Lake Champlain United - Forums

Had a first ever experience while fishing near Stave on Saturday. I was checking some of my historically productive late season steelhead and big salmon spots , when the probe side rigger fired, the reel screaming and the tip bent almost to the water. This was instant adrenaline as I hadn't had a release all day. The bait was at 65, just above the break over 80 fow, so I know it wasn't a Laker. I'm thinking steelie all the way as I grabbed the rod and felt the pull for 3 seconds. Totally disappointed, I still could feel a little bit of drag on my line, and reeled in an impaled lamprey. Evidently, a big fish must have slashed at the lure and on his luckiest day ever, I promply pulled the lamprey off. I have caught lamprey before, but never felt a fish in the process. Bummer, this was my chance of the summer, but if that lamprey held , would it have been a legal catch?

That's nuts. Congrats?

wow jeff ugh

I think we need a master angler class for these “fish”. Catch and keep only. Min length of say 18 inches and sign that you have not intentionally released any shorter to grow up.

Jeff a few years ago we landed a Lake Trout that was only caught by the Lamprey and lost a couples others the same way you did they fight like crazy when the are only hooked by the Lamprey

I caught and filleted a lamprey just like that back a few years ago off Split Rock. Never saw the fish but copped a good feel.