I just left Black Lake. Fishing was brutal. I spent 12 hours on the water Saturday, and we only caught 7 fish all day. We even fished an hour after dark. We caught a couple Nothern Pike, and the rest Largemouth. I tried every lure in my box. I tried deep and shallow waters, and every shoal around. I fished Sunday morning for four hours and only grabbed one pike, and one Largemouth. Where were all the Smallies? What was I doing wrong? Lmao. Oh well, that's why it's called fishing. I did talk to a few people up here and they said it was super slow right now, and that they were surprised that it hadn't turned on yet. They said the SM should have been in the shallows already and crushing topwater. I just have to wait until June when I know it's great fishing. Until then it's monthly trips to Lake Okeechobee!!!

Be glad you weren't in Florida this weekend. I just arrived down here and we are being pounded by unrelentless rain from a tropical system. The weather is better at Black Lake right now. I don't know what to tell you about the fishing on Black Lake. I had a wonderful guiding season up there, but I did leave questioning the smallmouth population in the lake. My customers caught more of them last year than this year. The largemouth are doing fine. But it may still be early yet for the easy fall bite up there.

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Captain Randy Yager

Sup Capt. Yeah, just couldn't figure out a pattern this weekend for the SM. Maybe your right and it's just a little too early yet. I still had fun being out on the lake. It beats being at work. Maybe we could hook up and I'll use you for a guide trip on Black Lake and/or Okeechobee. Good luck on the Big "O". I might be going down November 8-12 during the good moon phase. Might get some BIG females coming in to the beds. Talk to ya later, and thanks for responding to my posts.

Was up there this weekend with a buddy. Fished all day Saturday and only caught 7-8 marginal Large mouth and 1 moderate sized Pike. The fishing was slow. We had the best success north of the Edwardsville Bridge on Yum Monkey Craw. Fishing was best before 10 and after 3. Tried just about everything else, live bait, worms, terminators and other assorted plastics. The conditions were fairly windy so that might have had something to do with it. Other fisherman on the lake were reporting slow conditions as well.

Had the same experiece this past weekend. tryed everything i could think of except live bait and only pick up a few small ones. hope it picks up! going back in 2 weeks to close the camp for the winter. already looking forward to the june opener.

Lmao, ok it wasn't just me. I agree it was best in the early morning and early evening. That's where we caught all our LM was north of the bridge. We caught them on swimbaits. Hoping the SM action turns on soon cause I'll run back up for a few days. If not, have to wait until June.

I also just got home from BL. We had 10 guys, some pike were caught with mepps and SM with surface lures.
My guys caught some real nice crappies. On Sat which was the best day, in 3 hours we caught over 100 crappie and save 50. Sun 35 and 24 on Monday. They were hitting dead or alive minnows, rea/white tur bait, and bare red hooks. Great weather and good food and cards.
The fall foliage was beautiful, we will be back next year.
Doug

Doug 1940,
What part of the lake did you get your crappies on?
Thanks, Tori

Doug 1940.....are you 71?!!