with treble hooks, I do think it would work great for jigs and spinnerbaits and keep your boat tidy and organized.

Starboard On-the-Go Bow Rod Storage

If you forgo the bow bait well, you’ll notice that there’s an option now where a few rod tubes are in the starboard console up by the bow. This allows you to place a few rods securely up front while moving from one area to another. While I just do this by leaning them against the gunnel on my Impact, I do sometimes worry about this especially if it’s wavy out. Having dedicated rod tubes would eliminate this worry, so I think it’s a great idea. I also have never really seen the point of the bait well when you have a bow livewell sitting right next to it that can hold a bait bucket, but to each their own. The rod tubes should be a much more useful option for the way I fish.

5-Bank Charger

The 2023 Lund Pro-V 2075 comes factory rigged with the option for a 5-bank charger. In the past, you’d have to use two chargers (a 2-bank and 3-bank) which was two things you’d have to plug in. Having it all connected to one just simplifies things and is, in my opinion, a good idea.

Easy Access to Circuit Breakers and Fuses

Perhaps my favorite tweak is the simplest: Lund finally made it easy to access your circuit breakers and fuses. Trying to get to these on my Impact makes me feel like a contortionist. Simply having a door that opens up right to them in the starboard console is a “fantabulous” idea.

The Changes I HATE About the 2023 Lund Pro-V 2075

While there are relatively few changes to the 2023 Lund Pro-V 2075 that I hate compared to changes I like, they are doozies. In my opinion, one of them absolutely kills one of the coolest things about this boat and I think it’s just such a shame that Lund went the way they did.

The Stow-Away Rescue Ladder Is No More

Of all the changes that Lund made to their 2023 Pro-V lineup, the one that I hate more than anything is the removal of the stow-away rescue ladder. For years, there was a rescue ladder that would store inside the port gunnel on the stern. While the ladder itself was somewhat flimsy and reported as being fairly difficult for a hefty or elderly person to use, it allowed the Pro-V to be the absolutely most versatile multispecies boat on the planet.

The reason I make this claim is the rescue ladder used to allow one to have both a kicker motor and a Minn Kota talon or other shallow water anchor. This meant that the Pro-V was capable of being a boat that could do absolutely anything. You could troll for lakers with your kicker one hour and then lock onto a bass bed with your talon the next. You could have the safety and peace of mind of a second motor and the enhanced boat control of the Talon. There was no other boat on the market that I am aware of that allowed for this, and it made the Pro-V second to none.

Now, one has to choose. You cannot put both a talon and a kicker onto a 2023 Lund Pro-V. To me, that’s a kick in the gut. I have long had this fear of the number 23 and it just figures Lund would pull something like this in 2023! While I’m not aware of the rationale, I am disappointed for sure.

Double Aft Seat Bases are Standard

Another major disappointment is that it seems that the aft seat bases in the video above are standard. Meaning, there are two on the aft casting deck. One more to port, and one more to starboard. Now, some guys might absolutely love this. If you vertical jig frequently, this is probably an awesome way to do it with friends. But for me, this means that my father would have a tough time casting towards one side of the boat. He can’t fish standing any more so he has to sit. I would have much preferred if he was centered.

If I’m wrong and this is just an option, feel free to leave a comment and I’ll update the post. Near as I can tell from Lund’s boat builder, it is unfortunately standard. To me, it makes what I want to do with the boat more difficult, and adds another hole to plug. Note: if you do need to plug a seat base hole, this is a good option assuming it fits your model.

The Aft Jump Seats Have Changed, and Not Necessarily for the Better

In 2022 the Pro-V lineup still had flip up aft seating, and in fact it was a three part system. This was a versatile setup as you could leave a seat up on one side while having casting deck (or livewell access) on the other. Now, Lund has moved to the jump seat configuration they’ve had on the Impact XS 2025 for awhile now. While this isn’t the end of the world, I prefer the other set up as I enjoy having a flip up casting deck on my 2012 Lund Impact 1875. I personally like having a large casting deck to work with and the current configuration makes it smaller.

The Verdict? The Pro-V is Still the Best – But Not as Versatile As Before

Look, a lot of you are going to read this and think I’m nuts for having any complaints at all. There are a myriad of changes to the 2023 Lund Pro-V and many of them are clearly awesome. I do think they’ve made this boat more user-friendly and have addressed many issues that people have had with past models. You can’t argue with longer rod storage, better ergonomics, and thoughtful access to fuses. If you have the coin to drop on one of these, you’re going to like your purchase and will have arguable the greatest aluminum boat on the market.

Having said that, you simply can’t tell me that the 2023 Pro-V is more versatile than the 2022. It simply isn’t. No longer having the option of easily adding talons and a kicker is a big deal to a true multispecies experience. Lund has taken the only boat on the market that could do that, and turned it into just another one of hundreds that can’t. That’s a shame.

Likewise, I am not a fan of the entire aft setup in general. I dislike the jump seats and the flip up option on past Pro-V models was a huge selling point for me over the Impact XS 2025. Also, while I get the seat bases might be well liked by folks who jig often, it just doesn’t work for my setup.

Frankly, if Lund would create Pro-V version that had the stern of a 2022 and the cockpit and bow of a 2023, they’d have the perfect boat! Here’s to dreaming!

Thanks for reading,

John Paxton

Want to learn how to take your kids out fishing? Do you have a friend who might need a hand? Click the pictures below to purchase my helpful books!


Lake Champlain Fishing Report: Memorial Day 2023

So I finally had that moment in life that every father both dreads and also looks forward to. My son whooped my butt fishing. Look, he’s always been a good fisherman, and there have been days he’s caught the biggest fish, sure, but I’ve usually held my own. Not this weekend. No, folks, aside from my errant thumb, you won’t find a single picture of me below. This weekend was all about Tristan. He caught the most fish, the biggest fish, the first and the last fish. He caught the most species by far, and he even managed to catch is own shoe. He was an absolute machine this weekend, choosing to leave his seventh year in grand fashion before turning eight in a few days.

Here’s a look at what he accomplished, for posterity.

Saturday, May 27, 2023

We got a late start on Saturday as the dock was being put in and our friends deploying it were using our boat launch. This is just as well as I took my daughter, Amber, with me too, and she takes after her mother and likes to sleep in on fishing trips.

We didn’t get out on the lake until it was about 11 a.m. or so. The water is still reasonably high but has gone down a bit since last week. The weeds are also starting to grow in though the bulrush is only about 6″ off the surface if that makes sense. Water temps throughout the trip ranged from 63°F to around 67°F depending on where one was. It had been quite hot a few days and remained so while we were there.

The First Fish

In keeping with this blog’s mantra of “When fishing with kids, get a fish in the livewell as soon as you can,” we set off for a spot I know holds a ton of panfish. The “bad” news was that the first fish my son caught wasn’t legal for the livewell this time of year. The good news is because it was a 4.5lb largemouth bass!

I had just gotten done telling Tristan that I felt some nibbles when he started saying “I feel nibbles too! I feel nibbles too!” in a funny voice. I kept fishing but then glanced over and saw his Ugly Stik bent over in half! I dropped my rod and rushed over to unfold the net and land this bass. The darned kid has been fishing so long and caught so many fish that something like this doesn’t even prompt him to scream for the net – he just uses it to razz on me!

Tristan's first fish of the trip, and his personal best largemouth bass, caught on Lake Champlain on a nightcrawler.
Tristan’s first fish of the trip, and his personal best largemouth bass, caught on Lake Champlain on a nightcrawler.

We kept fishing this area with my Terrova’s spotlock engaged, much to the amusement of Grandma Jean who had never seen such a contraption. Amber got her share of panfish that were legal for the livewell and spent most of her time naming them “Nemo” and “Dory” while Tristan kept going for the big ones. Unfortunately for him, four-year-olds have a short shelf life so we headed back in after a short trip.

Frogging at the Dock

Tristan was undeterred. I went up to the house to handle a few things while Grandma watched Amber splash in the water and Tristan took out a frog rod. He’s always had a blast using these and just loves to see the explosions. While frogs aren’t exactly a lure I’d advocate using with most kids because they’re hard to land fish on, Tristan has gotten pretty good at it. Here’s some evidence: a nice sized bass he caught on one while I was off doing chores!

Largemouth bass caught on a frog in some bulrush on Lake Champlain.
Largemouth bass caught on a frog in some bulrush on Lake Champlain.

A Few More for Evening

Emboldened by his frog catch, T asked me to take him out in the evening frogging. Surprisingly, we got very few strikes and didn’t land any. I didn’t notice any bass attacking the frogs and the few strikes we had were likely pickerel. If you’re too far to see the fish outright, you can tell because pickerel will almost strike a topwater lure like a dolphin breaching the surface whereas bass just nail it like a bulldog shaking a lunch box open.

Since they weren’t going for the frogs, we tied on some spinnerbaits and chatterbaits and T managed this pickerel below on the latter. A main goal of mine has been to try and get him casting more and more this year so I can prep him for an eventual bass and pike trip with our friend Mick Maynard of Lake Champlain Angler Fishing Charters. He’s taken Tristan out once already, jigging for Lake Trout which is a more appropriate option when the kids can’t cast well, but I think T’s nearly ready for a good bass and pike trip. I’d better get one on the books.

If these were the only fish he caught the entire trip, he (and I, as his father) would have plenty to be proud of, but he had far more in store the next day.

Sunday, May 28, 2023: GAR AND CATFISH!

We stayed up a little later than we should, reliving my youth and watching 80’s swords and sorcerer movies, but we did get out again in the late morning on Sunday. Looking back on the photos, I guess T thought the secret sauce was the shirt he wore to catch his big bass the day before because he put that smelly thing back on! Can’t say I blame him.

We started our adventure with my daughter and grandma in the boat. Amber’s too little to cast on her own and frankly isn’t as into it as Tristan always has been, so she fished up front with me. I’d do the usual parent thing, casting out, hooking a fish, and reeling it in and then handing her the rod. This is fine for her and she just likes to see how many white perch she can get in a livewell and if she can remember all their names.

Meanwhile, in the back, Tristan went to work. We fished the Vermont shoreline near Crown Point. It’s a well known spot so I don’t think I’m giving much away since there’s always a line of boats doing the drift. Anyway, T got his fill here with a decent smallie that gave him a good fight.

Smallmouth bass caught on Lake Champlain.

It was only after we’d dropped off his sister that Tristan really started to knock me out. As we drifted along, we saw a large group of gar spawning on some rocks. Tristan, naturally, got all excited and wanted to catch one. I just chucked “knowing better” that spawning fish aren’t going to be interested in eating. Well, I was wrong because this gar right here smacked Tristan’s nightcrawler and bent his rod clear over. All I heard was “I told you, Dad! I TOLD you!” while he fought the fish in. Netting it, I was just happy that I had lost a giant carp last year that compelled me to upsize the net as this was a breeze and I wouldn’t have wanted to lose it on him!

Long nose gar caught on Lake Champlain.

He wasn’t so crazy about picking up this fish without a rag, which I’d say is probably fine for this species. You really want to be careful about doing this with most fish because they have an external slime that protects them from disease and such, but these gar are completely armored and in any event, no one is going to tell me this rag is going to do more damage than the rocks they’re going to be swirling all about as they spawn over the next few weeks.

The VERY NEXT CAST

On his VERY NEXT CAST his rod bent over again. At first I thought it might be another gar, but this one fought different. It’s funny, but you can usually tell what sort of fish you have on based on how it fights – or at least narrow it down considerably. While gar make long fast runs relatively close to the surface, this fish was going deep. The two fish on Champlain that do that consistently are catfish and carp, so I figured it was one of them.

This fight lasted a good 3-4 minutes though to a father it probably seemed like twenty. Honestly, when you saw the relief in his face and heard him complain of the aches in his arms, it probably seemed like twenty to him as well! This catfish went about eight pounds, which to a kid is huge. Again, I had a very proud moment as a father watching him expertly bring this one in. It’s not that easy to land a fish this big, keeping it away from the motor. I didn’t touch his rod once and the most guidance I had to give him was “Take it easy… Take it easy.” He did the rest!

A nice channel cat to top it off!

Until Next Time!

Well, you know that even a day like this wouldn’t satisfy Tristan, so we were back out at it until night, using my navigation lights for pretty much the first time ever, trying to catch more. He actually had what I’d estimate to be a 4-5lb northern pike on the line right to the boat, but the boat got stuck in the hook for my bow storage netting and I couldn’t get to it in time. Honestly, with fish like pike and pickerel, sometimes you’d rather they shake off right next to the boat unless they’re true trophies, but try telling that to a kid!

I’ve never had to use these navigation lights before.

We’ll be back soon enough. Maybe next year I’ll finally sign him up for the Vermont Master Angler Program as I believe he would have had three fish this trip that would have qualified!

Thanks all,

John Paxton

Want to learn how to take your kids out fishing? Do you have a friend who might need a hand? Click the pictures below to purchase my helpful books!


How to Plan Your Next Lake Champlain Fishing Trip

As longtime readers of this blog know, I’ve had many a Lake Champlain fishing trip. For those who might not go quite as often as I do, I figured I’d provide some tips about the best time of year to fish Lake Champlain, where to catch certain fish, and a few “watch outs” you might not be aware of.

What is the Best Time of Year to Fish on Lake Champlain?

Don’t let the time of year dissuade you from planning your next fishing trip to Lake Champlain. There are plenty of fish to be caught year round, it just depends on how you like to fish. Many years, a good portion of the lake will freeze over and allow for ample ice fishing opportunities. For those of us who prefer to stay warm, you really can’t beat spring and fall on the lake. While summer can be a little tough given all the bass tournaments you’ll be competing with each weekend, it is the best time of year to visit the Adirondacks.

If you wanted to know the best time of year to catch a trophy fish on Lake Champlain, plan your fishing trip for late April or May. Most bass are going to be in the prespawn time during this time of year, making them quite large and gorging. The only issue is that bass season doesn’t start until mid-June, so make sure you catch and release.

Another great time of year to plan your Lake Champlain fishing trip is September. There aren’t nearly as many people out there sharing the water with you after Labor Day, and the fish start gorging for winter. This can be the best time of year to fish for northern pike on Lake Champlain.

If you’re planning on taking a fishing charter trip to Lake Champlain during these times, plan on booking a year in advance as they fill up quick!

A Note on Water Levels

One quick thing I do think I should mention – if you’re planning on bringing your boat on your trip to Champlain, consider the local water levels. While it isn’t a huge deal with most of the public launches, if you rent an Air BnB with a ramp, you may find you can’t use it after late July or so. This is because the water level dries up so much by that time of year.

The past few years there has been draught which has exacerbated this. Luckily, 2023 looks like its a more normal year, but definitely check out the conditions before you go. This website will tell you what the water levels are at any given time.

A Note on Hazards

Lake Champlain has a few hazards you should worry about especially if the water levels are low. While you should always get a good navigational chart when fishing an area you’re unfamiliar with (here is one for Lake Champlain), the three below should definitely be on your radar.

The Cribs at Ticonderoga

Just east of Fort Ticonderoga there are a few pilings that can become a major problem. The main issue is that they are the perfect distance between a boat’s trolling motor and main motor. Don’t ask me how I know this. Be careful when you’re in this area. Note these are marked on the navigational chart atlas I recommended you buy above.

The Hazards Guarding Bulwagga

There’s a very significant hazard that runs across the entrance to Bulwagga Bay. It is marked by buoys but these can be difficult to see in certain conditions. This hazard is a giant rock/crib formation that you definitely don’t want to hit at any speed. It is, however, a great fishing spot so long as you can practice solid boat control!

The Sand Bar

Every year, you read about at least a few boats getting stuck on the natural sand bar that extends from South Hero Island and Milton, VT. This is a natural formation that isn’t going anywhere and if you aren’t careful, you’re going to be paying for an expensive sea tow. Read more about the area here as it is near a cool park for the kids assuming you don’t ruin your fishing trip to Lake Champlain by beaching your boat!

Where is the Best Fishing on Lake Champlain?

This is a matter of contentious debate. For years, you’d see plenty of professional anglers blast out of Plattsburgh during a tournament only to make the long journey to Ticonderoga. This has changed somewhat in recent years, ironically probably due to those anglers bringing fish up from the south. There was a fascinating study done by the University of Vermont that looked at fish dispersal post tournament. The TLDR is that they never make their way back anywhere close to Ticonderoga after they get dragged up to Plattsburgh!

Perhaps as a result of this, more and more tournament anglers have been choosing to fish in the relatively close north rather than make the run down to Ticonderoga during tournaments.

Now, if you aren’t trying to fish a tournament, the question of where the best fishing on Lake Champlain is depends on what you’re after. To help you plan your next Lake Champlain fishing trip, in general, here’s where to look for different species:

Where to Fish for Largemouth Bass on Lake Champlain

The southern end of Lake Champlain is renowned for largemouth bass fishing, especially near Ticonderoga. I wrote an article breaking down where to fish near Ticonderoga, but really you can’t go wrong in that region. Find weedbeds and you will find largemouth bass. Basically anywhere south of the Crown Point bridge is considered largemouth territory. Some of the better places to start are the shallow bays outside of the three major creeks and several inlets in this region.

There are some giant largemouth bass in Lake Champlain.

Don’t forget to look in Bulwagga Bay, either. The southern end of the bay has all the makings of fine largemouth territory and is a major spawning bay. Here’s an article I wrote breaking down fishing Bulwagga Bay as well.

Where to Catch Smallmouth Bass on Lake Champlain

Smallmouth bass are more typically found in the northern regions of Lake Champlain than the south. This doesn’t mean you can’t catch a large number of them in the Crown Point and Ticonderoga regions, but you’re definitely going to find better “smallie” habitat to the north around Plattsburgh. You’ll find plenty of rocky shorelines in this area around the various islands that hold smallmouth year round. While these fish can be a little challenging to locate day to day, they do tend to school up so when you find one you’ll often find many more.

I’ve had some phenomenal days fishing for smallmouth near Rock Island near Westport as well. There are a few sunken humps out near this island as well as a fairly deep flat to the south of the island. I’ve had great luck chucking topwaters out in the area.

Where to Fish for Northern Pike on Lake Champlain

While you can catch northern pike anywhere on Lake Champlain, you’ll definitely find more in the cooler waters of the north than in the south. Frankly, having fished the south most of my life, pike have been almost a “bonus fish.” Yeah, you can run into a few of them now and then, but not like you can up in the Gut or near North or South Hero to the north.

If you have to fish in the south and want to find northerns, the bay just north of the Sylvamo Paper Mill is a pretty good bet on the north side. I’ve also found them due east of Fort Ticonderoga, almost near the breakwater south of the launch.

With that said, your by far better bet is to head north. If you need help finding some northern pike on your Lake Champlain fishing trip, consider giving Captain Mickey Maynard a call or at least stopping by his Facebook page for Lake Champlain Angler to see what I’m talking about.

Where to Catch Chain Pickerel on Lake Champlain

Chain pickerel are all over the place in Lake Champlain but definitely more prevalent south of the Crown Point bridge. Here, the water is shallower, warmer, and weedier in general than to the north, which makes it more pickerel territory than pike. Basically any weedy bay or flat in Crown Point or Ticonderoga is sure to hold some pickerel. You’ll tend to catch them at a significant rate vs. pike on this end of the lake.

One of my favorite ways to fish for chain pickerel in Lake Champlain is to troll for them. You can cover a ton of water and it works well with kids because you can time the troll around their lunch or when they need a break with a card game. It’s also a good way to put a little kid on a big fish before they can cast well.

The southern end of Lake Champlain has some good sized chain pickerel.

Where to Fish for Freshwater Drum / Sheepshead on Lake Champlain

There’s a fishing forum full of guys who focus on freshwater drum and sheepshead and they’re all launching out of Benson’s Landing and Larrabee’s to the south. Basically, you’re going to find these fish in concentration south of Ticonderoga along various rocky points.

I catch them as a byproduct fairly regularly in the Crown Point region and have seen some real monsters come out of the Vermont shoreline south of the bridge. However, I will state I don’t fish for them often and they just kind of show up, so I’d go south of Ticonderoga as the folks who are actually seeking this fish do.

Where to Catch Channel Catfish on Lake Champlain

The southern end of Lake Champlain is probably your better bet for giant channel catfish. I’ve caught them all over the place in the Crown Point and Ticonderoga region. Good lure choices include chicken liver, dead shiners, or even parts of hot dogs or kielbasa. It can help to offer these stinky baits upstream from whichever way the current is blowing the water. This will help take their scent to the cats.

Where to Fish for Lake Trout on Lake Champlain

Most guys fishing for Lake Trout on Lake Champlain are fishing the middle section of the lake, either launching from West Port, Willsboro, or the Burlington area. In summer, you’ll want to jig them up from the depths around structure or to troll for them. My son and I had a great time jigging for lakers with a famous charter captain on the lake – I definitely recommend it!

lake trout on lake champlain
Jigging for lake trout on Lake Champlain can be a very productive summer technique.

During early spring, you can catch lake trout closer to shore. Bulwagga Bay has a good number of boats targeting them and while dodging “the fleet” can be a chore, it can pay off.

Can you Eat Fish from Lake Champlain?

Yes, you can eat fish from Lake Champlain, but you need to be careful about how many you consume, especially if you are a woman of childbearing age or a child. However, it’s not so easy to figure out just how many you can eat. You see, Lake Champlain is bordered by two U.S. states and a Canadian province and none of them agree on how many fish are safe to eat. In general, New York thinks you’ll die if you so much as look at a fish, Vermont thinks you should take things in moderation, and Quebec is trying to kill you.

The chart below illustrates this difference. While there are sections of the lake separating NY and VT that a baseball could likely be hit upon, apparently there is something mystical that happens to the fish depending on what side you catch them. How else could one explain how Vermont thinks a kid can consume 5 bullhead each month while New York says none should be eaten? Quebec isn’t exactly far away from Vermont or New York, either, and look at the difference there.

Considering how litigious New York is compared to Vermont and Quebec, perhaps this shouldn’t be a surprise, but it’s an interesting phenomena all the same. Just one of the nifty consequences of being a Republic, I suppose.

chart showing what fish you can eat in Lake Champlain
Number of fish one can eat from Lake Champlain per month. Information taken from Lake Champlain Basin Program.

What Fishing License Do You Need to Fish Lake Champlain?

It can be tricky to determine what fishing license you need to fish Lake Champlain, because you might need as many as three, or as little as one, depending on where you intend to fish. While much of the lake is reciprocal between New York and Vermont, there is a large section north of Burlington that requires a Vermont license. This place has some outstanding fishing and many guides operate there.

Likewise, there is a tiny section (South Bay) where you must possess a NY license. If you’re headed up to Champlain chances are you aren’t planning on fishing this as it’s not the main draw, but some guys go for walleye in the area, so you may need it.

To make things even more confusing, most of Missisquoi Bay is in Quebec and requires a QC fishing license.

Your best bang for your buck is going to come by buying a Vermont fishing license as this allows access to the overwhelming majority of Lake Champlain. The only exceptions being South Bay in New York, and part of Missisquoi Bay in Quebec. Most though not all of the rivers people like to fish are also going to be in Vermont (East Creek in Ticonderoga and Otter Creek in Vergennes being the prime examples).

This site has a good map that breaks down what regions require what license. Just note that we’re only talking the main lake here – not the tributaries as well.

What About the Children?

Finally, bear in mind that your kids may not need a license, depending on their age. This gets a little confusing as VT requires kids 15 and up to have a fishing license while NY allows 16 year olds to fish without one. I’m not sure how that would be interpreted in reciprocal waters, so be sure to check with local police.

What Fishing Lures Work Well on Lake Champlain?

The best fishing lures to use on Lake Champlain depends on what you’re going for, however here are some of my favorite that work well for bass and even northern pike.

  • The spinnerbait is a great lure for Lake Champlain once the water temperatures reach around 60°F or so. These work well anywhere that you can find submerged vegetation that isn’t so thick you can’t get a lure through. My favorite color spinnerbait for Lake Champlain used to be chartreuse, but the past few years, white has been the ticket. Try one by War Eagle — it’s been my favorite the past few years.
  • Jerkbaits are wonderful lures on Lake Champlain in early spring. Really, they work year round if you can find an area you can get them through. There’s just so many weeds in the summer that it gets tough. An X-Rap in size 10 works very well. Clown seems to be the best color around the lake.
  • Early in the year, a cherry craw colored Rat-L-Trap will catch just about anything as evidenced by this post.
  • Senkos are always a good choice, especially on Lake Champlain south of the bridge. I usually throw something in green pumpkin with whatever flake (purple, red) they have at the store.
  • Frogs are outstanding around July, especially south of the Crown Point bridge. There’s so much matted milfoil at this time that frogs can really be your best chance at catching a big summer bass. My tackle box is full of the Spro Bronzeye Frogs.

Where Can I Take My Family Besides Fishing on My Trip to Lake Champlain?

There is at least some chance that your family may want to do some things other than fishing during your next trip to Lake Champlain. Luckily, there’s plenty to do. Here are a few ideas I love:

  • Burlington is a fun choice with the Echo Aquarium featuring local wildilfe and some nice restaurants for lunch.
  • The Shelbourne Museum isn’t that great of an idea for little kids, but your wife or girlfriend will love it.
  • Fort Ticonderoga has a little bit of everything for everyone. It’s a great destination around July 4th as they often have live events.
  • If you have a passport and want to have Canadians roll their eyes at you, Parc Safari is a great destination as well. I will admit, however, that this one was more fun as a kid than when I returned as an adult.

Conclusions – Have Fun Planning Your Lake Champlain Fishing Trip!

I hope this article was helpful to you in planning your next fishing trip to Lake Champlain. You might also find the following articles useful:

Also, bear in mind that most of the tips and tricks in the books below my signature were learned while fishing Lake Champlain. You may want to check them out! Go ahead and click on either picture to buy them.

Thanks,

John Paxton

Want to learn how to take your kids out fishing? Do you have a friend who might need a hand? Click the pictures below to purchase my helpful books!


Lake Champlain Fishing Report 5/19/23 – 5/20/23

I had to work in Albany Friday so I took the opportunity to continue on to Lake Champlain in time to catch the evening bite. It was the first time I was able to go fishing by myself on the lake in several years. Unfortunately for me, the fishing was very tough as it was windy as a son of a gun and I was also exhausted from the trip.

The Conditions

I arrived to find it very windy. Not sure of the exact knots, but flags were rocking and it was wavy as anything even south of the bridge. Surprisingly, it stayed this way all evening Friday. Usually it calms down towards dusk.

The air temps were comfortable – right around 60°F or so. Water temps were anywhere from 57°F – 62°F throughout the trip. The water was very murky around Putnam Creek. It’s usually clear there from the fresh stream water but the wind had churned things up.

Weed growth was coming in more since two weeks ago. Vegetation was growing and the time for Rat-L-Traps and jerkbaits in the shallows is drawing to a close.

Of note, I experienced pre-frontal conditions Saturday as a rainstorm was raging across southern New England and was supposed to push north to Crown Point by Saturday evening, but I didn’t stick around for it.

Where I Fished

I fished exclusively in the Crown Point and northern Ticonderoga area. The furthest south I made it was the mill, while the furthest north was a few rocky points west of Girard’s Bay. I caught absolutely nothing anywhere except near the creek. In a few hours of fishing Friday Night and Saturday morning, I caught perhaps a dozen bass and two chain pickerel. Nothing was of any appreciable size.

What Lures I Used

All fish were caught on spinnerbaits. Specifically, white tandem blade spinnerbaits from War Eagle in 1/2 oz size. These were making it through the weeds well enough and fish would hit them hard when they hit. The waters being 60°F helped as that’s usually the sign it’s time to put on a spinnerbait.

A Short Trip

Honestly, the main reason I was there was to prepare for next weekend. I had to gas up the boat, tidy up a few things, and get the place ready to bring both kids with grandma in tow. I’ve been working hard at my day job the past month or so, with a few trips and special events thrown in, and I was just tired. Had I stayed and fished through the front I expect I would have caught more fish as the day went on. I just didn’t have it in me. Thus, I went home early to write this for you.

It’s always a pleasure going to Champlain even if it is for a short hop. As an aside, this time I drove up 87 since I was coming from Albany. Not sure if there is still construction on 74 or not, but it kicked me out at 22N. I had a nice drive from Diamond Point or so all the way to Ticonderoga. If you’ve never taken this way, it really is gorgeous. It’s hilly and curvy and not the way I’d want to drag a boat. Still, it is a great way to drag the wife or girlfriend and dazzle her with the views.

Until next time,

John Paxton

Want to learn how to take your kids out fishing? Do you have a friend who might need a hand? Click the pictures below to purchase my helpful books!


Why You Should Keep a Fishing Log or Journal

I personally consider a fishing log to be the most important piece of “gear” an angler can have. I rate it so highly that I tend to keep one right on this blog with an entire category dedicated to my fishing reports. Granted, this site is public, and while I want to help people out I don’t want to have them fishing on top of me, so I keep “the good stuff” safe and sound in a personal fishing journal and so should you!

What Is a Fishing Journal?

A fishing journal is a record of your fishing adventures. It is common for anglers to keep records of the notable fish they catch, the time of day they caught them, where they caught them, and on what lure. Some anglers take fishing journals even further and get into details like water and air temperature and even moon cycles. A fishing log can either be written down or typed on a computer (or even a blog)! There are also some apps available to keep a log right on your phone.

Will a Fishing Log Help You Catch More Fish?

Yes, a fishing log will help you catch more fish because it will allow you a handy reference of past success (or failure!) you can use for future trips. Referring to your fishing log will help you prepare for a fishing trip because you can look back in time at similar dates, times, or weather conditions and remember what worked and what didn’t. This means you don’t need to reinvent the wheel and can start off in areas likely to hold fish, using techniques that your fishing journal told you worked in the past.

If you ask any professional angler, I trust you’ll find that they keep some sort of fishing journal in the hopes it’ll help them catch more fish in the future. Essentially, a fishing log allows you to apply data analytics to your fishing trips as your journal is basically a data set of past fishing trips. This clearly is a great reason a fishing log is going to help you catch more fish.

The “Moneyball” of Fishing

One author took fishing logs and data to a whole new level. Josh Alwine, the author of High Percentage Fishing: A Statistical Approach to Improving Catch Rates basically took all the information he could find from various people’s fishing logs and conducted a careful analysis of the data. He provides his findings in the book linked above (and it really should be in your library – I cannot stress this enough – drop what you are doing and go buy it).

If you have any doubts that a fishing log will help you catch more fish, just ask yourself how great it would be if everyone would tell you their spots and what they used to catch fish on at any given moment. Wouldn’t you trade your favorite rod for that in a heartbeat? Keep a fishing log. It will help you catch more fish.

What Should Be Included in a Fishing Log?

While the amount of information you keep in a fishing log is up to you, you’ll never regret being thorough. The more data points you can capture on any given trip, the better you’ll be able to use your fishing log to catch more fish on a similar day in the future. Even so, there’s only so much room on a page, so here are some tips on essential information and additional or “nice to have” information for your fishing log or journal.

How Do You make a Fishing Journal?

Nowadays, you have several options for making your own fishing journal that your grandpa could have only dreamed of. While you can always simply write your catches down in a logbook, you can also keep a detailed excel data sheet on your computer, or a record on your phone with an app like fishidy.

Of the three mentioned, the excel sheet is probably your best option if you’re serious about the data analytics elements of all of this since you’ll be able to easily filter and also create pivot tables or graphs to help you interpret the data. However, excel isn’t always practical when you’re fishing far from home on a trip, so capturing the data by hand is still a good idea until you can get home to update your spreadsheet.

If you’re going to go through the trouble of making your own fishing journal and intend to use one with pen and paper, consider getting a nice leather-bound journal that you can pass down as an heirloom to your kids. It’s all a matter of taste, but I personally think this distressed leather journal has that “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” look to it and would be a great thing to hand to my children one day. I might just have to pick one up myself.

Essential Information to Track in a Fishing Journal

At the very least, you should be documenting the following information in your fishing journal:

  • Date and Time: You’re going to want to remember what time of year you had your trip, and what time you were on the water. If possible, break time into “On” and “Off” the water as that will come in handy later.
  • Waters Fished: A fishing journal is only useful if you keep track of what lake or river you were on! I would break this down further and talk about what section of the lake you fished. For example, on Lake Champlain, an entry might say “Ticonderoga” or “The Gut.”
  • Weather Conditions of the Day: What was the weather doing? Raining? Sunny? Overcast? Also, what were the temperatures (if you don’t know this, you can find it online. You can also find historical weather information on sites wunderground.com). I suggest keeping this separate into what the day started as and how it ended.
  • Water Temps: What were the water temps when you started fishing? How about when you ended? Was there any temperature range that was best? Note, if you don’t have access to a fish finder that will have this information, you can buy a handheld water temperature gauge. Water temps are some of the most important pieces of information for your fishing journal should have, so you should absolutely buy one of these if you’re serious about keeping a good fishing log. This model can also capture pH which can be useful information as well.
  • What Lures You Used: This is going to be key information. Were they biting crankbaits? If so, what color?
  • Notable Catches: If you make this individualized, you can start learning where the truly big fish were. If you are more generic “6 largemouth bass ranging from 1-3lb” then you’ll know where to find quantity in the future.

Additional Information to Track in a Fishing Log

If you have room, you can fill your fishing log with more info. After all, the more data you collect now, the more you can refer to later. Some of this stuff can be quite hard to find without specialized equipment. Nonetheless, when possible, it is also quite useful to document the following information in your fishing log:

  • The Cover Fish Were In: In addition to writing where you caught fish, document what sort of cover was holding them. Were they deep in the weeds? On fallen timbers? Etc.
  • The Structure You Fished: Like Cover, were you fishing right near the drop off? On submerged humps? How about rocky points?
  • Prior weather: What was the weather doing a day or two prior to your arriving? Sometimes, this can be just as important as what it was doing that day.
  • pH, Moon Phase, and other Data: Literally none of this stuff can hurt as all of it has been shown to impact fishing. Literally any data you can think of is useful.
  • General Angling Pressure and other Variables: Was it a zoo out there? Do you know if the lake was just stocked? Did you happen to show up the same day as a major tournament? All of this is important to know in your fishing journal if you have time.

The Key is Consistency

Whatever data you decide to document in your fishing journal, the key is to be consistent. This is all the more important if you intend to keep your fishing log on your computer in excel. Anyone who has ever had to interpret data in excel will tell you consistency in naming conventions is key. Decide early on if you are going to use “largemouth bass” or “LMB” for example. Always use the same phrase for “overcast” or “spinnerbait.” The more consistent you keep things, the better able you can sort and filter later. This will help you find just what you want!

The Best Fishing Logs and Journals to Buy

If you aren’t interested in making your own journal and prefer one that is prepared for you, you have a few options to choose from that range wildly in price. I personally think the Rustico Leather Fishing Log Book is gorgeous. While it is not the cheapest option, it comes in a great leather binding with “frayed” paper insets that give it the look of an old and trusted fishing journal. Further, it has prompts for all the things you want and need to have in a fishing journal, so it would be quite useful in the future. While it doesn’t have too much room for notes, you won’t need to keep many because there is a dedicated place for all the information you’d want or need.

Another good option is this pocket sized “fishing passport” by Letterco. While it will take some tiny handwriting to use (and a good pair of reading glasses!), it does have a few extra features that make it dandy. For one, there’s a map of the United States that asks you to put a dot where you’ve fished. Secondly, there’s a section for “memorable catches” where you can keep track of the truly large fish you’ve encountered over the years.

Finally, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that one of my books, “My Awesome Guide to Freshwater Fishing: Essential Techniques and Tools for Kids” comes with its own fishing log at the back!

Are There Any Online Fishing Logs or Apps?

As of writing, there are a few great apps that work as fishing logs. The two main ones are Fishidy and Fishbrain. Both of these allow you to log your catches in real time as you fish, and will track your physical location for where you caught the fish. This allows you to have a handy map showing what you caught and where.

Interestingly, the main “gimmick” of both of these apps is that they are essentially community fishing logs. Members willingly upload their catches, either to brag or just because they’re foolish and want company the next time! Here’s an example of a screen shot from Fishidy that gives you an idea of what it looks like. The green dots are member catches. Notice how some of the lake is filled in with contours and other parts aren’t? That too comes from members who have uploaded data from their fish finders.

Frankly, this would not be the way that I would keep a log, but I LOVE these apps for making use of other people’s logs. It’s like having access to an entire world’s worth of fishing logs which has helped me catch more fish on new lakes.

The fishidy app is basically a fishing log app.

Where Can I Find a Free Fishing Log Online?

If you don’t want to purchase one and aren’t comfortable with your computer skills to make one of your own, Bassresource.com provides this handy printable .pdf they are offering for free. All you need to do is print it off and maybe use a three hole punch before sticking it in a binder. It has pretty much everything you could ask for and is certainly a fishing log tailored for bass fishing. Special thanks to that website for putting this out there for everyone!

In Conclusion, a Fishing Log is Your Most Important Piece of Equipment

Unless you have the best memory on earth, a fishing journal is going to come in massive handy down the years. It can be the difference between catching fish in some funky conditions or going home empty handed, and it can simply be fun to read years down the line! I highly suggest you either make one of your own, or treat yourself to one of the great options discussed in this article today!

I hope this article was helpful to you! If you decide to create your own fishing journal, I’d love to see what you came up with. Feel free to shoot me an email and show it off!

Thanks,

John Paxton

Want to learn how to take your kids out fishing? Do you have a friend who might need a hand? Click the pictures below to purchase my helpful books!


Fishing Confidence: Why You Need It and How to Get It

If fishing with kids has taught me one thing over the years, its that fishing with confidence matters. This goes for both the parent, the child, and even the professional anglers out there. The more confidence you have while fishing, the more likely you are to catch fish. When I take my kids out on the lake, if they (or I) aren’t feeling it, it seems like we can’t catch anything.

The concept of “being snake bit” is well-known in sports. Essentially it means you’re on an unlucky slump where nothing will go your way. You might see a hockey player who can’t hit the net to save their life. Perhaps it’s a baseball pitcher who keeps missing the strike zone. In fishing, being snake bit means you can’t get a fish to chomp your lure no matter what you try. After awhile, it can be easy to stop trying.

Well, it’s one thing if you’re just out there fishing by yourself. It’s quite another if you have little ones in tow counting on you to put them on fish. Let’s talk about why you need fishing confidence and how to get it before your next trip.

Why Confidence Matters In Fishing

Confidence is an extremely positive tool in life and those who have it will usually credit it with at least some of their life success. Those who lack it may well spend considerable efforts and dollars out there trying new self help programs, pills, or trappings to try and gain it. Fishing is no different – those with confidence usually are ahead of the curve while those without it expend considerable effort trying to gain some.

The Power of Positivity

I’m a firm believer that self-fulfilling prophecies are a real thing in fishing as well as life in general. If I don’t think something is going to happen, chances are it won’t. This probably isn’t so much an issues with the cosmos as it is with myself – I need to believe in something to happen to give myself the energy to see it through.

Keeping a positive attitude is critical in fishing because you just never know when the fish will turn on or move into an area. Some tournament fishermen who are confident in their spots will sit on them all day without getting a bite, but they know that eventually the fish will arrive.

Likewise, positive thinking gives you the motivation to make “just one more cast” and you never know – it might be the cast that connects with the fish you’ve been dreaming of your whole life.

Just as importantly, even if it doesn’t pan, out, thinking positively will make your time on the water much more enjoyable than if you sulked about assuming you would fail!

Inspired Leadership of Self and Others

Given my blog and the books I’ve written, I have a reputation with my friends and their kids that if they come out fishing with me, they’re going to catch something. This could be a terrible burden if I let it, as I would never want to let someone down who made plans to fish with me. Even so, I am fully aware that sometimes, the fish just don’t cooperate right off the bat. While I’m always careful to have a Plan B when fishing with kids and follow my own advice about stress free tips for fishing with kids, it’s critically important that they never see me lose my smile. A guest out fishing with you is relying on your knowing what to do and if you let on that you’re worried, they will too. Then, all the confidence leaves the boat. We don’t want that!

Ways to Gain Confidence In Fishing

Now that you know why you need confidence in fishing, how do you go about getting it? Well, pretty much the same ways you’d gain confidence in any other sport or life endeavor. Practice, Preparation, and Proper Equipment.

Practice

Athletes gain confidence in themselves by practicing as perfectly as possible before the game. You can do the same thing with fishing. One of the most important things you can do is cast accurately and quietly. You want to present your lure exactly where it needs to go and have it enter the water without making a giant splash (normally).

You can practice casting in any open field with an old plug that has the hooks removed, or, if you’d prefer, they also sell this great set of practice casting plugs. This set comes with a variety of weights which is actually preferable to using a plug, as you can see the effect of casting different sizes. Frankly, I think I just found a good birthday present for my son as he wants to start using a baitcaster this year (he is 8) and I want him to get practice out in the yard first.

If you want other tips, you can also check out my article on how to improve your fishing skills.

Preparation

Preparation is huge in fishing, especially when you haven’t been to the waterbody before, or for a long while. Make sure you do some scouting, at least online. Fishing forums are a great place to start, as is google. Odds are, you found this article using that – go ask a specific question as you might find a fishing report for your lake that either is very recent, or at least is from the same general time of year from years ago.

Another great resource are Facebook groups. For example, Fishing 802 has a number of great tips about fishing in the 802 area code (Read: much of Lake Champlain). There is a wealth of knowledge there (not to mention some anglers who don’t know how to wipe coordinates and other meta data from their photos)!

If you’re fishing with kids, make sure you check out my article on preparing for a fishing trip with kids. It is filled with specific tips to help you enjoy your time out there. You also might want to see my article about making fishing with kids stress free while you’re at it.

Proper Equipment

You can’t have confidence while fishing if you don’t have confidence in your equipment. While you don’t need to rush out to buy the most expensive rods out there (if you do, buy them used) you should have confidence in your equipment. Don’t get the cheapest rod and reel combo out there. Don’t just drop your reel in the sand and forget to clean it. Check your line before you go out and ensure it isn’t frayed. Make sure your lures are of decent quality and appear relatively stable. In short, control the variables within your control.

Consider Reading a Book

Several books out there can help you gain confidence while fishing. For example, Destroying Bass Fishing Myths will help you avoid some of the nagging doubts that come with the sport. Likewise, High Percentage Fishing: A Statistical Approach to Improving Catch Rates can help you break down bass fishing situations with data. It’s basically the “Moneyball” of fishing.

How to Get Confidence When Fishing New Bass Lures

I make a point to try and learn a new technique or lure each year. This can be scary because I don’t always know exactly how to work a lure, and am often going by instructions I got from the internet without a firsthand guide. Thus, I try to set myself up for success by doing the following:

  • I will use a new lure in an area I know has fish in that time of year. If there ever was a moment to go to a tried and true “honey hole,” it’s when you’re trying to build confidence while fishing a new bass lure.
  • Any variables that I can put in my favor, I do. This means picking my spots with the weather and time of day. I’m certainly not going to try a new bass fishing lure at high noon the day after a cold front!
  • If it’s possible to choose a variety of sizes with a new lure, I try to pick one that has a better chance of catching a wider range of fish. I wouldn’t want to try and build confidence when fishing new bass lures by picking the “jumbo” size that only a monster is likely to hit.

How to Shake Off a Bad Fishing Trip

There’s much wisdom in the phrase, “A bad day of fishing beats a good day at work.” Sometimes when the bite isn’t that great, I focus on the beauty around me and try to take it all in. Also, remembering that this isn’t a life or death situation or one that has irreparable consequences is important too. Lost a giant fish? You also gained a great story. Didn’t quite make the tournament cut? Well, what did you do wrong and what would you do in the future?

On that point, keeping a fishing log can be a great way to boost your confidence. Unsuccessful trips are just as important for a fishing log as the days that work out great! If you had a bad day fishing, consider drowning your sorrows with some sympathy shopping and treat yourself to this great leather logbook. It is organized so it will remind you to capture all the important details of the day including waypoints, water temps, and fish species as well as your thoughts and is the best one I’ve seen.

Conclusions

I hope this article helps you keep things in perspective so you can build and retain your confidence while fishing. It’s a wonderful asset to have out on the water that will help you have a better time on your own, and especially if you bring your kids out with you.

Thanks for reading,

John Paxton

Want to learn how to take your kids out fishing? Do you have a friend who might need a hand? Click the pictures below to purchase my helpful books!


Weeds on Lures – Should you Remove Them Before a Cast?

If you fish anywhere near weeds, you’re going to get weeds on lures. While there are certain techniques you can employ to keep weeds off of your lures in the first place, you’ll never have 100% success. You’ve probably wondered if you should remove weeds on fishing lures before making a cast. In most cases, yes, you should remove weeds before casting out a fishing lure as weeds can negatively affect the lure’s action and tip off fish that something is wrong. Let’s explore this in more detail.

Weeds on Lures Can Kill Their Action

The first reason you should take the weeds off your fishing lures before casting them out is they can kill a lure’s action. Believe it or not, fishing lures are precisely engineered tools. They are balanced to run at a certain depth, speed, and with a certain action or wobble. Tossing on a few ounces of weeds can ruin this action. While you never know if a fish is going to want something different, chances are you’re better off fishing a lure the way the manufacturer intended. After all, lures that don’t catch fish don’t (consistently) sell.

Sometimes, it isn’t obvious how much the action is going to be impacted. Take your average spinnerbait, for example. Many of them have a swivel of sorts near where the blades connect to the bent wire frame. If this swivel gets too much gunk in it, the blade won’t properly spin. This takes less gunk than you’d think!

They Can Prevent Proper Hookups

Too many weeds near a crankbait’s hook, for example, can make it difficult for the hook to stick the fish and stay stuck. Even if you do poke them, the weed or other debris can provide some leverage that helps fish throw the hook. Many treble hooks are quite thin so leverage can help them rip out easily.

Fish Can Be Scared by Weeds on Fishing Lures

Fish aren’t quite as dumb as they look. Yes, you’ll get some greedy buggers who clearly have been repeatedly caught, but the truly large fish haven’t made a habit of getting in trouble. Further, they’ve been around the lake long enough to know that minnows, frogs, and insects (read: what you’re trying to convince them your lure is) don’t typically swim around covered in weeds. It is a very unnatural presentation and one that is going to give wary fish serious pause.

weeds on fishing lure
This is fooling no one.

You’ll Rob Your Own Confidence

In your heart of hearts, don’t you just know that you’re going to catch less fish with weeds on your lure? Even if you’re wrong, the mere lack of confidence is going to spell your doom. The extra few seconds it takes to remove weeds from your fishing lure is worth the confidence boost almost every time. You don’t ever want to make a cast expecting not to catch a fish, so why leave weeds on when that’s exactly what that implies?

How to Detect if Your Fishing Lure Has Weeds On It

Sometimes you will want to leave your lure in the water for an extended time. This could be because you’re soaking some bait going for catfish, are working something slow like a soft plastic or jig, or are trolling. All three of these presentations run the risk of your having weeds or grass on your fishing lure and not knowing it until you reel it in and say, “Well, that’s why I didn’t catch anything!”

It’s not always that easy to tell when you have weeds on a fishing lure. If you’re just soaking some bait, it can be nearly impossible. However, if you notice your rod has a pronounced bend to it and is not shaking like a fish has grabbed on, that probably means a clump of vegetation got around your lure and is providing resistance. This goes for soaking baits as well as trolling.

Another way to tell if you have gunk on your lures while trolling is to feel the line for vibration. I wrote about this extensively in my article on trolling for chain pickerel. Basically, every “clean” lure you drag behind your boat is going to have a certain “vibration signature.” I suggest touching the line after you toss it out and are sure there aren’t any weeds on it. Then, from time to time you can check it and if the “vibration signature” is off, you know something is up.

It is more difficult to tell if there are weeds on a slow-moving lure like a jig or a worm. You’re basically trying to tell if it weighs more suddenly. It can be hard to clear soft plastics of weeds because you can’t just give a strong jerk without running the risk of really fouling things or moving the hook through the plastic in ways you did not want. Your best bet if something feels off is to reel in and inspect.

Is It Ever OK to Leave Grass On a Fishing Lure?

What about if you just have a little bit of weeds on your lure? Is it OK to leave it on? Well, that depends. Is it so little that it’s just going to fling off on your next cast? If so, then cast away and solve the problem! If not, take a few seconds to peel it off.

Some people think it’s OK to leave some weeds on lures that are fast-moving as it is unlikely that fish will even notice. I’m not so certain about that. How many times have you had a fish follow a lure all the way to the boat, and, for whatever reason, they just didn’t strike right away. They were sizing it up. Trust, me, a fish is going to be able to move way faster than you can reel in. They can keep pace with your lure as long as they need to – if they’re that hesitant, they have a chance for a weed to put them off.

How to Remove Weeds from a Fishing Lure

There are three appropriate ways to remove weeds and grass from your fishing lure. You can take them off carefully by hand, you can cast them off, or you can rip them off in the water by giving your rod a hard jerk as you retrieve. Under no circumstances should you ever smack your lure against the water as you could break your lure, hurt someone, or scare the fish.

I hope you found this article helpful!

John Paxton

Want to learn how to take your kids out fishing? Do you have a friend who might need a hand? Click the pictures below to purchase my helpful books!


Bass Boat vs. Deep V – The Ultimate Comparison

When I was a kid, I used to sit and sift through fishing catalogues dreaming of one day owning a shiny new bass boat, but by the time I could afford one, I chose to buy a deep v boat instead. Each have their pros and cons, but ultimately, I decided that a deep v was the better family fishing boat while a bass boat would have been preferable if I fished many tournaments. Since I planned on growing a family soon, my choice was obvious. If you too are wrestling with the choice of buying a bass boat vs. a Deep V fishing boat, read on. Perhaps my experiences and research will be some help to you!

What’s the Difference Between a Bass Boat and a Deep V?

The difference between a bass boat and a deep v fishing boat is essentially the fishing boat equivalent of the difference between a sports car and a work truck. A bass boat sits low to the water, is exceptionally fast, and is built for one thing (bass fishing). A deep v, on the other hand, has much higher sides which makes it slower, but also more comfortable for passengers, and better able to target multiple species. Indeed, that’s why deep v fishing boats are often called “multi-species fishing boats.”

The Design of a Bass Boat vs. a Deep V

Bass boats and deep v, or multi-species boats, have very different design characteristics. Bass boats sit low to the water and one fishes “on” a bass boat. Deep v or multi-species boats have relatively high sides or gunwals, meaning anglers fish “in” such boats. Bass boats are designed for speed while deep v’s are designed for stability and a drier ride in waves.

Bass Boats

Always remember that bass boats are designed with three key “S’s” in mind: Storage, Speed, and fishing in the Shallows. These three things are critical wants of the audience bass boats are mainly targeted to: tournament fishermen. A bass boat is designed to carry all the gear a tournament fisherman can carry, at speeds exceeding 70 mph to any corner on the lake a bass might live in, including shallow water.

To achieve these goals, bass boats sit low to the water so as little wind as possible will touch the boat, and are designed so that, on plane, as little of the hull as possible is touching the water. When coupled with the monster 250-horsepower engines typical of the type, it’s no surprise that they can reach blazing speeds.

This design also has the effect of allowing bass boats to have very shallow drafts, meaning that they can go into very shallow water. This is handy around spawn time as bass and other species tend to spawn in the shallows.

Deep V / Multispecies Boats

In contrast to the specialized bass boat, deep v’s are designed to catch every boat in the lake. While they can’t go into as shallow water or reach the same speeds as a bass boat, they can go into higher waves with much more confidence. As a consequence, deep v fishing boats are far and away the preferred model for walleye, trout, and salmon fishermen.

Because one sits “in” a deep v boat, it’s going to provide a much drier ride than your typical bass boat in rough waters. This is enhanced by the fact that its v-shaped hull is designed to cut through higher waves. Many deep v boats are also designed to have a full windshield. This is a blessing and a curse on a windy day. While it can help keep you dry, it also makes boat control challenging as it acts like a sail. As a result, backtrolling is quite popular (literally, going backwards while trolling) on windy days because it’s much easier to go slow and methodically this way in a deep v.

deep v boat
I wouldn’t trade my deep v for a bass boat, ever.

Pros and Cons Between Bass Boats and Deep V Fishing Boats

As I have experience fishing out of both style boats, I’ll go ahead and list what I consider the pros and cons of each. I’ll dive into some of the less obvious in more detail below, but at a glance:

Bass Boat Pros and Cons

Bass Boat ProsBass Boat Cons
-Speed. 60 mph is nearly standard with 70 mph + available on many top models.
-Huge storage compartments that can fit anything you need.
-Bass boats can get into very shallow water compared to deep v boats.
-Lower gunwales means a bass boat won’t catch wind as easily as a deep v boat.
-Normally fiberglass, which means they’re stealthier
-Can easily accommodate any shallow water anchor system you like.
-Jack plates can enhance performance.
-Easier to make different types of casts (pitching and flipping) given lower gunwales.
-You can use whatever trolling motor you’d like, including cable driven ones, on pretty much any bass boat.		-Not as safe for children given they are “on” the boat as opposed to “in” the boat.
-Difficult to fish more than two people or three in a pinch.
-Challenging to use for family activities such as water sports.
-Limited storage for tubes or water skis.
-Can provide a very wet ride when driving in larger waves.
-Not intended for very large bodies of water or very rough seas as they handle poorly in high waves.
-Can be difficult to find in certain (mostly northern) areas.
-Not designed for trolling.
-Difficult to mount accessories such as rod holders or downriggers to the boat without damaging it.

Essentially, the pros of a bass boat vs. a deep v is that the bass boat is going to make bass fishing significantly easier. Not only can you fish more waters that bass frequent, but you can fish them more effectively. Here are a few ways:

Casting

You may not appreciate how much better you can cast from a bass boat vs. a deep v, but it is remarkable. First, a bass boat’s lower gunwales makes techniques such as pitching and flipping much easier. Secondly, you can cast your lure on a lower arc towards the water, which makes it easier to achieve a soft entry without a huge splash that could spook fish. If you’re fishing in clear water or with wary bass, this could be a very big deal.

Great Choices in Shallow Water Anchors and Trolling Motors

You tend to have more options in terms of rigging a bass boat with shallow water anchors and trolling motors vs. a deep v fishing boat. This is because bass boats are designed with the idea that people are going to want to install a jack plate which allows easier installation of a Power Pole shallow water anchor. It’s very rare to see a deep v running one of these as most use a Minn Kota Talon instead. There’s nothing “wrong” with that, but if you prefer the hydraulic Power Pole you might want to purchase a bass boat.

Likewise, it’s pretty rare to see a deep v boat running a cable-driven trolling motor like a Minn Kota Fortrex. Many deep v’s simply lack the space necessary on the bow to place one whereas they fit much more easily on a bass boat. Some people place a huge premium on cable driven trolling motors so this too could be a huge consideration.

Deep V / Multispecies Fishing Boat Pros and Cons

Deep V / Multispecies ProsDeep V / Multispecies Cons
-Much drier ride than bass boats in wavy conditions, especially if equipped with a full windshield.
-Deep v’s are designed for bigger water than bass boats, so they can handle waves better.
-Cuts through waves allowing one to go faster in rough conditions.
-Great for trolling.
-Can easily mount accessories such as downriggers or rod holders to the boat, often without putting holes in it.
-Can fit the whole family plus the dog and everyone has a seat.
-Great for watersports and other activities your family wants to do besides fishing.
-The higher gunwales are safer for small children and the elderly.
-Easier to convince the wife to buy as it is a far more practical option for a family.
-Can mount a kicker motor which aides in trolling and also provides a measure of safety.
-Far better for guiding.		-Cannot access as shallow of water as a bass boat.
-On average, will be significantly slower than most bass boats, sometimes significantly so.
-Depending on the model, may be limited in what types of trolling motors you can purchase depending on space in bow.
-High gunwales will catch the wind making boat control difficult. This is exacerbated if the boat has a full walk through windshield.
-The more affordable deep v models don’t tend to have the same storage capacity of a bass boat.
-Larger models may require a larger towing vehicle, especially if fiberglass.
-Can be challenging to mount PowerPoles to many deep v boats as jack plates aren’t as common. Thus, most deep v’s are going to run Talons.
-Can be harder to tow on a windy day for the same reason boat control is more difficult.
-It can be difficult to find a deep v in many (usually southern) states.

While many of the pros of a deep v vs. a bass boat are well-known, here are a few you may not have thought of.

Easier to Add Kicker Motors

A kicker motor is a small (usually 9.9 – 15 horsepower) motor that is used for trolling as well as a backup in case the main motor dies. If you enjoy trolling or even just want peace of mind, it is a great option to have. Frankly, I don’t think it’s even possible to add these to many bass boats, as the shape of their stern and transom is often designed in such a way to accommodate jack plates and various shallow water anchors and wouldn’t easily take to these even if you wanted to.

Can Easily add Downriggers

It is also easier to add downriggers to a deep v vs. a bass boat. First of all, most aluminum deep v’s these days have some sort of accessory track system that runs along their gunwale so you don’t even need to put a hole in the boat to add these (for example, Lund’s Sport Track system as seen below).

Even if you did need to drill holes in your boat to put downriggers, it wouldn’t kill the resale value on a deep v the way it would on a bass boat because the next guy would probably want them. If you drilled holes for downriggers on a bass boat you’d be sure to get some raised eyebrows and stares.

Guiding

Remember at the beginning of this article how I compared a bass boat to a sports car and a deep v to a work truck? I meant that very literally. While a bass boat can make you money in a tournament (where you could also lose your entry fee, mind you), a deep v can make you consistent money every day if you use it to guide others. Deep v’s are far superior vessels for charter captains or other guides than bass boats due to their enhanced comfort, safety, and room for clients. A bass boat really isn’t designed for more than two people. Three is a crowd and four is a safety risk. Given the guide needs to be on the boat with his or her clients, that’s really going to put a damper on things.

Pricing

Pricing has gotten ridiculous on all boats if you ask me. I bought my (at the time) brand new Lund Impact 1875 Sport for $27,000 out the door in 2013. Today as of writing, Lund wants over $43,000 for the same boat and motor. Lund’s smallest deep v boat, the Adventure, is being listed for about what I paid for my larger Impact just 10 years ago.

Granted, Lund is one of the more expensive brands, but even value brand Tracker is asking $23,000 for their most basic deep v offering, and that boat is so small it really doesn’t get you the best elements of a deep v.

As for bass boats? They too are pricey. Just doing apples to apples here, but a Ranger Z518 bass boat (read: 150 horsepower equipped, “mid line” – so comparable to what the Impact represents for Lund) is being listed at nearly $53,000. Their Z185 is listed at nearly $43,000. Meanwhile, Tracker’s nearly base offering Pro 170 is listed at a hair over $18,000.

Buying a Used Bass Boat vs. Deep V

Depending on where you live in the country, you might not have the option of buying a used bass boat vs. deep v, or vice versa. Or, at least you won’t have many options. Deep v’s are a specialized boat that are easy to find across the Midwest but much more challenging to find in the deep south or even New England. If you don’t believe me, go over to walleyecentral’s classified ads and check out where they’re selling. You won’t find that many in certain areas.

It’s not quite as hard to find bass boats in the Midwest though I’d imagine in certain states it could be a challenge. Certainly, you won’t have nearly as many options as you would in, say, Florida.

If you can find a used bass boat or deep v, it doesn’t necessarily mean the deal is going to be spectacular. Used boat prices have increased over the past few years to a point where one really needs to consider if it isn’t worth going new. While used boats are still a savings, you have to contend with not knowing how the prior owner treated it. It’s doubtful you’re going to have the same familiarity with boats as you would with cars, so you might want to take a certified boat mechanic along with you to check out whatever you intend to purchase.

What is the Better Family Boat?

I would emphatically argue that a deep v style boat is a much better “family” boat than a bass boat. First of all, a deep v can actually fit your family in it. While many bass boats are “rated” for more than 3 passengers, that’s as many safe seats as they have! What good is that when you want to take the wife, three kids and grandma along for a ride?

Pretty much every deep v fishing boat out there is going to have at least 4 seats, but even 16′ boats nowadays mostly come with an “aft flip up seating” option. This means most deep v’s are going to have 6 actual seats for passengers before you get creative. Now, would I recommend casting with this many seats or people in the boat? No. But that doesn’t mean you can’t vertical jig for lake trout or take the kids trolling for pickerel.

Likewise, many deep v’s are designed with the thought that they might be used for watersports such as waterskiing or pulling tubes. While you “can” do this with a bass boat, there’s not exactly a ton of space for either of these items plus your passengers. I can’t even imagine trying to race down a lake with a giant donut tube sitting on top of a bass boat, but it’s no big deal behind a full windshield.

Basically, a deep v lets a family easily do everything a family wants to do with a boat. They’re easy enough to fish out of, they’re great for watersports, and they have an actual seat for everyone. Clearly, a deep v is a better family boat than a bass boat.

Deep V’s are Safer Than Bass Boats

In addition to the above, it should also be noted that deep v boats are safer family boats than bass boats. They don’t go as fast, which makes collisions less likely. If something does happen, there’s a better chance you or your kids won’t be thrown out of the boat given its higher sides. They’re easier for others to see and thus avoid, and they’re designed with big water in mind. While you still want to pick your days, you have a much better chance of getting home safe from a storm in a deep v as a novice than you would in a bass boat.

Finally, because they have higher gunwales, your kids (and you) are much less likely to fall out of one of these boats. All it takes to fall out of a bass boat is to step to the side! At least with a deep v, you have a wall to hold you in.

What is the Better Tournament Boat?

In short, it depends on what sort of tournament you’re fishing (bass or walleye). With that said, if you’re googling this, chances are you want to know what boat is best for bass tournaments. Clearly, a bass boat is going to be a better choice for a bass fishing tournament than a deep v. There are several reasons for this, and they come back to the three S’s I mentioned earlier.

Speed

If you’re serious about bass fishing tournaments, you need to be serious about speed. For one thing, the old maxim “time is money” rings true. The faster you can get to your fishing spot, the more time you have to connect with fish to win a tournament. Further, if you can go faster than the next guy, you can get to “your” spot first, claiming it.

While some very pricey deep v’s are pushing the 60 mph range, it’s far more common to top out around 40 – 50 mph or less. Since even the more basic 150-horsepower equipped bass boats are besting 60 mph, and the top of the line 250-horsepower tournament rigs are more or less standard at 70 mph, this is a huge advantage.

Storage

Bass boats are renowned for their storage. While some extremely expensive deep v’s like the Lund Pro-V lineup can probably best them, any old average bass boat is basically a floating storage compartment. This is a big deal if you’re fishing one of the bigger tournament trails that might have you far from home for weeks at a time. Not only can the pros fit all their tackle in their bass boats, many also even have room for luxuries such as spare trolling motors!

Shallow Water Handling

If you want to win a bass fishing tournament, you need to go where the fish are. If they’re in very skinny water, a bass boat is going to get you where a deep v simply can’t reach.

Best Bass Boat Brands

There are a number of great bass boat brands, but most folks would probably argue that Ranger, Skeeter, and Triton are among the top tier that are widely available. There was a time when Ranger was considered the undisputed king, though a change in ownership has led to some grumbling. Time will tell if it is warranted.

Tracker is a value brand bass boat that gets, frankly, horrible reviews online. I’m not 100% sure how much of this is truly deserved. Here’s my theory. As it is so inexpensive, this is a brand that is frequently going to be the first boat someone buys. Being new to boating brings with it oh so many opportunities to do something remarkably stupid. I often wonder just how many of the horror stories out there about this boat are really due to something dumb someone has done.

Now, is the fit and finish of a Tracker going to be the same as Ranger? Goodness no. But fit and finish isn’t why these are getting the poor reviews. It’s worth researching, but I wouldn’t write the whole brand off, especially when you can find so many of them used.

Best Deep V / Multispecies Brands

While there are a number of great deep v / multispecies brands out there, my personal opinion is that two of the best are Lund and Alumacraft. I like these two brands because they have a huge range of offerings for every price point and desire. I wrote an extensive article comparing the two once which you can find here. While it is a few years old now, and there are new models, it’s still a good resource to see the difference between the brands (especially if you’re going to buy used).

In terms of value brands, Tracker makes a number of deep v style boats as well, and these get the same negative press that their bass boats do. Again, I’m not certain how much of this is truly deserved, and how much of it comes from often being the first boat someone buys.

The Best of Both Worlds: The Lund Pro-V Bass

A few years ago, Lund came out with what may just be the best of both worlds: the Pro-V Bass. While these are ostensibly bass boats, they feature a modified v-shaped hull that is designed to handle rough water better than most “true” bass boats out on the water. While you will sacrifice several of the advantages a true deep v fishing boat has over a true bass boat, you will get better rough water performance and actual seating for up to 4 adults. The Pro-V Bass is not going to be the fastest bass boat out there but it is an aluminum rig that may just prove more versatile in the different weather conditions you might find on the tournament trail.

Bass Boat Pros vs. Deep V in a Nutshell

To put it simply, bass boats are designed to do one thing (fish for bass) and they do it really, really well. Deep v’s are designed to do many things, and to do them very well. All the same, they aren’t going to be able to keep up with a bass boat (literally or figuratively) when competing in the area those boats specialize.

When evaluating a bass boat vs. a deep v to consider which is best for you, ask yourself the following:

  • How many people are going to be on it usually?
  • What are they going to want to do (fish all the time vs. fish and ski)?
  • How old are they / how likely are they to fall into the water?
  • What type of fishing do you plan to do? Casting? Trolling?

If you’re buying a boat exclusively for you and maybe a friend and want to fish primarily for bass, then a bass boat is your best option. But, if you’re looking for a great boat for family fun that is safe, comfortable, and versatile, a deep v is the better choice.

I hope this helped you pick out a great boat for your family!

John Paxton

Want to learn how to take your kids out fishing? Do you have a friend who might need a hand? Click the pictures below to purchase my helpful books!


How to Keep Weeds Off Your Fishing Lures

If you are a freshwater angler, chances are you’ve gotten weeds on your fishing lures before. While it can be annoying to have to keep removing them, large fish prowl weed beds, so it’s worth fishing them. Even so, there are a few things you can do to help keep weeds off your fishing lures so your time on the water is more enjoyable.

How do I keep my lures from snagging?

The easiest way to prevent your fishing lures from snagging on weeds or other cover is to keep the hook point away from it! You can accomplish this in several ways. You could use a truly weedless lure (such as a hollow-bodied frog), or rig a soft plastic Texas style (by burying the hook point into the plastic. There are also some lures and hooks that come in “weedless” options, such as this “weedless” wacky-rigged hook. To be honest, I don’t find that these really keep weeds off the hooks very well – BUT – they are wonderful at keeping your hook point from snagging harder cover like fallen timbers, so they have their place.

What Fishing Line is Best for Weeds?

Sometimes the issue isn’t your hook, but the line you’re using. Anyone who is fishing very heavy vegetation, be it with frogs or jigs, is going to use very heavy braid. This is done for two main reasons. One, HEAVY braid (50-65lb) is your only chance of getting a giant bass out of deep cover and to the boat. Secondly, braid is quite sharp (think rope burns from hell) and can cut through weeds like a saw. Braided line is therefore going to be better to use in heavy weeds than anything else.

My personal favorite braided line is and probably always will be Power Pro. It comes in all the sizes I need, it casts very well, and it holds up year after year after year. I only change it on my reels when they get too low from cutting and retying fishing lures. I’ve never found a need to change it for any other “maintenance” reasons like you might for fluorocarbon or monofilament.

What Fishing Lures Work Well in Weeds?

The best way to avoid getting a ton of weeds on your fishing lure is to use one that works well in them. Using a diving crankbait with treble hooks dangling underneath around weeds is just asking for trouble. Instead, try something that will come through the weeds easier, like a spinnerbait (I prefer one by War Eagle) or swim jig. Basically anything with a hook that points up while moving through the water is going to be better off than something with hooks that point down.

Fishing Lures That Work Well in WeedsFishing Lures That are Tough to Use in Weeds
SpinnerbaitsChatterbaits
Hollow-bodied floating frogsTopwater plugs
Flukes (such as the caffeine shad) Jerkbaits
Swim JigsSpoons
Texas-rigged worms & creaturesCrankbaits
Arm yourself for success by using lures that work well in weeds

Spinnerbaits

If you’ve ever wondered if spinnerbaits are good in the weeds, all I can say is “yes, emphatically, yes.” Granted, you don’t want to throw these into a giant clump of them as it’ll never get through that, but these lures are relatively weedless if you simply intend to burn them on top of submergent weeds. The odd stalk of two that connects with the lure will brush right off the bent wire frame. This makes spinnerbaits a great lure for shallow water trolling as well.

Hollow-bodied floating frogs

If you’re fishing especially heavy weed beds, you’re going to want to use a lure that’s designed for that cover. The most famous is going to be a floating frog lure. These float and have their hooks well-protected by the lure’s body and facing up. You’d really have to try to get these snagged. They are designed for throwing into the heaviest cover imaginable in the height of summer and do a great job of catching bass buried in the muck. My personal favorite is the Spro Bronzeye Frog as I’ve found it to have better hookup percentages than many others I’ve tried.

Flukes

A fluke is essentially a soft-bodied jerkbait that can be rigged weedless by burying the hook point into the plastic. While it will take a good jerk to set the hook, this setup will allow you to fish it without any weeds. Since a fluke can be fished with the same cadence of a jerkbait, it can be an amazing option if your water temps are screaming jerkbait, but you don’t want to catch more weeds than fish. My personal favorite fluke has been Strike King’s caffeine shad. It casts well, has enough weight that you can fish it with a bare hook, and it was responsible for my personal best largemouth bass.

weeds on fishing lure
A fluke would have provided the same action as this jerkbait while being significantly more weedless.

Swim Jigs

A swim jig is a jig that’s designed to, well, swim. The head is more hydrodynamic and cuts through the water, and they tend to have a smaller profile than heftier bottom bouncing jigs. Its hook guard does a good job of keeping it relatively weedless. Most weeds are going to slide around the guard. Given its compact size, it can often get through weeds easier than a spinnerbait. You can check out what one looks like (and pick some up for yourself) at Amazon.

Texas-Rigged Worms & Creatures

You can make pretty much any soft plastic lure essentially weedless by rigging it Texas style, but there are particular baits that do better than others. Essentially, the fewer appendages or arms, etc. that the plastic has, the less likely something is going to get caught on weeds. A simple worm is going to go through weeds much better than a creature bait.

How do you set up a weedless lure with a Texas Rig?

One of the more effective ways to set up a weedless lure is to rig it as a Texas Rig. This allows a lure (usually a soft plastic) to go through weeds and other cover without snagging. It does require a hefty hookset to make sure the hook can get through both the plastic and the fish’s mouth, but if you’re fishing near cover, this is often your best bet.

The video below does a nice job of explaining how to rig a lure this way if you’re unfamiliar.

Want a Particular Action? There Might be a Weedless Option

Sometimes you just want a particular action, or don’t feel that a “typical” weedless lure is a great option for the time of year. Case in point, spinnerbaits really don’t come into their own until the water temps are consistently in the 60°F range, but weeds might grown before your local waters reach that point. During this time you might want to use a jerkbait, but find that such a fishing lure is catching too many weeds. What can you do? Well, try a fluke.

Likewise, sometimes the water temps are perfect for spinnerbaits, but the bent wire frame and blades are having a hard time fishing through the weeds. Well, believe it or not but a swim jig might get through a little easier. These are also relatively weedless due to their fiber weed guard but they’re also much more compact. This allows them to fish through weeds easier than a spinnerbait with all its extra bells and whistles.

How to Fish a Crankbait Near Weeds

Contrary to popular belief, crankbaits can be fished effectively near weeds. The trick is to use the right sort of crankbait. Ideally, you want to fish one that cab be fished above the weeds. Deep divers that are going to plow into the stems are going to be a losing proposition. Instead, use a lipless crankbait like a Rat-L-Trap so you can control how deep it dives. Ideally, you’d want to run the lure so it is just “ticking” across the top of the grace – i.e. hitting it once in awhile, but not becoming snagged. This will create an erratic action that will entice curious fish.

My personal favorite Rat-L-Trap is colored cherry craw and has been a dynamite early season lure for me as this blog post will attest. Just be careful though because while it will handle early-growth weeds well enough, reeds are another story. I’ve lost more than a handful so far this spring on the spongy stalks!

How to Remove Weeds From a Fishing Lure

No matter how hard you try to keep weeds off your fishing lures, you’re going to snag from time to time. When you do, take care in how you remove them. Some anglers smack the lure against the water. I’d strongly encourage you not to. For one, fishing lures are expensive and this can damage them. Secondly, it is a lot of noise that can scare fish. Finally, it’s not all that safe, as your knot might fail during the violent manuever.

You’re better off simply reeling up and taking the weeds off by hand, if necessary. However, be aware that you might be able to simply cast them off. Many weeds will fling off during a long cast.

You also can occasionally remove weeds by giving your lure a solid jerk while it is still in the water. The water’s resistance coupled with the jerk is often enough to remove weeds from your fishing lure. This has the added bonus of bringing some erratic action that fish oh so love.

Hopefully this article will help you keep weeds off your fishing lures!

John Paxton

Want to learn how to take your kids out fishing? Do you have a friend who might need a hand? Click the pictures below to purchase my helpful books!


Lake Champlain Fishing Report: May 4-7, 2023

Well, the second trip up to Crown Point, NY in 2023 is in the books. This was supposed to be a boys weekend with my buddy Andrew from past adventures, but the week worth of rain in the region forced him to call it off as he finally got the weather needed to get some work done locally. I considered taking my first solo trip in forever, but my son has had such a hard time with the divorce lately that I asked his mom if I could spring him from school early and drive him up with me. She said yes, and so we were off for another Adirondack Adventure together.

Thursday, May 4, 2023 – Crown Point

As mentioned, it had rained for several days prior and stopped as we arrived Thursday afternoon. The lake was higher than it was two weeks ago when I took Dad up. While this would bring an influx of cold and murky water, I was still glad to see it. I’m tired of the years of drought the lake has had. It will be nice to be able to use the dock in July this year!

Thursday and Friday featured the end of the front with fairly high north winds Thursday and still significant Friday afternoon. It was bad enough Thursday that I didn’t want to take Tristan north of the bridge, figuring if it was that dicey in Crown Point the bridge area would be a disaster.

Instead, we poked around the Crown Point area, not really having much luck until we made our way to the south side of an island that kept us out of the wind. When you’re fishing with kids, very often you’re fishing with worms, and that’s what we were using here. We got the skunk out of the boat with a number of panfish before Tristan tied into this nice sheepshead.

sheepshead (freshwater drum) caught at Lake Champlain

It’s a four hour ride up, so we called it pretty early on Thursday and sat down to watch a movie. We planned to hit up Bulwagga Bay Friday morning.

Friday, May 5, 2023

So the next morning, I made one of my bigger boneheaded mistakes of all time (guess I have a fishing mistakes blog post to update soon). I had my son get in the boat with his life jacket while I backed it down the launch. Unfortunately, being tired or just an idiot (and maybe a bit of both) I forgot to tie the boat to the trailer and poor Tristan took a little ride into Champlain by his lonesome. He handled it like a champ and with some coaching was able to paddle the boat to shore where I joined him. We laughed about it, and he spent the rest of the weekend razzing me (He claims he’ll continue to do this for life).

You did great, buddy!

As planned, we headed up to Bulwagga Bay. Unlike the week before, the salmon fleet was nowhere to be found. The only company we had were two bass boats that blasted past us towards the back bay. We worked the western rip rap instead, but didn’t have much luck. The bay was as muddy as I’ve seen it, which might have something to do with it. I forgot the #1 rule of taking a kid fishing (get ANY fish in the boat as fast as possible) and quickly decided that we’d better head back to some proven areas in the south to fix that.

We continued to poke around drop shotting nightcrawlers and Tristan eventually hooked this nice bass. He was pretty happy though it didn’t come through in the photo. Perhaps he was still annoyed at me for the morning’s mistake!

child holding largemouth bass caught on Lake Champlain in May
Tristan still not looking that happy with me about the morning’s mix up.

Lunch in Crown Point, NY

After the chaos of the morning, and with the weather picking up again, we decided to hit up War Cannon Spirits for some nachos and soda. This is a new place, having opened recently in what used to be the local Agway. It has character, charm, and some damn good cream soda. I’m not much of a drinker so I can’t speak for their whiskey, but the nachos and especially pretzels are delicious. Frankly, there’s not a whole heck of a lot in the area as far as eateries with the old staples of Frenchy’s and Frenchman’s both disappearing, but this is worth the trip. I wish the owners the best of luck and hope it brings some business to the region.

War Cannon Spirits Dining Room in Crown Point, NY
The dining room has charm and plenty of seating for lunch, though I think you’d better get there early if you want a place to sit for dinner.

The Evening Catfish Bite

It stayed windy for most of Friday and we decided not to go back out. Tristan wanted to see one of his friends who lives up there and eventually I’d pick him up and take them to the Windchill in Ti, but first we’d catch some “Polish” catfish. We called them this because what they wanted more than anything was Rosol’s kielbasa. If you ever make your way to New Britain, CT, pick up a few links. It’s great for you and cats love them too.

Channel Catfish Lake Champlain
This catfish favored Rosol’s kielbasa.

Saturday, May 6, 2023

We had a late night Saturday with Tristan’s friend and didn’t wake up all that early. No matter as this time of year you’re often better off in the late afternoon than in the early morning. We started the day plugging away near the house and catching a number of catfish on kielbasa as well as yellow perch (no more forgetting rule #1 for this guy). And yes, I tied the boat this time.

We were off and on the lake throughout the day taking breaks as needed. We stuck around locally rather than making any long runs since this trip was really more about putting Tristan on fish than catching monsters. All the same, he had some good ones.

The day had a high of 57 degrees or so and the water temperatures climbed to the high 50’s low 60’s in the bays we were fishing. I think a lot of the cooler rainwater had a chance to settle and sink so the bays started warming and the fish started getting active. We didn’t notice many spawning bass yet (just one nest DEEP in the flooded woods with the telltale sign of a parent chasing away panfish). However, clown colored x-raps fished around flooded timber was too much for many chain pickerel to pass up.

Chain pickerel caught on Lake Champlain, May 2023
Chain pickerel love jerkbaits in the spring.

Towards evening, Tristan had luck with a cherry craw colored Rat-L-Trap. He caught several bass, the largest below. He was very proud as this was his first time using one of these lures. I’m sure all of you know the thrill of catching a bass on a “new” technique and his smile says it all. It was very hard getting him off the water to come home, and I could only convince him by promising an early start the next day.

largemouth bass caught on Lake Champlain, May 2023
This may be my new favorite photo of my son.

Sunday, May 7, 2023

Since I promised, we headed out early Sunday, right to where we caught them the night before. The water had cooled by 4-5 degrees over night and we didn’t see many boils. We did manage to catch a few fish (two chain pickerel and a largemouth bass) and I managed to get what I feel is a pretty sweet photo below, but we had to get off the water soon so we could clean up and head out. Until next time, Lake Champlain!

Sunrise on Lake Champlain
Sunrise on Lake Champlain.

Thanks for reading,

John Paxton

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