A 55 pound muskie is a trophy anywhere in the world, but when it is taken while casting for panfish with a Mepps spinner, it is an experience of a lifetime. Ask Anthony Sommers. You might also ask about the 17 pound walleye Roy Apple caught on a tiny 1/8 ounce jug, or the 9 pound largemouth bass Edgar Rheome took from his dock on a worm. Where might you locate these fellows? On Black Lake of course.
    Black Lake is in St. Lawrence County in northern New York State, only seven miles from the St. Lawrence River and Canada. This rather large swelling of the Indian River is located between the village of Hammond and the city of Ogdensburg and can be reached quite easily from Routes 12, 37 and 81. From end to end it is 17 miles and from a half mile to two miles wide, making it one of the largest lakes in the state.
    Despite  the fact that is has abundant popluations of large- mouth and smallmouth bass, northern pike, bullheads, crappie and a fair number of muskellunge and walleye, it receives very little fishing pressure. Even in the sum- mer there are few fishermen on Black Lake, and in the spring and fall it is virtually deserted. Most fishermen who come to the area fish the nearby St. Lawrence River and don't bother with Black Lake.
    To  be a successful fisherman on Black Lake, one has to know how, where, and when to go after each type of fish. First, let's take a look at the most abundant of the game fish in the lake -- the largemouth bass.
    Largemouth   bass seek water with plenty of cover such as lily pads, weedbeds, sunken logs, and shady banks. These prime spots are very plentiful and are usually found in bays and inlets. 4 -- 6 feet of water is ideal for largemouths.
    Largemouths  are home bodies. Most largemouths have their own private lairs which they rarely stray far from, even when looking for food. However, there are far more largemouths than there are lairs, so some are constantly looking for homes of their own. This means if you catch a largemouth, mark the exact spot. Chances are that if you return to that same spot in a week or two, a stray largemouth will have made its home there.
    The  best time to fish for largemouths on Black Lake is early in the morning and in the evening, before sundown. Cloudy days are much better than sunny days. A southwest wind that just ripples the surface of the water is ideal. My favorite time to fish for largemouths is just before a rain or any other low pressure system.
    When fishing for largemouths on Black lake my favorite tackle includes a 6 and a half foot spinning rod and an open-face spinning reel filled with 8 or 10 pound monoflament line. The best lures are surface lures such as poppers, or lures which run just under the surface such as spinnerbaits and weedless spoons with a pork rind attached.
    I  find that the best way to use these lures is to cast well past the desired area, then retrieve the lure as fast as you can. This will cause it to skitter along the top of the water. When a largemouth sees a fast moving object it will strike by instinct.
    Largemouth  bass fishing is my personal favorite because of the topwater action. When a largemouth sees your fast-moving lure, he must act swiftly, usually hurling his entire body out of the water, attacking the lure. I caught a 5 and three quarter pound largemouth using this method. Some of the local fishing guides have caught 8 and 9 pounders.
    "Pound  for pound the hardest fighting fish in the lake is the smallmouth bass," says Edgar Rheome, a retired fishing guide, who has been fishing Black Lake for 53 years. Rheome uses a 7 foot fly rod and a fly ree. His favorite places to fish for small- mouths are shoals (underwater rock beds).
    Shoals  are found on both sides of the lake in about 10 to 12 feet of water. If you don't have somebody with you who knows the lake, then you will need a depth finder to locate the shoals.
    Rheome  described his favorite method of catching these "battlers." "Anchor your boat on the edge of the shoal and cast a crab across the length of it. Let the crab sink to the bottom, then retrieve it very, very slowly. Don't let the crab crawl around on its own because it will only crawl under a rock."
    Roy  Apple, who has been a professional fishing guide for over 30 years, explained, "When the smallmouths are hitting, it doesn't matter what time of day it is or what the weather is like." Although he prefers fishing during daylight hours, Apple has caught several smallmouths at night. He prefers a green Flatfish or a floating River Runt when fishing after sunset. Apple explains, "Cast your lure out and let it sit for a few seconds, then give it a twitch by jerking the tip of your rod, let it sit another few seconds, then give it another twitch."
    Smallmouths come up to the surface at night to feed. This is why floating lures are especially good for night fishing. "Small- mouths hit expecially had at night," notes Apple.
    Fishing  for walleye and northern pike on Black Lake has diminished in the last few years. However, Black Lake still has an abundance of northern pike and its share of walleyes.
    Apple  and Rheome both can remember when they used to catch their limits of "pike" (walleye) every day. This doesn't happen too often nowadays, but

fishing for "pike" can still pay off if you know how to catch them.
    Rheome prefers to fish for walleyes in the spring, just after the season opens. He says that an ideal spot for walleyes is any place that there is a fast current. The best place to fish for them is under the Edwardsville bridge. There is a narrow channel there and a fast current.
    A six and a half foot medium action spinning rod is recommended for walleye pike. Your reel should be an open-face spinning reel filled with 10 pound test monofilament. The best live bait is minnows. My favorite lures are 1/4 ounce black or yellow jigs. However, Rheome caught a 10 pound walleye on a spinner with a walleye tongue attached. Apple, who caught the biggest walleye that I ever saw, a 17 pound monster, prefers 1/8 ounce black jigs.
    During  the summer months your best chance for walleyes is to fish the shoals, sandbars, and the outside edges of weedbeds in 8 -- 10 feet of water. Rheome's favorite summer lure is a june bug spinner with a worm attached. A cool, overcast, windy day is preferable.
    When  fishing for northern pike I use a 6 and a half foot medium action spinning rod and an open-face spinning reel filled with 10 pound mono. It is a good idea to use a 16 inch, 30 pound test monofilament leader on the end of your line, as northerns have razor sharp teeth. I have had many lines snapped because I didn't use a leader.
    The outside edges of weed beds are ideal places to fish for them. One-fourth ounce black or yellow jigs and Daredevil spoons fished in 10 foot of water are usually successful. However, Rheome once cuaght a 13 pounder on a spinner and fish tongue combination.
    The  best month for Black Lake northern pike fishing is May. A cool, overcast day with a slight southwest wind is recommended.
    There  is an abundance of bullheads in Black Lake. Bullheads like mud, plain and simple, therefore, just about any place you find a muddy bottom and 6 -- 8 feet of water there will be bullheads around.
    You  don't need any fancy equipment or lures for spring bullheads. All that is needed are cane poles with about 12 foot of nylon cord attached, night- crawlers, and a heavy sinker.
    Spring bullhead fishing is best at night. You can fish all day long, but you won't catch a bullhead while the sun is in the sky. The best method is to take your boat to a bay with a muddy bottom and still fish, using cane poles and nightcrawlers. Make sure you take a lantern with you so you can see what you're doing. I anchor the front end of my boat, drive a stake in the mud and tie the back end of the boat to it. This prevents the boat from swinging in the wind. A dark, calm overcast night is preferable.
    Fishing  for bullheads during the summer is something different. It is done in broad daylight, not at night. There are weeds in all the mud bottom bays in the summer. These weeds are usually so thick that you can't even get to the bottom of the lake with your line.
    A  trick that Apple, Rheome, and I use is to find a long wooden pole and attach a garden rake to it. With this device, we rake a hole in the weeds. Then, take the rake and violently stir up the muddy bottom so that mushrooms of mud reach the top of the water. The bullheads see this muddy water and gather there to feed. It's a good thing that there is no limit on bullheads because Rheome and I have caught hundreds of bullheads in a single night using this technique.
    One more good thing to know is that bullheads have very sharp horms on both sides of their head and just ahead of the dorsal fin. Being hormed by a bullhead causes extreme pain, so be careful. While fishing for bullheads you might be surprised and hook onto a catfish. Catfish generally are caught in the same water as bullheads.
    If  all else fails, you can always catch crappies in Black Lake. I use a 6 foot light action spinning rod and an open-face spinning reel filled with 4 pound test monofilament line. Crappies, even though they are panfish, are determined fighters.
    They  are fun to catch if you use a light action rod and light tackle; 1/8 or 1/16 ounce Mister Twisters, jigs, and beetles fished in 3 to 10 feet of water are usually successful. Shallow rock beds and rocky points are ideal crappie spots.
    Muskellunge fishing on Black Lake is not very popular. However, it should be mentioned because a 55 pounder was caught in the lake just a few years ago and each year bragging size muskellunge are taken from Black Lake waters.
    The  best method to catch muskellunge is to troll using heavy duty muskie rods. A heavy duty baitcasting reel filled with at least 30 pound test monofilament is recommended. Huge muskie plugs and spoons are the best tackle.
    Trolling  speed should be about 4 m.p.h. Sand bars and the outside edges of weedbeds are good muskie areas. Make sure you leave the brake on the reel while trolling. Don't use a landing net to get the muskie in the boat, as it will be ripped apart by the vicious muskie. A gaffing hook should be used to land it. A cold, overcast day is ideal. It also helps if a strong wind is blowing. Early morning and late evening are preferable for muskie fishing.
    Black  lake is also a popular spot for fall duck hunting and winter ice fishing.
    With this information you should be able to enjoy successful fishing trips to Black Lake. Camping facilities as well as tent and trailer sites are readily available all along the lake shore. There are three bait and tackle shops on the north shore of the lake. Boats and motors are also available for your convenience.
    So,  pack up your fishing gear and head out. It could be just the tonic you need this summer or fall.