Lake Champlain has earned the reputation as being New England's premier bass fishing lake. The quantity of large and small-mouth makes the lake a big draw for professional bass tournaments. There are no special maintenance or organized stocking programs for bass on the lake. There are just lots of 'em. Host Lawrence Pyne joined anglers Randy Savage and Gilbert Gagner of "Bronzeback Guide Service" for a day of bass fishing on Lake Champlain.

Although Lake Champlain is renowned for it's fine bass fishing, Vermont has many smaller, less famous lakes that also offer excellent opportunities for anglers to reel in a hefty largemouth or small-mouth. One of the best times to enjoy the great bass fishing that these inland lakes have to offer is in the early fall — boat traffic is almost non-existent and cooling water temperatures have summer-fat bass back on the prowl. Host Lawrence Pyne joins longtime bass guide Rod Start of Tinmouth, Vermont for a mid-September outing on Lake St. Catherine, one of several outstanding bass lakes in southwestern Vermont.

In Plymouth Bay, Massachusetts, when you see birds on the water in the summer, they're chasing bait fish, and so are the Striped Bass that are running along the coast. Inland-based anglers come from all over New England to fish for Stripers, making it the number one game fish in Plymouth Bay. Stripers are for all kinds of fishermen. They're a great fish for kids to catch off of docks. They're for people who want to go out and dunk bait. You can dress sea worms for them, use a fly rod, soft plastics or stick bait. Stripers can weigh upwards of 60 to 70 pounds, and thanks to strict conservation measures, the fishing seems to get better every year. Host Lawrence Pyne joins guide Randy Julius of Misty Morning Charters on Plymouth Bay for a day of fishing for stripers.

Lake Champlain is the most popular lake in Vermont to come to for bass fishing. But for those willing to explore the Northeast Kingdom, Lake Memphremagog offers anglers an opportunity for some of the best largemouth and smallmouth fishing in the Green Mountain State. Lake Memphremagog is about 25 miles long and straddles the Vermont-Quebec border. It's full of structure, ledges and weed beds that provide a great habitat for bass. The average smallmouth you'll reel in is probably 2 to 2 3/4 pounds. But they can get up in the 4- to 5-pound range. Largemouth bass can get upwards of 7 pounds. Smallmouth BassBill Engelmann of Northeast Kingdom Guide service is convinced that many lakes in that part of Vermont hold trophy-sized small- and largemouth bass. It's all a matter of knowing your bait. Bill says, "You gotta feed them what they're biting on and the color that they want." Bass can be finicky. Sometimes you have to go through a lot of plastic and a variety of colors to hit on the right combination. But for those fisherman who know what they're looking for, the bass in Lake Memphremagog offer a chance to pull in a trophy-sized beauty that's loads of fun to catch. Host Lawrence Pyne joins Bill Engelmann of Northeast Kingdom Guide Service for a day of bass fishing on Lake Memphremagog.

Trout and salmon have traditionally been No. 1 in the hearts of Vermont anglers. But over the past several decades, more and more fishermen have begun to appreciate the state's outstanding bass fisheries. In fact, largemouth bass are now second only to brook trout in popularity among Vermont anglers, with smallmouth bass not far behind. And among visiting fishermen, bass are now No. 1. As interest in bass fishing has steadily grown in Vermont, so too have concerns about maintaining a healthy fishery. As part of the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Deptartment’s bass management program, biologists annually survey select lakes throughout the state. The surveys are designed to monitor the health and size of their bass populations, and to allow fisheries managers to respond to any changes in this increasingly popular

Ever since 1999 when legendary fisherman Roland Martin won the first major professional bass fishing tournament on Lake Champlain, the big lake has been hooking pro bass anglers from across the country. Lake Champlain’s large size and abundant largemouth and smallmouth bass have made it a favorite destination on the world’s largest bass fishing tours. Even when the fishing’s tough Lake Champlain is still number one with many pros as we discovered when we went fishing with a North Carolina man whose success on Lake Champlain has made him a rising star on the FLW Outdoors tour.

Canoes are perfect for fishing Vermont's countless small ponds. Native Americans developed these simple, versatile vessels over the course of thousands of years and they are well suited to exploring everything from tiny creeks to the shores of Lake Champlain. Today's canoes are lightweight, low maintenance and relatively inexpensive, and they open up a world of hidden waters that are either off-limits or inaccessible to larger boats. We visit Emerald Lake State Park as well as another local pond for some exciting bass fishing.