Guided Bass Trip 9/12

[GuidedBassTrips]

Wed 9/12 I had Jim and Mike Kelly on board for a guided bass trip on Black Lake. They are brothers from PA but Mike now lives in Kansas. They have hired guides all over and have fished the St. Lawrence but this is their first year at Black Lake. I told them about the algae bloom and weeds this year being more extreme than normal and its effect on fishing the lake. Just like my last trip on Monday, I suggested that they begin fishing the bottom right away with crayfish rather than starting with artificials. I get customers that would like to see a variety of methods, but as a guide, I prefer to see them catch fish. I figured I would try artificials later if things slowed. On the first stop it was slow to start and Mike finally gets one and its a smallmouth about 6" long. And it remained slow until Jim catches a 2 lber that battles good, but we continue to sit there a while until both catch another 2 lber. Its slow but at least they are the right species. Finally I decide to move them to the spot that was the best on my last trip and they begin catching them more consistently. But it is slower than last time and the bites are also more subtle. Today there are no clouds and the wind is also picking up. I decide to have them throw artificials in 2 different spots for largemouth alternating between a swimbait, a frog, and a senko. And they catch nothing at all. I told them they would be better off with the crayfish and went to another shoal. Mike catches 2 largemouth and the 2nd one is a 5lber. Then Jim hooks up with the biggest smallmouth of the day about 3 1/2 lbs. Then I went to 3 other spots with no bites. So I returned to the spot that was the best earlier, Mike hooks up with another big smallmouth and it gets off. Then Jim sets the hook and battles and battles a bass and I'm thinking its another strong smallmouth. It comes up to the boat and its a bigger largemouth than the one before. So not alot of bites today but the quality was good. All bass were caught on circle hooks and released.

[Ballz out Bassin]

Hey Capt how are you. I read your posts and it seems like you put a lot of time on the water up there, and sounds like you know your stuff. Just wondering what your opinion is on how the Fishing should be the last weekend of September up there. Weather is cooling off and I just wanted to know if the bite should be picking up in two weeks. Thanks.

[GuidedBassTrips]

It depends on the weather that weekend. Some assume the fishing is always good in the fall, but I find it depends on the weather of each day. For instance the dash for cash tomorrow has post cold front conditions which usually means a tough bite. We'll see how they do. The lake is now starting to clear on the south end and could be entirely cleared by the last weekend. That may get them to bite better on artificials simply because they can see better and will chase farther. I tend to like a warming trend in the fall. Good luck.