Fisherman reports encounter with lake creature

MORIAH � Donald Brazee, a retiree from Watervliet staying in Moriah, saw something on Lake Champlain Saturday.

Something dark, in the water, with three humps that looked suspiciously like Champ, the fabled monster believed to lurk in the lake�s depths.

When the sun�s noon-time rays lazily lapped against Brazee�s boat, Salmon Seeker, Lake Champlain was perfectly still.

Then, something that at first appeared to be a wave, came out of nowhere.

"All I know is, it�s big."

Very interesting story, I had never heard of "Champ." The one guy said he speculated it could be a huge sturgeon, but that doesn't explain the three humps.

I found some interesting info about "Champ" as well as some other reported sightings.

CHAMP: A BRIEF HISTORY

BELIEVERS VS. SKEPTICS

CHAMPQUEST SEARCH

LAKE CHAMPLAIN'S "CHAMP" PICTURE

This famous photo of the Lake Champlain monster was taken by Sandi Mansi in 1977. Thousands of people, dating all the way back to the Abenaqi Indians, claim to have seen the creature. This very deep lake lies on the border of New York and Vermont and is accessed by sea through the St. Lawrence Seaway. The first recorded sighting took place when Samuel de Champlain came upon the lake in July 1609. During this expedition, the French explorer noted "a 20-foot serpent, with a horse-shaped head and body as thick as a keg." Since then, sightings of the strange aquatic beast have been reported by over 300 people, many documented in Joseph Zarzynski�s definitive book Champ--Beyond the Legend written in 1984.

Sounds like a good place for a fishing vacation, make sure you bring your camera! I've always been curious about the LochNess Monster, this seems similar and is actually in driving distance for me.
Who's up for a "Champ" Hunt??

I hope you can bring a boat!

Lake Champlain covers an area of about 490 square miles, making it the sixth largest body of fresh water in the United States. It is 108 miles long, 12 miles across at its widest point and has a maximum depth of 399 feet.

www.ferries.com...

Actually, on that site it says there is a ferry that crosses the lake. I am guessing though that anything as big and loud as a ferry will most likely be avoided by an elusive cryptoid.

A champ hunt would be fun. It's about a 10 hour drive or so for me. I used to live near a lake in Idaho (Payette Lake) that has had something like this seen a few times, they call it Charlie (female pronounce SHAR lee).

I wish someone would get definitive proof of one of them at least.

By Diane E. Foulds

BURLINGTON, Vt. -- On a chilly morning in June, a team of scientists using underwater microphones picked up a series of strangely high-pitched ticking and chirping noises, similar to what a dolphin or Beluga whale would make. Trouble is, they were miles from the ocean, on Lake Champlain.

Von Muggenthaler was on the lake doing research for the Discovery Channel, which had just finished shooting a TV documentary on ''Champ,'' the legendary Lake Champlain monster.

Although the recordings are still under analysis, they offer the most compelling evidence to date that the creature might actually be real. For ECHO, a Vermont aquarium and science center that opened its doors this spring on the Burlington waterfront, the timing was eerie: August is ''Champ'' month.

FULL STORY

OK, I am definitely ready for a trip to Lake Champlain to do some fishing and "Champ" hunting. The article mentions a $50,000 bounty on the head of Champ placed by PT Barnum in the mid-1800's, dead or alive and the money remains uncollected.

Just to be safe, laws protecting the creature from harassment are on the books in Vermont and New Hampshire, and sightings continue.

Even if the reward were still valid and the law did not protect the creature, I for one would not beable to collect the reward, as even if I could get the animal, I only hunt for food. Therefore, I would not kill it just to get 50k. I could use the money, no doubt about it, but I think "proof" could be gathered in a manner other than KILLING the animal.

Tourist season dryin' up, eh? Got to get 'em there somehow..... Good plan...

God dam wouldnt that suck to encounter a sea monster.

It might not be a crime to kill an unknown creature like Champ but it sure as hell would be a sin! Still, I would love to look for the thing....

Originally posted by ImAlreadyPsycho
I would not kill it just to get 50k. I could use the money, no doubt about it, but I think "proof" could be gathered in a manner other than KILLING the animal.

I would have no intentions of killing it, but I would LOVE to see it up close. Maybe get some good video footage and/or digital pics or even befriend him and get a ride around the lake.

Has anyone ever been to Lake Champlain, I bet the fishing is unbelievable. 490 square miles, just imagine the size of the largemouth you could pull out of there. I do intend to visit sometime soon and make a litlle fishing vacation out of it, I'll no doubt have my camera and a camcorder. I'm sure everyone up there has their own little "Champ" stories, I'll be sure to pass them along.

We've heard about Loch Nessie for what? 40 years now? Three expeditions that I KNOW of have been there and found NOTHING... hmmm

P...
m...

I had this book once, forgot the title... but it showed a japanesse boat catching a carcass of a creature looking like nessie, any one have info on that?

I read in Jerome Clark's book "Unexplained" that the samples which were retained from that creature were tested and proved to be a basking shark. However, he did not document this claim, but I am guessing that a basking shark is a more likely if more mundane explanation rather than a plesiosaur.

Although I do wonder if perhaps these so called "lake monsters" are really deep ocean creatures that migrate via underground springs to the lakes to spawn or raise young. That last bit is complete conjecture on my part, however it would explain alot of the obvious problems that having a monster in your lake presents, such as food supply, breeding population etc..

From the Japanese Trawler

"Von Muggenthaler declined to speculate on the size, nature or physical characteristics of the creature her equipment monitored. She acknowledged there is no evidence the lake is home to a freshwater whale or dolphin.

The biosonar noises picked up by the equipment sound like a rapid series of ticks and are emitted by underwater creatures in their search for food. What is unusual about the sonar heard in this case was its volume: Ten times louder than any known fish species in the lake. She said the irregular sequence of tick sounds also ruled out any chance the noises were produced by a mechanical device or fish finder. " www.para-normal.com...

[Edited on 15-9-2003 by AlienS]

Thats really interesting. I think this is more legit then the whole nessie thing. But I think that there is something out there.

Originally posted by William One Sac
I read in Jerome Clark's book "Unexplained" that the samples which were retained from that creature were tested and proved to be a basking shark. However, he did not document this claim, but I am guessing that a basking shark is a more likely if more mundane explanation rather than a plesiosaur.

Although I do wonder if perhaps these so called "lake monsters" are really deep ocean creatures that migrate via underground springs to the lakes to spawn or raise young. That last bit is complete conjecture on my part, however it would explain alot of the obvious problems that having a monster in your lake presents, such as food supply, breeding population etc..

From the Japanese Trawler

thats the book... and the thing.... thanks 1sac

there are deff things under the sea we dont know about this world is huuge and scientists r basically always wrong when it comes to natural life.