Dale Hollow Last Weekend

[Bragger]

I know that I am not a very good fisherman, but I cannot believe that last weekend I fished Dale for three days and did not catch a smallmouth bass. I caught crappie, LMB and bluegill but did not catch a SMB or a walleye. As I was putting the boat back on the trailer on Sunday a worker at the camp we were staying at told me that the were biting and people were catching good size. This was my first time to Dale and I really liked the lake, but apparently I do not know how to fish it.

The weekend was still fun, I caught the biggest Crappie I have ever caught. It was 14 inches long and nearly 2lbs. I am going to try to post a picture.

Bragger

[Bragger]

Let's see if this link works for the picture

http://i288.photobucket.com/albums/ll177/bragger96/Crappie.jpg

[ryan_ekubass]

where did u fish out of dale at and i have fished dale about all my life and over the past 2 years i have noticed a decline in the fishing over there i think it has to do with the slot limit and if they would just make it a 18 inch limit then the fishin would be alot better..... but i dunno what to tell ya there really aint a trick to catchin smallies on dale but dale is a lake either they are on or off.... i know u could have caught one if u fished a zara spook across a point or parallel a steep bank or even over a grasss bed..... but hey i have been doin the same thing as u and not catchin any smallies.......out of dale...

[buzzking]

Dale hollow has gotten unbelievably better in the last 3-4 years, that place is just stacked with small mouth. The slot limit is the best thing they could have ever done for that lake. As far as last weekend, most likely you weren't fishing deep enough. If I had to go after smallies in the day right now, I wouldn't want to be fishing shallower that 25', most likely somewhere in that 25-35 range. The other thing you will realize real quick about DH smallmouth is how weather fickle they are. You get clouds and wind you will murder them, high and bright, and they will murder you. Keep after it, you will figure them out.

[SmallmouthChaserGLX]

Buzzking is right. That slot is awesome. The last two years have been great. I really wish they would have done the same to Laurel but it didn't pass that way to the public opinion and tourney fishers. Not to say that this spring and Laurel havent been good on smallies... but i think it would be better for the average weekend angler if they would make it the dale slot limit.

One quick question for buzzking however... why would they be 25 or deeper during the day now if there is grass at 18 and no thermocline to speak of yet? Dont fish too much in the day down there but do fish at night quite a bit and lets just say that they are definitely not 25 at night or even evening.

[mhall]

Dale hollow has gotten unbelievably better in the last 3-4 years, that place is just stacked with small mouth. The slot limit is the best thing they could have ever done for that lake. As far as last weekend, most likely you weren't fishing deep enough. If I had to go after smallies in the day right now, I wouldn't want to be fishing shallower that 25', most likely somewhere in that 25-35 range. The other thing you will realize real quick about DH smallmouth is how weather fickle they are. You get clouds and wind you will murder them, high and bright, and they will murder you. Keep after it, you will figure them out.

This post is dead on. The slot is the greatest thing since the invention of sliced bread.

[elnutsmalljaws]

This post is dead on. The slot is the greatest thing since the invention of sliced bread.

I talked to Steve Headrick the other day and he said there was 2 more 7+ Smallies weighed in during the local night tourneys last week and that makes 9 fish over 7 lbs that he has heard of and seen caught this spring plus a 9-3 that a guy caught about a month ago. The 9-3 was a beaut for Steve saw the pictures and he said it was caught by a guy fishing live bait and it is no longer swimming for he took it home with him. He went on to say there has been more 7+ fish caught this year than he has heard of in MANY years. Slot has done wonders for the size of fish at Dale and will continue to do so and I hope it is never taken away, at least not in my lifetime. Fish are in the 10-15 foot range and with the full moon coming soon, they should be migrating to the black shale and chunk rock for the crawfish spawn. Wish I was going..

[mhall]

I was on Dale last year around this time on a family vacation with another family sharing the trip with us. My first smallmouth was the first evening we were there and was caught in real skinny water right by the bank on a Red Flame spinnerbait. It weighed 5lb 2oz and the pic can be seen on the photo board on this site, it was 22 1/2 inches long and was released of course. I caught fish all week long in the early morning hours on topwater baits with several more 20 inch plus fish. The point across from Troopers island I got into some jumps two mornings in a row and absolutely whacked'em. I caught a triple limit of magnum Spots, several largeheads and several nice brown ones on a Thursday morning on Spooks and Sammy's. It was unreal standing there watching fish over 60 and 70 feet of water way off the bank blasting threadfin shad. When they would blow up you could cast over there and maybe get two walks out of the bait before BAM you were hooked up. I did almost that good again in the same place on Friday morning and couldn't even sleep Thursday night thinking about it. Dale is a magical place when they are on and there are some beast brown fish in that lake. If the department of Fish and Wildlife had a brain they would quit listening to tournament organizations, grow a set, and put the slot on Cumberland and Laurel lakes. I am 100% convinced these lakes would take off like a scalded cat if this was done, but unfortunately it ain't gonna happen.

[Bragger]

I was camping at the Lillydale campground and did not travel far on the lake. The most productive spot I found was right there next to the campground where I found some good weed beds. That is where I found the big crappie.

Thanks for the advise everyone! I really liked the Lake and will definatley be back to try some new tatics. Hopefully sooner rather than later.

[UYKY]

great lake. steep learning curve. absolutely has some huge smallies. night fishing is just getting started for me at dale. during the day in the summer, stick to bluegills! btw nice crappie!

[buzzking]

Was just throwing that depth out there, haven't been on Dale since last november I think. But the fact remains is that place is frigin stacked with small jaws, and has a very steep learning curve. Talk to people who have dove there, or people that have aqua-view cameras...its scary how many fish are in that lake...its just aggrevating how finicky they are sometimes.

[Mean Morone]

I was there two weeks ago. We didn't do very well at all unless you count the big bluegills we caught. I think it is all about location and we were in the wrong end of the lake for this time of year. We were told that the fishing was excellent less than a month ago but now the bass have moved back toward the main lake. I would still like to go back maybe in the late fall or winter and do some deep fishing.