Dale Hollow Trip 3/15-18

[skeeterjames]

My dad and I spent 3.5 days on the lake and all I can say is wow! All together we had nearly 100 smallmouth with over half of them over 19". Dad had the biggest of the weekend, 21.5" and 5.1lbs. Beautiful fish. We had 8 between 20.5" and 21"! I have been fishing this lake for many years and this was the best trip Ive ever experienced. Pea gravel points and flats were the key to the fish and all but a few fish were taken on crank baits. Kept the boat mostly about a full cast from the bank usually sitting in 15' and getting most of the bites around 7-10'. The bite was amazing, as they were ripping the rod out of your hand.

http://i1094.photobucket.com/albums/...s/IMAG0110.jpg
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Skeeter

[rickhise]

you guys did an amazing job, great job on finding out what to do. Bigger fish are minutes away from be the dayily norm

[skeeterjames]

Thanks Rick! We had it figured out in about an hour Thursday night and it held up all weekend. Presentation seemed to be more important than color, although a couple of colors were the ticket. The weather seemed to set the fish up perfect as well. I would love to be able to do that every year. Hope to get back down again next week if I can make it happen.

Largemouths should be close to heading to the backs, I was finding them mostly on secondary points but the shad were already on the last point from the back.

Best of luck on the lake.

Skeeter

[rickhise]

was out early wasted the first couple hours drifting shad main lake, near trooper on spawning banks, nothing
About 8:30 moved to a point in Lilly Dale an boated 6-7 small fish, had to come back in.
Its a cloudy misty Dale Hollow day.....

[UYKY]

got on them last year like that. INSANE! great job. image 112 is a beast - great fish!

[ESOX2009]

Very nice!!

[skeeterjames]

We got on them good last year on this same weekend, but nothing like we did this year. Every cast seemed like it was the potential for a monster.

That was my 2 fish of the trip, we had been on the lake about 10 minutes, caught a 19" the cast before that one. Hell of a storm ran us off the lake for about 40 minutes and then we got after them until dark.

A trip of a life time! Good to have the man that taught me how to fish in the back seat and watch him get after them on the holes that I put him on. Makes each fish caught a little more special.

Skeeter

got on them last year like that. INSANE! great job. image 112 is a beast - great fish!

[rob26]

NICE FISH!!!! What crank bait worked best for you if you don't mind sharing, thanks.

[skeeterjames]

red eye shad and 200 series bandit. blue char. and red seemed to be the ticket.

[mhall]

Very impressive. great job. And with your Dad to, man that's just awesome buddy..