Black Lake 8/6 to 8/13

[bridget]

Well on Saturday August 6, we headed up for our third and final trip to Black Lake for 2016.

 

Temperature was high, water level low.

 

Was concerned about my dock with the low water level, but being prudent of keeping the motor up to the maximum, it worked out OK.

 

After being greeted by the locals and exchanging hellos the word was fishing was slow.

 

It was a little breezy and with the fishing report what it was we decided to relax, have dinner and enjoy the evening.

 

Got out about 6:00 A.M. on Sunday. Breeze started out from the south so I started at the NW side of Tin and drifted to Raspberry. Many very dink perch with only a few keepers. Headed over to the markers on the NE side of Raspberry. Breeze changed to the west and I drifted to the other side of the lake. Caught a few crappie with a couple keepers. Breeze went down to next to nothing. Motored over to the Pimple and by now the little breeze was from the North and drifted slowly south. Drifted almost to Devils Grave Yard and most action was dink perch and sunfish. Kept a few. Decided to pack it in about 10:30. Not a very promising start. The wind picked up after lunch so we never make it back out for the day.

 

You never know what the perch bait situation will be at McClears. Sometimes OK, other days poor or non-existent. Sunday’s situation was a supply of very small minnows in not so good shape. So on Monday after getting the boat set up I headed to the Log Cabin about 10 to 6:00 A.M.. They were open and the bait was great – good size and very healthy. Breeze was from the south so I started up on the NW side of Tin and drifted. Again many dink perch, and a crappie or two and some sunfish. Fortunately as I almost hit the end of Raspberry and was getting in a little shallow I hit some good Perch and quite a few crappie. Did the drift and a couple of times and anchored once. I noticed that the crappie were right at the eight or nine foot weed line. This proved to be very useful for setting up the rest of the week. Not a bad morning. 22 keeper Crappie, A couple dozen keeper perch and about 10 keeper Sunfish. Too breezy to fish in the afternoon.

 

Got bait again Tuesday at the Log Cabin. Started at the NW side of Raspberry at the weed line. Got a few keeper Crappie, Perch and Sunfish but not hot. Decided to hit the SE side of Raspberry and drift North at the weed line. Game on for Crappie. Limited out on keeper Crappie by about 11:00. Also had a 5 second surprise right on the weed line. One of my minnow poles doubled over, I grabbed it and herd and saw a terrific splash and saw line peel only to come up with limp line. One of the two dropper leaders was cut. Not sure what pound test it was, but definitely more than my 6 lb. main line. I believe a pike cut it? Not sure if it one of the minnows or maybe I had a small fish on and it hit that? Will never know. Again, after lunch, to breezy to fish. Bridget and one of the local gals took a trip to Ackwasanne  to spend the night.

 

Wednesday to breezy and unsettled to fish, so I cleaned fish and did some on-line time for work.

 

Thursday again got bait at the Log Cabin just before 6 and headed to the East Side of Raspberry at the weed-line. My morning would be short today, since I was the host for an on-line meeting at 10:00 A.M..

Was doing well and by 9 and  had 13 keeper crappie and few perch and sunfish. Drifted in a little too shallow and bumped it out just a little. Before I got my lines back in I got a check by DEC in a 14 foot Aluminum Boat. He checked my license and took all my fish on to his boat to examine. In view of the number of Crappie I had been catching, some immediately go into the bucket, some immediately went into the lake and few were measured. Glad I did. DEC comment was that I could only keep 12 more and that a couple of fish were just nine inches. I knew both. Not worth keeping the shorts. I was wondering about the precision of measuring when one the crappie of kept was gill hooked and bleeding and just nine inches. Better to throw away a 8 and 15/16 inch and see it picked up by the gulls than to get a day ruined with a ticket. With the very high throw-back to keep ratio, it gets tempting, but my advice is don’t. That would have ruined my week, for a few fillets I definitely don’t need.

 

The heat Thursday afternoon was brutal. Bridget passed on going out after lunch. I did. Crappie action was pretty steady right where I left off. Caught another 11 keepers and at about 4 decided to go in to see if Bridget would like to give it a try. She didn’t – heat was too much. She also commented on that one of the locals that was packing it in for the season just pulled his boat and that I should as well given the forecast for Friday and Saturday. After checking my phone for the weather reports, I agreed with Bridget and pulled the boat.

 

Friday A.M. I cleaned fish from the day before, showered and we went on a road trip to Alex Bay, Clayton and Tibbets Point. Nice way to end up the week, although the heat was brutal to sight see for any length of time. Strange this was that it was 92F when we left Alex Bay. Heading back to Black Lake with dark skies the temperature dropped 20 degrees.

 

With showers Saturday A.M. not many boats outs none of the locals, Always sad to see some ending and leaving for the last time. We planned on going back with 3 gallon bags of fish (less than normal) when while we checking out, Mrs. McLear told us she found another bag of our fish at the bottom of the freezer from the July trip.

 

So it’s on to Point Breeze and Oak Orchard for Salmon fishing. While we anticipate catching big kings in the weeks to come, can’t wait for next year for our excursions for Black Lake Pan Fish. The guys at the hunting camps this fall are going to have some tasty treats.