Dale Hollow

[roadrunner]

Went to Dale Hollow 4/3 rained entire trip six hours of driving in the rain some times hard rain. Woke up Friday raining and lightning the lightning let up around 10:00 but two old men waited until about 2:00 went out on the lake. We left Cedar Hill (nice place) fished the back of Long Branch (liked the name) water running in a little off color Water Temp about 53. Fished spinner bait and yellow hoss fly nothing. Left there went across the lake and fished some of the main lake points. Caught about 2.5 smallie on yellow hoss fly. Fished some more cuts and gave up.

Day two met Bob Coan at 7:00 cloudy and cool no rain. We went toward the back of some of the arms looking for run off and off color water, temps around 53 to 56. I was slow rolling a ½ oz .Hook Some Bass spinner bait in Blue glimmer this is spinner bait Dave Stewart put me on, you can slow roll this bait and it comes with small blades and it runs true. So thanks to two great guides I caught a 2, 4.1, 5.1 and a 5.4 all smallmouth. The 5.1 and the 5.4 are on Bob Coan’s web site www.bobcoanfishingguide.com under fishing photos at the top. Look for Steve McGahey.


Day three cloudy and cool fished about an hour landed about a 5 pound smallie (no scale to weight it on), then the sun came out and we struggled.

Day four sunny whole lake off color caught two smallies and one spot all fish 2 pounds or less. We were fighting debris for the last two days hard to cast a bait and get it back with out a leave or some kind of trash on the bait. This is the first trip to Dale Hollow other than the float and fly a year ago but it won’t be the last.

Bob Coan is a great guide and fun to spend the day in the boat. I would highly recommend him.

Elnut Don’t even reprimand me for being a fair weather fisherman I’m getting to old and enjoy creature comfort. I know you would have loved the rain Friday and they would have to pry you off the water.

Beep Beep

[elnutsmalljaws]

Come on now Steve, a little rain/wind/sleet/snow/rain/wind/sleet/snow never hurt anyone. There are not too many things in fishing that one can say happens ALL the time but nasty weather and smallmouth go together ALL the time. I will admit that I don't enjoy the bad weather in the spring as much as I do in the winter. These cold fronts that come thru don't have anywhere near the effect on the bite at Dale Hollow in December thru February as it does now. The day before is the best, with the day of next best and the day after is not so bad either even with the high blue skies. Different color FNF jigs, different retrieves and different depths will produce during all 3 days. Good to read your report and they were some nice fish. Good pictures on Bob's site as well. Just curious, did you throw the fly any at all or did you use any jerkbaits?

[roadrunner]

Knew you would give me the dickens for being an old wuss. Did throw jerk bait a little but I only took two rods as we had three in the boat and I did not have a rod suited very well for the jerk bait. I did not realize that Bob did not fish or I would have taken one more rod. Did not throw the fnf Bob said it was over and I took him at his word.

I hope you guys have a good trip to Ky lake.

[elnutsmalljaws]

I am sure Bob knows more than me but anytime Dale is below 55 degrees, I have to try it. Love it in December when the temp hits 50 for the first time but I start throwing it at 55. We were down 3 weeks ago for 4 days and it was supposed to be "Over" then by all accounts but a 5-4, 4-6, 4-2 and several more over 3 plus a 5 even Greenfish all came on the fly and the temps were 52. We will have to get together down there in mid December on a Tuesday during a Sleet storm with air temps right around 34 and water temps at 50, not see the sun all day long, wind blowing about 10mph out of the North and we will watch the bobber go hippity hop. The absolute best days to fish at Dale in the winter as described above. The days when you are launching, kicking yourself for leaving the cabin, wondering what in the hell is a college educated guy doing in weather like this chasing the mose elusive State Record fish swimming in Kentucky waters, then the 5 plus pounders on honey hole number 1 come aboard in about 10 cast make it all worth while and you start stripping layers for it just got a bit warmer.

[roadrunner]

I will be there. looking forward to it.