Nice! Thanks for the great report.
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Spent the last 3 weekends on the holler. Fishing has been tougher than expected but I am learning winter time on Dale slowly but surely. With the lake being somewhere around 12-14' higher than normal as well as being several degrees colder than normal It's been difficult finding the bass, especially from the kayak! About 3 weeks ago I went down with my dad and found a few bass in the thicker grass edges on small swimbaits, last week was pretty much a total bust for me, I found plenty of bait, grass and all the right stuff just couldn't get the bite dialed in.
This weekend was better, I managed to find a few quality smallmouth on channel banks near grass and more importantly situated on or very near main and secondary points. fish I've been seeing are anywhere from 15-30' and definitely off the banks. I've been playing with the float n fly, not any success YET, but I will keep trying. This week my best bites came on a Football jig and the A-Rig both fished excruciatingly slow. Water temps were anywhere from 49-51, with the lake being pulled really hard right now.
My patience really paid off Saturday with this 22" beast that came off a point on the FB jig in about 20'. I did not weigh her but have had many smallmouth at or over the 6lb mark and I feel safe to say that this one was between 5 3/4-6lbs.
I have to throw out a huge thank you to GeoFisher for really showing me what it takes to locate these big brown fish as well as Rick Hise for helping me narrow down some specifics. You gotta love the knowledge and access to knowledge that this message board provides. I've been a member here for years and can't imagine a better place to share info or meet great folks who love to fish! I plan on heading back at least 1 or 2 more times this winter and will let you all know how it goes!
Nice! Thanks for the great report.
Thanks for update
Nice report, thank you. Do any of you old timer's remember the TV show's with Billy Westmoreland fishing for big Lake trout in Dale during the winter month's? Same thing with the Musky. I know Smallmouth rule the lake but there are other fish in there also.
GeoFisher liked this post
dang nice winter smallie there Jay, congrats
MagikSmallie, GeoFisher liked this post
Thanks for taking the time to post this report! I guess i'm an old timer because I remember when Billy and Bill Dance were fishing for those lake trout ,both kept trying to get the other one to lose there fish and man they were landing some monster fish too.
That's a trophy fish! A lot of people would mount that fish.
Great job!
No offense to guys who would keep a fish like that, but I just could never rob the Hollow of her, she has lived there a long time and deserves to keep spawning those genes as much as possible...but I may consider having Gunners make me a replica!!!
thanks for the shoutout buddy.........Spent the last 3 weekends on the holler. Fishing has been tougher than expected but I am learning winter time on Dale slowly but surely. With the lake being somewhere around 12-14' higher than normal as well as being several degrees colder than normal It's been difficult finding the bass, especially from the kayak! About 3 weeks ago I went down with my dad and found a few bass in the thicker grass edges on small swimbaits, last week was pretty much a total bust for me, I found plenty of bait, grass and all the right stuff just couldn't get the bite dialed in.
This weekend was better, I managed to find a few quality smallmouth on channel banks near grass and more importantly situated on or very near main and secondary points. fish I've been seeing are anywhere from 15-30' and definitely off the banks. I've been playing with the float n fly, not any success YET, but I will keep trying. This week my best bites came on a Football jig and the A-Rig both fished excruciatingly slow. Water temps were anywhere from 49-51, with the lake being pulled really hard right now.
My patience really paid off Saturday with this 22" beast that came off a point on the FB jig in about 20'. I did not weigh her but have had many smallmouth at or over the 6lb mark and I feel safe to say that this one was between 5 3/4-6lbs.
I have to throw out a huge thank you to GeoFisher for really showing me what it takes to locate these big brown fish as well as Rick Hise for helping me narrow down some specifics. You gotta love the knowledge and access to knowledge that this message board provides. I've been a member here for years and can't imagine a better place to share info or meet great folks who love to fish! I plan on heading back at least 1 or 2 more times this winter and will let you all know how it goes!
Lots of other people who I owe kudos to for helping me down there.........theBassMan30 has been instrumental...But one of the best down there ElnutsSmallJaw....also gets huge props for helping show me the way.
I'm glad you got into some good fish.........
later,
Geo
you might try a silver buddy blade baitSpent the last 3 weekends on the holler. Fishing has been tougher than expected but I am learning winter time on Dale slowly but surely. With the lake being somewhere around 12-14' higher than normal as well as being several degrees colder than normal It's been difficult finding the bass, especially from the kayak! About 3 weeks ago I went down with my dad and found a few bass in the thicker grass edges on small swimbaits, last week was pretty much a total bust for me, I found plenty of bait, grass and all the right stuff just couldn't get the bite dialed in.
This weekend was better, I managed to find a few quality smallmouth on channel banks near grass and more importantly situated on or very near main and secondary points. fish I've been seeing are anywhere from 15-30' and definitely off the banks. I've been playing with the float n fly, not any success YET, but I will keep trying. This week my best bites came on a Football jig and the A-Rig both fished excruciatingly slow. Water temps were anywhere from 49-51, with the lake being pulled really hard right now.
My patience really paid off Saturday with this 22" beast that came off a point on the FB jig in about 20'. I did not weigh her but have had many smallmouth at or over the 6lb mark and I feel safe to say that this one was between 5 3/4-6lbs.
I have to throw out a huge thank you to GeoFisher for really showing me what it takes to locate these big brown fish as well as Rick Hise for helping me narrow down some specifics. You gotta love the knowledge and access to knowledge that this message board provides. I've been a member here for years and can't imagine a better place to share info or meet great folks who love to fish! I plan on heading back at least 1 or 2 more times this winter and will let you all know how it goes!
GeoFisher liked this post
Very nice SM, congrats!!!
Great report and a great fish. I’ll begin my annual pilgrimage to the Hollow on January 1st and I can not wait. As Geo made mention of, I owe just about everything I know about fishing Dale to Elwood Lumpkins. Many years ago he and I went down on New Year’s Day and had an all world haul. Several 5s, several overs, doubles, and a fantastic ‘competition’ bite. What is that you may ask? Well, I cast out and begin to wiggle the bobber when it just disappears. Not in the typical FnF fashion whereby with a slight gulp, your bobber is pulled down. No, it was there and then it was not and that fish hit my fly on a 13 ft leader with however much braid I had out on the cast and the line went straight taut. She hit it and went down as fast as she could. Elwood notices and says that’s a ‘competition’ bite. She wanted to nab it and get away quick. He says this as he casts in proximity while I’m playing my fish. His bobber sets up and boom, down it goes. My fish was small and easily brought to the boat and released while he’s playing his. I grab the net. I’m nervous. He’s shouting that this lady has shoulders and may be his largest ever out of Dale. I’m more nervous now. Get her to the net and she’s a solid 6.5. I would have called her 7+ and we are both ecstatic. We caught a lot of fish after that and it was truly an all world day that we will never forget. I fish that same exact spot for one full day solid each year. Not moving whether the fish are there or not. With each cast I make during that day I remember the smile on his face and the knowledge he shared with me during our times on that lake. My PB is a 12.5 LMB, I’ve caught 200 lb tuna, and 100+ pound tarpon, bonefish out the wazoo, big big trout, and tiger fish and Nile perch in Africa but nothing, and I mean nothing, beats a 4 pound SMB on the fly at Dale Hollow in January.