Guided Bass Trip on Black Lake 7/12

[GuidedBassTrips]

Thursday 7/12 I had Phil Maranto and Chuck Prohl on board for a guided bass trip on Black Lake. They booked with me for Wed and Thurs and wanted to try the St. Lawrence the 1st day and Black Lake the 2nd day. Phil and Chuck are both originally from Maryland and are both over 80 yrs old.

After fishing the crystal clear water of the St. Lawrence River Wednesday, even I was shocked at how green the water has gotten on Black Lake in just the last few days. And the fishing we had today showed. They still preferred to catch smallmouth so I brought along 3 dozen crayfish to go along with the lure fishing. I did not have any shiners on board. The most consistent action was some largemouth on a weedline on the senko. The biggest might have been 3 lbs and even that spot seemed slower than normal. The crayfish produced 4 smallmouth total on 3 different spots. They would catch one right away and then nothing and I would have to move. Surprisingly the crayfish produced no largemouth. Usually when the water gets green the crayfish produce quality largemouth on the bottom when the smallmouth aren't biting. They totaled about 10 bass and quit at 2pm. All bass were released.

Right now I would say Black Lake may be at the beginning of it's annual algae bloom especially if it continues to be dry. Which each year usually requires a change of tactics and most importantly slowing down. Despite tougher fishing, I always say the fishing here is still better than many other lakes during the heat of the summer. The algae bloom period seems to always be a challenge especially during mid-day hours. Early and late will more than likely be the best action for the next few weeks.

Good luck to everyone fishing the lake.