Two Days On The Black

[Al Agnew]

I've seen a number of rivers where the fish will feed in those wide open shallow flats, but usually there is some kind of cover along the edges, even if it's only some brush or a slightly undercut root system of some tree along the bank. But I was finding fish in places where from riffle to riffle there simply wasn't anywhere for them to hide. In that ultra-clear water, you'd think that no fish would feel comfortable is such places. It's surprising how they blend into the bottom, though; light colored brassy bronze fish against clean gravel. Often you don't see the fish first, you only see its shadow. And you'd think that you'd be able to see every fish in the river, but I'm sure you don't.

There was one big pool, one of the best looking pools on the whole stretch because it was deep but not a rocky pool, instead having big submerged logs everywhere. Near the head of it, a big shadow came out toward my lure, but saw the canoe before taking it. It then just hung there in the water in plain sight, and it was an easy 20 incher. Then, as I drifted slowly down the pool continuing to fish, that big smallmouth stayed a bit in front of me, seeming to just watch me, all the way down the pool.

One other big surprise that I forgot to mention...there are a LOT of big carp. And a lot of channel catfish. All the catfish were about the same size, 14-16 inches long, and they were swimming around in schools like suckers in some of the deeper pools, right in the middle of the day. Weird.

[Jerry Rapp]

  On 8/29/2014 at 6:32 PM, Al Agnew said:

One other big surprise that I forgot to mention...there are a LOT of big carp. And a lot of channel catfish. All the catfish were about the same size, 14-16 inches long, and they were swimming around in schools like suckers in some of the deeper pools, right in the middle of the day. Weird.

I have had fun this summer with those carp and cats in a deep hole. Bread dough ball and ulta light rig. Those carp can sure make the drag scream. But even they get shy after catching a couple. Have to let them rest for 30 to 45 minutes after catching a couple before another one will bite. One day it seems to be carp, the next day the channels.

[MOsmallies]

Awesome pics.... Man I love that river!

[Smalliebigs]

thanks for posting the pics Al!!!!! very sweet.....my boy MOsmallies and I have an almost goofy love affair with that river.....I often wonder how many big Smallies remain in Clearwater in the summer???? I bet it changes from year to year.

"Yep, I agree a smallmouth around 16.5" to 18" are the best fighters.".....I agree too Mitch but, the 20 I caught down there in June was one of the hardest fighting freshwater fish I have had in awhile....ask Paul....it darn near broke my rod....crazy hot fish....a precious Bronze jewel from the Black....I'm with you Mitch.....I have two Jackson Cossa's and a solo canoe sitting in my garage collecting dust...the truck is gassed up....let me know.

[Jerry Rapp]

  On 8/29/2014 at 8:12 PM, Smalliebigs said:

I often wonder how many big Smallies remain in Clearwater in the summer???? I bet it changes from year to year.

hardly any In the summer. I caught a 6 incher last summer in July, and a friend caught a similar size one later that summer. And at Lake Killarney (on Stout Creek), you catch smallies all winter, but never in the summer.

I always thought that a year round smallie population might establish itself at Clearwater since the winter weigh in tournaments always release the fish at the dam. I guess not, and I assume as soon as the water temp warms to that magic temp in March, or the length of days become long enough, they take off and head to the Black or Logan Creek.

[Smalliebigs]

That's wild Jerry...I guess the water Temps aren't good for them in the summer in the lake??? I didn't know about stouts and kilarney have the same migration thing going on...that's cool. The whole migration thing down there intrigues me to no end...very wild stuff that only locals like you know much about....wild

[Smalliebigs]

Also Jerry have you fished Logan much???..I always wanted to hit it

[Al Agnew]

  On 8/29/2014 at 11:44 PM, Smalliebigs said:

Also Jerry have you fished Logan much???..I always wanted to hit it

Yeah, I've been curious about lower Logan Creek. I think there's only about 10 or 12 miles of it that holds enough water in the summer to have some smallies, since most of the creek is dry most of the summer, its flow sinking underground to emerge at Blue Spring on Current River. I have looked at it on Google Earth, and it looks like that lower few miles is still pretty shallow, gravel-choked, and open to the sun, with most of the riparian corridor clear of trees. Still, it might hold some good smallies that winter in Clearwater. I've never heard much about catching them up the Logan arm, though; not like you do the fishing on the upper Black River arm of the lake in the winter. Maybe it's a well-kept secret

[Jerry Rapp]

for every 15 or so smallmouths that you catch on the Black River side of Clearwater in the winter, you will catch one on the Logan side. As far as Logan Creek itself, I have fished all the way to the first riffle. The lake has to be about 2 feet above summer pool to idle over the big mud flat (about 1/2 a mile) before reaching the creek proper. It clears up real nice, and you can see several largemouths in the moving water, but I have never seen a smallmouth in that part of the creek, but this has always been in the summertime, usually June.

[Blazerman]

Beautiful pics and awesome fish.Thanks for sharing and I can see why you all love it.