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Black Lake - October 2017
A quick trip by myself to close up the cottage and catch a few late October smallies.
OVERVIEW
If you are new to the site, or don't know who JTime is (it's me, the guy writing this) then you don't know about my love for fishing. You soon will. It's more than just a love for catching fish though, it's a desire to get away into the wilderness ... or, at least, someplace less crowded than home ... for a short while to unwind and enjoy simpleness. Notice I didn't say relax. Fishing, at least the way I do it, is not for the lazy. It's on the boat at sunup and back to the dock after dark. It's tiring, the weather can be harsh, and I usually come home exhausted. I wouldn't want it any other way!
This particular trip was a bit different. I own a small fishing cottage on Black Lake way upstate in NY. Every Fall I sneak away for a few days to close things down and get some time on the water. Since it's just me ... no kids, no wife, no buddies ... I can fish exactly how I want and not worry about inconveniencing someone else. I don't have to keep the kids entertained or get back in time to have dinner with the wife.
Thinking about how to approach this trip, since I only had a day and a half of fishing, I decided on fishing big, main lake structure for smallies. Not just any smallies, BIG ones. There are plenty of shallow rocky areas on this lake to throw a jerkbait or spinnerbait and catch 30 small to medium sized fish per day. It's true though, what they say, about fishing for big ones means getting less bites. Also, hunting the giants is hard. You have to know where they'll be, find the right structure, stay on the structure (not easy in wind), present the right lure in the right way, and BE PATIENT. It takes determination, confidence, and perseverance.
A good day of fishing happens because you do all the little things right ... and you get a bit of luck. It's a beautiful thing, when it all comes together. That's what happened on this trip.
You can skip down to the video now if you just want to see the results. It's impressive if I do say so myself. Or, keep reading and I'll break down exactly how I searched out and caught these hefty Black Lake smallies.
LOCATION
This isn't complicated. The water temp was in the mid 50's, meaning the big smallies will be sitting in deep water close to shallow feeding areas. Fortunately Black Lake has two or three gigantic main lake shoals that drop down into some of the deepest water in the lake at 20'. I focused on two, the big shoal coming off the North end of Raspberry Island, and the two shoals off Wood Island ... which is really just one big shoal marked with two distinct sets of buoys. When in a feeding mood, the fish will move up onto the shoal and chase food. When not actively feeding, which is the vast majority of time, they slip down into the deep water and just cruise around. I knew I had to move slowly around the deep water just off the shoals and try to convince a neutral fish to bite. A big, old, smart neutral fish.
Largemouth in Black Lake spread out ALL over the place, hiding in unlimited weed beds. You can move anywhere on the lake and find them. Smallies are different. Sure, some smaller ones will scatter around, but the majority tend to group up on the best structure. I've found that to be rocky points, islands, steep drops, and shoals between the bridge and the narrows. There is soooo much amazing looking structure though, you'll have to check a few places before finding them. One thing I know is the shoals mentioned above are some of the very best spots on the entire lake. I have confidence in that. Confidence is important. Especially when you've been blasted by 15 mph winds for two straight hours without a single bite. The urge to move on and try another spot gets strong. Don't do it!!! If you know your spot is solid, stick it out. The fish are there, you know that. Grind it out and the payoff will be huge!
Lastly, shoals are a world unto themselves. These two particular shoals have steep drops, weedy tops, scattered rocks, slow gradual drops, and of course a front and back depending on wind direction or current. How do you know where to fish? You don't, really. Some will say fish the front where the wind is pushing baitfish up against the shoal. Others will say fish the backs where the fish can get out of the current. The truth is, once you find the shoal, it's time to go to work and hunt them down. Use your electronics and work methodically. Go with your gut here. Pick what you like best and slowly move around the shoal trying different baits until you hit one. Keep going until you find the pattern. On this particular day, I found them up and down the steepest drops on the back side, away from the wind. The bigger fish were always down deeper. The more aggressive fish were always up shallower. Everything was relating to those drop offs.
ELECTRONICS
Yes, good stuff is expensive. Yes, grandpa caught plenty of fish without them. Yes, some people will say it's cheating, or just playing video games. They can all go pound sand. I have limited time on the water and want every dang advantage available. I use a Humminbird 998 with down and side imaging. It's six years old and was fairly high-end at the time, although certainly not the best. It can take a mapping chip, shows great images of the bottom, has side imaging, and can talk to my trolling motor. It takes some getting used to so I HIGHLY recommend practicing with the unit. You don't want to spend over a thousand dollars on a device you don't know how to use.
Where the unit really shines is it's ability to communicate with my Minn Kota Ulterra trolling motor. I like to drive around the outside of the shoal watching my side imaging dropping waypoints right where the shoal levels off in deep water. This gives a very clear and distinct border on my screen of right where the shoal is. Then, by clicking on a particular waypoint and pushing one button, the trolling motor will take me directly to the spot and hold me there. It is the single best tool I have for boat control. It's a game changer. I realize the Ulterra costs $2,500 (I hope the wife doesn't read this) but it truly is worth it. I set the spotlock in 15mph winds and it held me firm for an entire day without draining the batteries to even half. That's really, really impressive.
I know, I know. You're saying, "but I can't afford close to $4k in electronics on my boat." If you truly can't afford it, then by all means don't buy it. Seriously, it's a want not a need. If you don't have the money but are still tempted to buy .... you have other problems. Let me give you this advice though. Buy a cheaper boat or a smaller motor and spend the savings on the electronics. Or, buy used! A top of the line fish finder these days will run you $3k, but a used one with 90% of the same capabilities can be had for $500. Oh, and don't EVER buy a new boat. Not ever. Do you hear me?!? It's such a waste of money. I fished for years out of a beat up old Sylvan I bought on Craigslist for a few grand and just recently upgraded to a five year old Alumacraft Classic 165 tiller. The new boat is much nicer, but it's still fairly modest and only a fraction of what a new boat costs. Anyway, my point is that a good fish finder and trolling motor with spotlock made my day of catching big smallies possible. Seriously, I could not have done it without those two things. You must have precise boat control to fish slow on the bottom in 15-20 FOW and high winds .... and be able to make short adjustments to pick apart the structure. I suppose on a calm day things would have been different, but how often is Black Lake calm?
LURES & PRESENTATION
I'll keep this short. Generic green pumpkin 3.5" tube, Rapala Shadow Rap jerkbait, Gary Yamamoto swimbait on standard jighead.
The tube gets worked slow with small hops. Half the hits came on the initial fall, the other half came while it was sitting still on the bottom for an extended period of time. The jerkbait is all about the pause. Jerk jerk jerk .... long pause. The swimbait I used two different ways, swimming quickly in shallow water, or fished just like the tube.
I didn't count, but I'd guess 20% on the swimbait, 30% on the jerkbait, and 50% on the tube. The fish were far from aggressive so it was all about SLOW & LOW.
RODS & REELS
I'm not cheap and I'll spend large sums of money on fishing .... but not when it comes to rods and reels. I love love love the Cabelas Pro Guide series rods. They come in a bunch of different length and action combinations, have a lifetime warranty, and only cost 30 bucks on sale. Seriously, why buy anything else? For spinning reels I just look for sales and hunt the discount racks and bargain caves. I like to find $80 reels for $40. It's rare, but it happens. My favorite reel right now is a Lews Mach 1 Speedspin that I found in the bargain cave at Cabelas already spooled with braid for $30. Score!
For line I put the exact same thing on every reel I own. 10 pound Power Pro braid with a 30" flouro leader. I either use 6lb, 8lb, or 12lb flouro, depending on the rod size, lure size, or water conditions. I use the Alberto knot to attach flouro to braid. Google it. It's super easy and I've never had it break. Braid is thin, strong, limp, super sensitive and lasts forever. Flouro is invisible in water, easy to tie, abrasion resistant, and has just a bit of stretch. My setup is the best of everything.
SUMMARY
This day and a half of fishing was all about having a plan and putting it into action. I knew in my head where big fish should be in the Fall, but I wanted to see if I was good enough to catch them. The lake was gorgeous, nobody else was out there, and I caught my first honest to God 5lb smallmouth from Black Lake. Not many people can say that. Obviously Spring and Summer are the most popular seasons to be on the Lake, but after the weekend I just had people might want to reconsider their plans for next year.
If you are new to the site, or don't know who JTime is (it's me, the guy writing this) then you don't know about my love for fishing. You soon will. It's more than just a love for catching fish though, it's a desire to get away into the wilderness ... or, at least, someplace less crowded than home ... for a short while to unwind and enjoy simpleness. Notice I didn't say relax. Fishing, at least the way I do it, is not for the lazy. It's on the boat at sunup and back to the dock after dark. It's tiring, the weather can be harsh, and I usually come home exhausted. I wouldn't want it any other way!
This particular trip was a bit different. I own a small fishing cottage on Black Lake way upstate in NY. Every Fall I sneak away for a few days to close things down and get some time on the water. Since it's just me ... no kids, no wife, no buddies ... I can fish exactly how I want and not worry about inconveniencing someone else. I don't have to keep the kids entertained or get back in time to have dinner with the wife.
Thinking about how to approach this trip, since I only had a day and a half of fishing, I decided on fishing big, main lake structure for smallies. Not just any smallies, BIG ones. There are plenty of shallow rocky areas on this lake to throw a jerkbait or spinnerbait and catch 30 small to medium sized fish per day. It's true though, what they say, about fishing for big ones means getting less bites. Also, hunting the giants is hard. You have to know where they'll be, find the right structure, stay on the structure (not easy in wind), present the right lure in the right way, and BE PATIENT. It takes determination, confidence, and perseverance.
A good day of fishing happens because you do all the little things right ... and you get a bit of luck. It's a beautiful thing, when it all comes together. That's what happened on this trip.
You can skip down to the video now if you just want to see the results. It's impressive if I do say so myself. Or, keep reading and I'll break down exactly how I searched out and caught these hefty Black Lake smallies.
LOCATION
This isn't complicated. The water temp was in the mid 50's, meaning the big smallies will be sitting in deep water close to shallow feeding areas. Fortunately Black Lake has two or three gigantic main lake shoals that drop down into some of the deepest water in the lake at 20'. I focused on two, the big shoal coming off the North end of Raspberry Island, and the two shoals off Wood Island ... which is really just one big shoal marked with two distinct sets of buoys. When in a feeding mood, the fish will move up onto the shoal and chase food. When not actively feeding, which is the vast majority of time, they slip down into the deep water and just cruise around. I knew I had to move slowly around the deep water just off the shoals and try to convince a neutral fish to bite. A big, old, smart neutral fish.
Largemouth in Black Lake spread out ALL over the place, hiding in unlimited weed beds. You can move anywhere on the lake and find them. Smallies are different. Sure, some smaller ones will scatter around, but the majority tend to group up on the best structure. I've found that to be rocky points, islands, steep drops, and shoals between the bridge and the narrows. There is soooo much amazing looking structure though, you'll have to check a few places before finding them. One thing I know is the shoals mentioned above are some of the very best spots on the entire lake. I have confidence in that. Confidence is important. Especially when you've been blasted by 15 mph winds for two straight hours without a single bite. The urge to move on and try another spot gets strong. Don't do it!!! If you know your spot is solid, stick it out. The fish are there, you know that. Grind it out and the payoff will be huge!
Lastly, shoals are a world unto themselves. These two particular shoals have steep drops, weedy tops, scattered rocks, slow gradual drops, and of course a front and back depending on wind direction or current. How do you know where to fish? You don't, really. Some will say fish the front where the wind is pushing baitfish up against the shoal. Others will say fish the backs where the fish can get out of the current. The truth is, once you find the shoal, it's time to go to work and hunt them down. Use your electronics and work methodically. Go with your gut here. Pick what you like best and slowly move around the shoal trying different baits until you hit one. Keep going until you find the pattern. On this particular day, I found them up and down the steepest drops on the back side, away from the wind. The bigger fish were always down deeper. The more aggressive fish were always up shallower. Everything was relating to those drop offs.
ELECTRONICS
Yes, good stuff is expensive. Yes, grandpa caught plenty of fish without them. Yes, some people will say it's cheating, or just playing video games. They can all go pound sand. I have limited time on the water and want every dang advantage available. I use a Humminbird 998 with down and side imaging. It's six years old and was fairly high-end at the time, although certainly not the best. It can take a mapping chip, shows great images of the bottom, has side imaging, and can talk to my trolling motor. It takes some getting used to so I HIGHLY recommend practicing with the unit. You don't want to spend over a thousand dollars on a device you don't know how to use.
Where the unit really shines is it's ability to communicate with my Minn Kota Ulterra trolling motor. I like to drive around the outside of the shoal watching my side imaging dropping waypoints right where the shoal levels off in deep water. This gives a very clear and distinct border on my screen of right where the shoal is. Then, by clicking on a particular waypoint and pushing one button, the trolling motor will take me directly to the spot and hold me there. It is the single best tool I have for boat control. It's a game changer. I realize the Ulterra costs $2,500 (I hope the wife doesn't read this) but it truly is worth it. I set the spotlock in 15mph winds and it held me firm for an entire day without draining the batteries to even half. That's really, really impressive.
I know, I know. You're saying, "but I can't afford close to $4k in electronics on my boat." If you truly can't afford it, then by all means don't buy it. Seriously, it's a want not a need. If you don't have the money but are still tempted to buy .... you have other problems. Let me give you this advice though. Buy a cheaper boat or a smaller motor and spend the savings on the electronics. Or, buy used! A top of the line fish finder these days will run you $3k, but a used one with 90% of the same capabilities can be had for $500. Oh, and don't EVER buy a new boat. Not ever. Do you hear me?!? It's such a waste of money. I fished for years out of a beat up old Sylvan I bought on Craigslist for a few grand and just recently upgraded to a five year old Alumacraft Classic 165 tiller. The new boat is much nicer, but it's still fairly modest and only a fraction of what a new boat costs. Anyway, my point is that a good fish finder and trolling motor with spotlock made my day of catching big smallies possible. Seriously, I could not have done it without those two things. You must have precise boat control to fish slow on the bottom in 15-20 FOW and high winds .... and be able to make short adjustments to pick apart the structure. I suppose on a calm day things would have been different, but how often is Black Lake calm?
LURES & PRESENTATION
I'll keep this short. Generic green pumpkin 3.5" tube, Rapala Shadow Rap jerkbait, Gary Yamamoto swimbait on standard jighead.
The tube gets worked slow with small hops. Half the hits came on the initial fall, the other half came while it was sitting still on the bottom for an extended period of time. The jerkbait is all about the pause. Jerk jerk jerk .... long pause. The swimbait I used two different ways, swimming quickly in shallow water, or fished just like the tube.
I didn't count, but I'd guess 20% on the swimbait, 30% on the jerkbait, and 50% on the tube. The fish were far from aggressive so it was all about SLOW & LOW.
RODS & REELS
I'm not cheap and I'll spend large sums of money on fishing .... but not when it comes to rods and reels. I love love love the Cabelas Pro Guide series rods. They come in a bunch of different length and action combinations, have a lifetime warranty, and only cost 30 bucks on sale. Seriously, why buy anything else? For spinning reels I just look for sales and hunt the discount racks and bargain caves. I like to find $80 reels for $40. It's rare, but it happens. My favorite reel right now is a Lews Mach 1 Speedspin that I found in the bargain cave at Cabelas already spooled with braid for $30. Score!
For line I put the exact same thing on every reel I own. 10 pound Power Pro braid with a 30" flouro leader. I either use 6lb, 8lb, or 12lb flouro, depending on the rod size, lure size, or water conditions. I use the Alberto knot to attach flouro to braid. Google it. It's super easy and I've never had it break. Braid is thin, strong, limp, super sensitive and lasts forever. Flouro is invisible in water, easy to tie, abrasion resistant, and has just a bit of stretch. My setup is the best of everything.
SUMMARY
This day and a half of fishing was all about having a plan and putting it into action. I knew in my head where big fish should be in the Fall, but I wanted to see if I was good enough to catch them. The lake was gorgeous, nobody else was out there, and I caught my first honest to God 5lb smallmouth from Black Lake. Not many people can say that. Obviously Spring and Summer are the most popular seasons to be on the Lake, but after the weekend I just had people might want to reconsider their plans for next year.