Look out for the Lake Monster

This week’s competition will, no doubt, see plenty of Lake Champlain’s big green residents. But, while hefty largemouth bass could make or break some anglers’ performances, we’ll be watching closely and listening intently for any reports of this beautiful lake’s most famous green resident.

His name is “Champ” — the Champlain Lake Monster.

Sometimes called “Champy” and broadly known as the American Loch Ness monster, this elusive creature of serpentine form is generally described as having a long neck, a thick body of 15-50 feet long, four fins and a long tail. Sounds familiar? That’s the basic profile of a plesiosaur — the long-extinct marine reptile upon which the original Loch Ness monster legend is based.

Some link “Nessie’s” longstanding story to a lineage of plesiosaurs that have survived in the narrow Scottish lake’s dim depths, which connect via the River Ness and other waters to the North Sea. Compare this to Champlain’s narrow, deep form and its Atlantic Ocean connection via the Champlain Canal-Hudson River and the Nessie-Champy resemblances draw a collective “Hmmm.”

A history of mystery

Think what you want, but Champ has existed, albeit more in lore than evidence, for several centuries. Samuel de Champlain, the French cartographer/explorer who founded Quebec (1608) and discovered his namesake waters (1609), is said to have made the first non-indigenous lake monster report.

The Abenaki and Iroquois cultures both include legends of a large snakelike creature inhabiting Champlain. The former were said to have cautioned early 18th century French explorers that disturbing lake waters could irritate what they called Gitaskog.

Since then, Champ sightings have run the gamut from tourists and local anglers to an 1873 railroad crew that caught a glimpse of what they described as an enormous serpent. In that same year, Clinton County Sheriff Nathan H. Mooney reported a similar creature that he estimated at 25 to 35 feet.

Also in 1873, the steamship W.B. Eddy reportedly ran into Champ. Passengers said the collision nearly capsized the vessel. Apparently, Champ survived the incident, as sightings continue to this day.

P.T. Barnum no doubt fanned the flames of oddity seeking in 1873 by offering $50,000 for Champ’s capture. I mean, who wouldn’t pay to see a real lake monster at the World’s Fair, right?

Champ, of course, never made it to the Greatest Show on Earth, but folks continue to catch fleeting glimpse of what they believe is, indeed, the Champlain Lake Monster. During a BASS Live on-the-water commentary, Elite angler Seth Feider, who’s having a tremendous tournament, shared his personal experience of a past Champ sighting.

“He came up out of the water and waved to me,” Feider said with his trademark deadpan delivery. “I felt a connection to him.”

Don’t laugh, the Champ mystique has garnered significant media attention, with its story told on programs such as The Today Show, NBC’s Unsolved Mysteries, Fox Network’s Sightings and the Discovery Channel; as well as in Discovery magazine and numerous newspapers and travel publications.

Local love

Despite many years of impassioned reports and a handful of intriguing photos, skeptics have dismissed the Champ legend as either a figment of numerous imaginations or simply widespread misidentification — perhaps a sturgeon or longnose gar of exceptional proportions.

But don’t say that to the locals who love their legend and honor it in many forms. Historical markers and various Champ statues adorn Champlain waterfronts; in particular, Port Henry, N.Y. built a large statue and holds “Champ Day” on the first Saturday of August.

The sports world has also embraced Champ, as 2005 saw Vermont’s Minor League Baseball affiliate, once known as the Vermont Expos, change its name to the Vermont Lake Monsters.

Now, if that P.T. Barnum reference has you concerned for Champ’s wellbeing, fret not; Champlain’s legendary inhabitant enjoys legal protection in New York and Vermont. Take pictures, point and stare, but do not harm or harass Champ.

You can get in big trouble.

Think we’re kidding?

In 1981, Port Henry declared its waters a safe haven for Champ. The following year, Vermont passed a House Resolution protecting the creature, with the New York Assembly and state Senate following suit with 1983 resolutions.

Yep. The fishing’s great on Champlain, but locals love their Lake Monster.

One thing’s for certain, Sunday will see a new Bassmaster Elite champion. Maybe before the tournament’s over, we’ll spot the local Champ.

We’ll keep watch for any unidentified creatures in the background of BASS Live shots. If Feider sees anything interesting, you can bet he’ll let us know.