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...but come Father's Day, the Lake Champlain Fishing Derby in Burlington is prime-time, luring big-time anglers and first-time fishermen by the thousands.
Started in 1982, it's the nation's largest fresh water derby, with anglers going after 11 species from yellow perch to landlocked salmon, trout, bass and pike.
Lunkers as big as 15 pounds are hauled in, and big cash prizes for
winners add to the allure. Best of all, it's a catch and release derby, with funds raised going to conservation efforts on the 120-mile long lake, the largest outside the Great Lakes and one of the finest fisheries in the East.
If you can't drop in to drop a line at the LCI, consider fishing some of the state's other lunker lakes, which are gaining national recognition for angling. For largemouth and smallmouth bass, try Lakes Bomoseen and
Hortonia west of Rutland, Lake St. Catherine in Poultney and the Connecticut River.
For salmon and lake trout, Maidstone and Willoughby, Memphremagog,Seymour and Caspian, Harvey's and the Averill Lakes are well worth a try.
For LCI information., call 802 862 7777 or log on to www.lciderby.com.
Vermont's Department of Fish & Wildlife has information on licenses and
angling, 802 241 3700, www.anr.state.vt.us/fw/fwhome/
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