Fishing Dale Hollow Lake Fishing Tournaments - Guides - Licenses/Supplies - Trout Farm/Fishing - Stories March 17 April 30 May 7 May 12 September 17-18 October 6
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The Smallmouth Guru Every now and then, I get questioned about finding and catching a giant smallmouth. Some guys don’t care about numbers. They’ll fish for days looking for that one big bite that will put a big 5- or 6-pound bronze back on their wall and give them pictures to e-mail to their friends. And if this is you, then Dale Hollow Lake is the lake for you! Let’s look at some statistics: 5 of the top 7 smallmouth bass ever caught came from this lake. Furthermore, 13 of the top 25 have come from Dale Hollow Lake. So this is definitely the lake to catch such a fish! If you’re lucky, you might even get into the record book yourself. One place that most big fishermen know to look is humps, or sunken islands, out in open water. The best humps and islands are near channel breaks and around the deepest water in the lake - 2 to 20 feet is all the same, the big fish aren’t there. Most big fish are lazy and they don’t like burning energy. One of my favorite baits for catching big smallmouth is Float and Fly because it’s more normal to a fish in the water compared to a lot of others in the water, especially when water is below 55 degrees. The other thing is a jig that’s more realistic then lots of other baits. Going out and spending 2 or 3 days fishing for big fish requires patience - most people talk about it but can’t do it. So good luck and go fishing! P.S.: Most fishermen who go fishing say they are going to catch fish but is that what they are really looking for? Fish Bait Okay. Let’s talk fishing. I own a marina and so I should know all about fishing? Not true, I lack the desire and the ability to catch fish most of the time. I am a lazy fisherman.... put out a cheap fishing pole and then drink and talk until something bites... if nothing bites.... who cares. Some of our customers expect good information when they ask about the fishing on Dale Hollow Lake. So I do the next best thing. I have family and friends do the talking when fishing comes up around the dock. My brother, Ross, and nephew, Austin, have really picked up some fishing skills over the last few years.... even learned where the great secret fishing spots are.... so the customers get good information and most catch fish. It should be noted that they don’t always share the fishing spots with me! I guess it must be some bass fishermen code of conduct rule. Sure you have the fishermen that will use any type of bait.... tackle they were given by grandpa or found at a flea market or garage sale.... and a boat so old and ugly that you wonder how it even floats. They fish for crappie, catfish, and bluegill. Live bait is what they use. I bet there are not any fish mounted on the walls at home because they eat the fish for dinner. I love to talk to these guys. One day, I was telling a customer a story about how my son, Nathan, and I went to the Percy Priest Lake a few years ago to fish off the dock for a few hours. Right away, we started catching fish.... almost every time we dropped our hook in the water we caught a fish. After about ten minutes or so, a dad came walking up.... a bit confused. He said he had bought minnows, worms, crickets, and tried everything in his power to help his kids catch fish. They had been there for hours.... caught nothing!! He was very frustrated and asked “what in the world are you using for bait?” I was honest.... “Hotdog buns”. I know Ross overheard the story. I heard him snicker. He is mostly a bass fisherman. So if I was to say that “hotdog buns” are the best bait I have ever tried..... You can bet that Ross and all those other die hard bass fishermen would be laughing hysterically. That evening, I got out my $19.99 fishing pole with a #2 gold hook and rolled up a hot dog bun dough ball and dropped it in the water at East Port Marina. I reeled in fish after fish. Ross laughed a little for the first few.... guess he thought it was luck. I still don’t feel like I have earned his respect when it comes to fishing.... honestly that will never happen. But it sure did feel good the next night, when I walked out on the dock and saw Ross, the bass fisherman, with a hot dog bun catching his share of the bluegill off the dock. So the next time you come to East Port Marina and ask what kind of bait we sell.... don’t laugh when you hear “hot dog buns”.... because it works!!! Fishing at Dale Hollow Lake The Smallmouth Guru Fishing on Dale Hollow Lake has been a privilege as well as a great experience — knowing that you are on the greatest Smallmouth Bass lake in the world and that at any time you can catch a Smallmouth of a dream. A strike like this, happening to a man like myself (who has been chasing Smallmouth since I was old enough to hold a fishing rod), nothing would make me happier. If you read the book, The Big Ones by Darren Shell of Willow Grove, it will give you all the information about the lake and all the record Smallmouth Bass that have been caught on Dale Hollow Lake. For example, did you know that the people that come to Dale Hollow Lake don’t know that out of the top seven Smallmouth Bass ever caught, 5 came out of Dale Hollow Lake? Just fishing a lake with this type of history, whether catching a fish or not, is a privilege. In Darren’s book, it talks about how, when, and where these Smallmouth Bass were taken. During early winter through spring is the time to catch the real “Big Ones”. When fishing Dale Hollow Lake, I recommend fishing with a guide your first day on the lake. When trying to find a good guide I would suggest calling Dale Hollow 1 Stop located in Celina, TN, 931-243-2636. Another idea is to go to the website: www.punisherlures.com and email the “Smallmouth Guru” and ask about the fishing and fishing guides. A lot of people come to Dale Hollow Lake to fish a very clear water lake. A good friend of mine named Billy Westmoreland used to say “a man that fishes stained color water struggles with water this clear because he always fishes too shallow. A man that has fished clear water all his life has no problem fishing Dale Hollow Lake.” Most people that go to Dale Hollow 1 Stop looking for advice from the Smallmouth Guru are told first thing, by the Guru, that they are fishing too shallow. Fishing with the “The Smallmouth Guru” Dale Hollow Lake fishing is more than just a fishing trip, it’s an experience! Just imagine fishing a lake that has crystal clear water surrounded by wilderness, no houses, & an incredible big fish history. The beauty surrounding it is just breath taking. In the spring, when all the trees & flowers are blooming on all the hillsides, it’s absolutely stunning! There are many species of fish in Dale Hollow Lake, but I want to talk first about the fish I love the most, the king of all game fish, the Smallmouth Bass. Dale Hollow Lake has a history of BIG Smallmouth Bass. A gentleman and a great fisherman, DL Hayes caught the World Record Smallmouth Bass out of Dale Hollow Lake weighing 11 Lbs. 15 oz. in 1955. Since that day, 5 of the top 7 Smallmouth Bass have been caught at Dale Hollow Lake and all of the 5 weighed over 10 pounds each. When you start looking at the thousands of lakes in this country, and as far as that matters the World, 5 of the top 7 is an astonishing number! Dale Hollow Lake’s set limits for Smallmouth Bass are one under 16” and one over 21” which makes a 4 lb. Smallmouth an average fish. Some people would mount a fish that size. People come from all over the world seeking to catch one of these mammoth bronze backs. One question that I get asked all the time is - “When is the best time to catch a big Smallmouth Bass?” If I had to say a particular time frame to catch a big Smallmouth Bass, I would have to say around Thanksgiving to early May, because this is when the Smallmouth Bass are full of eggs, but remember that catching the big one is only part of the experience. The other species of fish in Dale Hollow Lake have grown in popularity due to the efforts of state agencies in KY & TN, and the effect this has had on these species. These agencies have great stocking programs. Crappie are commonly being caught between 10”-15”, but some have been caught between 15”-18”. The abundant Walleye population is usually caught from 15”-24”, but some are being caught 28”-34”. Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, and some called Shell Crackers are being caught at 12”. Not a bad catch by any stretch of the imagination. I lost my best friend & fishing buddy to cancer this year. The memories come racing back every time I fish on Dale Hollow Lake. These memories are monumental and a precious part of my life. Take time to enjoy the scenery, capture the moment in time, and most of all enjoy catching the Big one with family & friends. Stephen Headrick |