13 days at Dale Hollow Recap ( LONG)

[elnutsmalljaws]

I could type for hours if everything that I will remember on these 13 days had to be put down so only the top of the list highlights will be noted and even then pretty long so don't start reading unless you have the time and want to experience some excellent fellowship, great fishing, heartbreak hotel and LOG SALMON.

First of all the most important part of all, Fellowship and Friendship. This site has allowed me to meet many different people. I have been told that I give up too much information and am way too nice when it comes to taking guys out fishing and not asking for anything in return. Maybe so and I have been taken advantage of in the past where guys never even offered gas money or anything else, not that I would have taken it but the offer would have been nice, but I have met some of my best friends doing this as well. I am not going to list all of them because I might miss a couple but will focus on the 2 fellas that I spent time with the most during the trip and have become extremely close to both of these guys. Mike Willey, 3sons, and Roy Nave, Bonefish, are the best. Mike and I met about 4 years ago and the story is well noted on this site. Since we have become very good friends to the point where he will drive 3 hours to see me in the hospital or just to sit with me at home recovering. Being a business owner his time is crucial and him taking time away from this makes it even more special. When we fish together, his wife makes me COOKIES - Persimmon (sp) COOKIES at that and they are GREAT, plus he brings bags and bags of dried peaches (which I just finished off what he sent home with me). He won't let me carry anything at anytime to help keep me from busting something. Carry's my tacklebox to and from everywhere, unhooks and hooks up the boat, pretty much all I have to do is get in the boat and get out of the boat. We fish, laugh and talk about business, marriage, parenting and life in general. One heck of a nice guy that I am proud to call more than a good friend. I wished we lived closer because I know our friendship would do nothing but grow. Thank you very much Mike for not only fishing with me the past couple of years but all the thoughts, prayers and just being a good friend. Roy Nave, Bonefish, and I met thru this site and he works at my second home, UK Hospital. He would come and check on me every day sometimes during the day and others when he got off work would sit for hours and talk with me. The man is 127 years old, actually 64, and rides a bike to work everyday. He would spend a full day working, 2 hours sitting with me and fully knowing he had to ride a bike the couple of miles home. He, Mike and myself spent the last 5 days together and I knew these 2 would hit if off and how they did. These 2 fellas are way deeper and smarter than me and would use these words that had 46 letter and a couple of hyphens that made my brain hurt. I tried to get them to use words of 5 letters or less so I might understand what they were talking about but they did not know any of them. The 3 of us had a ball and I had them on more than one occasion doubled over in the boat laughing so hard that their sides were cramping. Mike fell off the top deck and over my driver seat at one point and was telling me to stop because of spasms in his side. Needless to say, we had a ball together and being the first time that Mike and Roy were together, I knew they would hit if off and they did. Another friendship was started between these 2 that will last a very long time. Thanks to both of you for sharing time with me and I really appreciate everything that you did. They would not let me pay a penny for gas in the boat or explorer and even paid for the cabin for the week. How many times can you say you left for a 6 day fishing trip and spent less than $100 for the week and the bulk of that is when I paid for their supper Saturday night. Thanks fellas.


The first 3 days were down for the Billy Westmoreland Tournament. I made a post on this portion of the trip already and won't go over the OUTSTANDING events that happened, well maybe a couple. Prefished Friday and hit probably 25 spots, caught 14 fish while leaving fish and could have had 25 or so if we sat on them. I had written down my top 20 spots at home before leaving and put them in a sheet protector based on the current water level and where I had caught them in the past. Man did that list ever hold up because Spot number 1 was the winning tourney spot that we sat on all day Sunday and the first 9 spots on the list all produced fish during the 3 days at some time. Caught fish all over the lake but pretty much knew where we would end up fishing. Fished about 10 spots on Saturday and then 1 spot on Sunday, except for 5 cast on two spots coming into the weigh in. Never forget the look on John's face when the big girl jumped, Scared - Amazed - Oh Crap - Are my knots going to hold - Is my line good enough - Excited, and probably another 15 adjectives that I can't spell. Great experience from start to finish that I will never forget and like John said in his post, been beating my chest like a Silver Backed Gorilla from time to time. The plaque is on my wall in the living room next ot my Smallmouth Bass print that my buddy Chunknwind got me and it looks GREAT. 27 years, 54 fishermen on this planet have one and Catchemall and myself are lucky enough to be 2 of them. Thanks John for a great 3 days and a lifetime of memories.

Mike joins me sunday night after the Billy and I meet him at the One Stop. He buys a new All Pro FNF rod and we head to the cabin to get out stuff unpacked. We hit the water on monday and Mike catches a 21 1/4 incher for his first fish on the new All Pro. We have several more fish but nothing like his big one. Tuesday was a different story, my first spot and the bobber goes under like a ton of bricks was attached and this fish comes at the boat so fast that even with my hookset and reeling as fast as I can gets under the boat and comes off. I am not a happy camper because this is about the 6th time this has happened in 5 days on the water. I make another cast and am telling Mike that I feel sorry for whatever takes my bobber under next and within a few seconds it did, the most violent hookset that Mike has ever seen and the line never moves. This fish decides to finally move and jump one time and she is a HOSS. I get her to the net and she is 6-2 and beautiful. Mike takes a couple of pictures and back in the water she goes. I spin the boat around and get back on the exact same spot and wham a 5-0 comes calling to the net. Not bad for 2 overs this size in 2 cast. We catch a few more, change spots a couple of times and then get on this spot that had a perfect eddy coming in on the best part of the point. Mike makes a cast into the honey hole on this spot and a big girl takes it. She jumps 2 times and is another HOSS. Into the net she goes and she weighs 5-4. Pretty good day when you are culling 5-0 over fish because she is not one of the biggest 2 of the day. Mike is about as happy as one guy can be and I am as well. Better to watch and net his fish than to land the 6-2 of my own. Very proud and honored to know his biggest to date that I had a part in. Nice job Mike. We fished Wed and Thur in gale force winds, caught fish but no overs but still a few good 4 + pounders and came home Thursday night.

Went back down Sunday. Monday until 11am was the best fishing conditions that I have seen in 5 years of fishing Dale. Complete cloud cover and no wind and the fish were hungry. I had 14 by 11am and 19 for the day including a 5-5 and 5-1 and lost a fish early in the day that cost me 20. I found 2 new spots by patterning my #1 honey hole and the 5-5 came off it plus a 4-8 as well. This new spot would become more and more relevant as the week went along. Tuesday and I catch a 4 pound Greenfish off the new spot and get broke off by a fish that I could not do anything with as she takes me under the boat. We ended up with 15 for the day but nothing bigger than the Greenfish. Wed and Bonefish joins us for the week. He had never fished the fly before and I started him off with an 11 foot leader. He was in the middle making his "throws", that is a cast for anyone less than 127 years old. After 2 "throws", I was putting on the glasses because of the fear of "throws" hooking me in the "cornearetinaeyeballouscious" (per Bone and 3sons vocabulary) EYES in my vocabulary. Mike and I had a couple and then Bone takes a break from fishing, the embombing fluid was oozing from his pores, and breaks out a snack - BANANA. I seen this and just about jumped overboard and swam back to the truck. You don't bring banana's in the boat. He knew nothing of this and thought I was pulling his leg. I told him that he would not get a bit or catch a fish all day long, and he did not. Even tied us on 13 foot leaders as the sun came out and we still caught a couple but nothing for Bone. That night several of us met in the kitchen as Boone cooked some Striper, thanks Boone for the fish, and I just mentioned Banana in the Boat and everyone said NO. That night was tough on Bonefish and he laid in the tub for an hour trying to get the embombing fluid to stay inside but he was feeling pretty rough. But being 127 and "throwing" a 13 foot leader most of the day will wear out even a 64 yr old man in good shape. Thursday Mike and I fished but we missed the first couple of hours because of ice froze in my water line and the motor would not "pee". But eventually thawed and worked but we missed the best bite. Still caught fish as soon as we pulled up on our spots and we had a couple bump the 20 inch mark but no overs. Thursday night and a few more came down and stayed in our cabin awaiting for the big cabin to open on Friday. I made a MONSTER pot of Jambalay for all that night and I think 6 of the 8 that were there ate becasue there was not much left. Nobody died that night so I guess it was edible. Friday morning and I cooked Sausage, eggs and Biscuits for 7 of us and again noboady died. I went out with easmallie and on3 3eyed willi3, Eric and Vaun, that morning to show them around and hopefully help them catch one on the fly and spot number 1 produced, bluegills 1 for each of them. then both were "throwing" the fly pretty good and working it thru the grass very well plus were getting used to the grass bite versus a fish bite. I stayed with them for a couple of hours and then got in my own boat, that Mike and bone had and were catching fish. Bonefish caught his first over that morning but Mike's scales were not working and he did not get mine out of my box. It went just around 5 in looking at the picture. He is busting my chops because he has 2 and I don't have any even though I only made 1 cast to show Eric and Vaun how to work the jig. We move to a spot and I hook one and it comes off, then catch one, then break one off and then set the hook on one as Mike is coming forward with a cast and I thought I had broke both of our rods when they met. It bent 4 of his eyes flat and jarred me to death. Then IT happens. I move to a spot that has produced big fish all week long and make a cast. The jig is hung up on something and I can feel it is a stick so I rear back and set the hook. the stick is a LOG and nothing but weight is on the end of the line, not like a stick that will move in the water. I am sticking my rod tip in the water yelling get the net, she is coming up, please don't jump and Mike grabs the net (he is in the middle). I whisper to him to give the net to Bone and MIke knows something is up but still does not know I have a log on my hook. I am pulling drag out by hand to make it more believable and working the rod like I have a monster. Bone has the net in the back of the boat and man is he ever ready. Knees bent, Bart Simpson Hat adjusted, and I am on the trolling motor to get this LOG to the back of the boat, Get it Get it, I yell and he stabs at the LOG and misses, then sees what it is and looks at me with this confused, what the heck is that, did I just fart or crap myself, look on his face. I am busting at the seams and Mike is just about to have a coronary as he is laughing so hard and Bonefish yells out "you Son of a Buck you, I thought you had a fish". mike and I am crying and laughing so hard. I have never laughed that hard in my life. Caught a few more Friday and Saturday, lost a reallly good fish on Saturday but really nothing to speak of fishing wise.

Friday night was the Winter Get Together meeting and we had 17 of us show up along with Steve Headrick. Too bad that Onemorecast56 could not make it because he would have had a good time. Did the door prizes and giveaways and I think it all went well. The bag with the lowest amount of stuff in it was worth about $80 and the bag worth the most was worth about $400, so still a pretty good investment for the $20 that everyone paid. Steve gave up so much knowledge about the lake, shad, fishing techniques and other stuff that I believe was helpful to everyone. It was very good to put some faces with names. I think it went well at least from the comments that I got it did. It lasted a couple of hours and then it was off to getting ready for Saturday.

Fished Saturday and caught fish but nothing of note, except for the 1 1/4 inch bluegill that pulled my bobber under and I set the hook and literally flew the fish into the boat on the hookset AT THE END OF A LONG CAST. I had line and bobber all around me and this little fish at the end of my jig. Mike was on the phone and watched the bobber go under and then the hookset. Never had that happen before but also never had a 1 ounce fish trying to eat something just smaller than itself. Most of us met at El Rays for some Mexican food and a few fishermen truths and laughs. Back to the cabin we went to get ready for Sunday. I call home and talk to the wife and son and my 6 yr old is having a cow wondering when is Daddy coming home. Gone 13 out of 15 days for the first time is too much time away and won't happen again, that is for sure. I felt horrible after hanging up the phone and decided it was time to go home. Packed up the stuff and all 3 of us left that night. I got home around 2am and got to spend all day Sunday with both of them before my wife went back to work today. My son is home with me until after the new year and we are making up for lost time this morning.

Great 2 weeks, great time with a bunch of Idiotic Winter Fishermen like myself and it was nice to meet everyone face to face. thanks to all for everything and a HUGE thanks to Mike, Roy and John for making the overall experience a lifetime memory.

[elnutsmalljaws]

Did you know that 15,000 characters is the most you can put on a post because I had to shorten the one above due to exceeding the limit?

[smallyfly]

All them 5lb and 6lb fish and not one picture??? I'd sure like to see a few of them!

[elnutsmalljaws]

All them 5lb and 6lb fish and not one picture??? I'd sure like to see a few of them!

Plenty of pictures on 3sons camera and mine. I have no clue how to post them maybe he does. Surely he will chime in and could post. Not one for taking pictures myself just ask those that fish with me, too busy trying to get her in the water and make another cast

[smallyfly]

Sure would like to see a picture of 2 of some trophy fish like that if they got em! Maybe one day I can learn to fish the fly and have some "spots" like you got that produce those kinds of fish!

I'll keep plugging away and puttin in my time though.

[Bonefish]

The fingers have thawed and the brain cleared to some degree so I will say again that I had one of the best times of my fishing life this past weekend. It was great to meet and fellowship with everyone there. It is true Mike Willey and I became great friends. His friendship I will treasured. I just hold his involvement in the Log Salmon trick on me against him. He just enjoyed that way too much. I thought Elwood would pop a hernia on me from laughing too hard. When Elwood gets you down, he keeps his big foot on you until you can't breathe. To take advantage of good net man is way too low I think. When I fish with him again, I may hold that trophy fish for ransom and watch him sweat a little. Again, I learned a lot from Elwood. He pays attention to the least little detail when he fishes, and it is that detail that puts fish in the boat more than not. As far as Steve's talk, what can one say. He knows his stuff, and it was a pleasure to listen to him and to everyone else who shared their skills. In closing, I will treasure all of Elwood's crazy jokes and funny stories that only he can tell. I personally have seen how hard it has been for him to be in the hospital all of the days for all of those surgeries, not being able to do what he loves best, and he still makes people laugh and cares for them. And also, I think you can tell how much he loves his family. Thanks again Elwood for all your effort and time to make this past week such a memberable experience for all of us. Bonefish

[elnutsmalljaws]

The fingers have thawed and the brain cleared to some degree so I will say again that I had one of the best times of my fishing life this past weekend. It was great to meet and fellowship with everyone there. It is true Mike Willey and I became great friends. His friendship I will treasured. I just hold his involvement in the Log Salmon trick on me against him. He just enjoyed that way too much. I thought Elwood would pop a hernia on me from laughing too hard. When Elwood gets you down, he keeps his big foot on you until you can't breathe. To take advantage of good net man is way too low I think. When I fish with him again, I may hold that trophy fish for ransom and watch him sweat a little. Again, I learned a lot from Elwood. He pays attention to the least little detail when he fishes, and it is that detail that puts fish in the boat more than not. As far as Steve's talk, what can one say. He knows his stuff, and it was a pleasure to listen to him and to everyone else who shared their skills. In closing, I will treasure all of Elwood's crazy jokes and funny stories that only he can tell. I personally have seen how hard it has been for him to be in the hospital all of the days for all of those surgeries, not being able to do what he loves best, and he still makes people laugh and cares for them. And also, I think you can tell how much he loves his family. Thanks again Elwood for all your effort and time to make this past week such a memberable experience for all of us. Bonefish

Thanks Bone, I will add that Bone got me back in a BIG WAY. Mike and Bone would not let me carry anything out to my Explorer when I packed up Saturday night so they was doing it for me. When everything was in the truck and boat we said our goodbye's and off I head to the house. I get in around 2am or so and just pulled the boat into the driveway figuring I would back it into the garage on Sunday. I go out Sunday afternoon and there are 4 bananas in the driver's seat of my boat. This crazy fool has put Bananas in my boat. I will never catch another fish out of this thing as long as I live. We have spent many an hour in the hospital room together and unfortuneately there will be more of that coming. One good thing about the next hospital stay is that I will have a lot more stories to tell that involve the two of us in the boat together. The Log Salmon is in my all time top 5 and will be hard pressed to be removed. Glad you caught your first Smallie and your first over fish in my boat Bone and there are plenty more where that came from. Had a ball and already can't wait to fish together again. I will bring you the Super Duper Extra Absorbant Depends for you next time.

[GeoFisher]

Woody........I know a Voodoo witch doctor that can exorcise those bad BANANA demons from your boat.........

He just requires a good FNF day on the lake as payment

Let me know and I will hook you two up.

Later,

Geo

[elnutsmalljaws]

Woody........I know a Voodoo witch doctor that can exorcise those bad BANANA demons from your boat.........

He just requires a good FNF day on the lake as payment

Let me know and I will hook you two up.

Later,

Geo

Sorry George after having to defend myself on other boards as to what I catch, whether my boat actually floats or not, and if I can even cast the FNF, then I can't make any FNF day on the lake payments. Getting pretty tired of Keyboard Commandos that could not catch fish from a Video Game questioning fishing abilities. First to admit not the best at anything but pretty **** good at the fly and would put my skills on Dale Hollow Lake against anyone down there, big time name, big time guide or just the common joe like myself. Love this time of year and hate it at the same time. Too many people come out of the woodwork wanting spots, colors, where, when, who, how, why........Hitch her up to the truck and put her in the water and learn like most of us did, trial and error, miles and miles of running and gunning, time spent on the water. Time to have my login id changed on all of the fishing boards that I am a part of so nobody will bother me. You won't find another person that is as giving of information as I am and when absolute idiots question what I say then that is enough for me. Been thru way too much, too many surgeries and too many days recovering to have to tell lies as to whether I can fish or not, what I catch or not. Get a grip fellas, life is too short and there are way too many more important things on this planet whether or not you caught a fish or not.

[GeoFisher]

Don't worry about it bro.............Some people simply don't get it.......I've ran into those all my life.

I've had people call BS with regards to my Canada Trips....even though I've posted TONS of pics......

I've had people call BS with regards to KY trips..........WHO CARES......I know what I catch and what I'm doing......Don't CARE if you do.....

Don't let it bother ya.

Later,

Geo

[3sons]

Elwood and Bonefish are way too nice. Won't go into the story on how I met Elwood but I'll get real defensive when anyone says anything negative about him. This guy shows a total stranger the best day of his life out on Dale Hollow lake then marks a detailed map for him so he can show his boys a good time out on the lake. I will quarantee if you would fish with Elwood one time and not have the time of your life, you either are not breathing or have no sense of humor. Elwood is scheduled to go back for major surgery shortly and I will ask all of you to call in any and all "favors" To The Great Physician for his well being.

It was great to meet Bonefish. Again another gift of Elwoods'. I feel like I've met another friend for life and plan to spend some time with him and his wife.

Ok, enough of that. I would love to post the pictures of our trip if I knew how. I've got them on my computer now and can send them in an email but I'm not smart enough to know how to import them to this website so if anyone can give me some help here I'll be happy to do so.

I know I don't want to slight anyone at the get together. I spent most of my time obviously with Elwood and Bonefish but met some great guys down there this weekend and really hope we can all do it again. Thanks to all that attended and made the weekend so memorable.

[parker]

Ill try and help with the pictures. Start a reply thread then minimize this screen, pull up your pics, right click, then click copy. Maximize this screen and right click and then click paste. Hope this helps.