Reply With Quotenice report. glad to hear the bite was good.
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Senior Member
Well I finally hit the water for the first time since May and it has been too long. My buddy Hens (Chunknwind) and Mike (3sons) hit the water early thursday morning to what would turnout to be the greatest day of floating the fly that has ever been in my boat. We put in at Pleasant Grove at daybreak and I ran to the first spot that I had picked out on the map on the lower end based on the current water level and how lucky was that. I shut her down and get up front and it literally did not take but a few minutes before I landed the prettiest 12" Smallmouth of my lifetime. Hens busted one a few minutes later, then Mike, then Me, then Hens, then Mike, then Me again then Mike went out of turn and we had 8 fish on this one 70 yard stretch of bank and point. The last two caught by Mike and me were a double. 8 fish in the first hour or so and I knew it was going to be a great day. I set the goal of 15 total before we hit the water which I changed to 20 after the first bank. Mike caught a few more including a 4-8 that just touched the 21" mark and eventually had me down by 4 and the pressure was on because I had never been beaten in my boat EVER (until today). Hens warned Mike that he had better catch a few more bonus fish because I do my best work under pressure and he was correct. I caught a couple before noon to cut his lead to 2 and the bite slowed a bunch. We had 15 by noon and I was pushing HARD for 5 more to make 20. Around 1pm I landed a 20 1/2" 4-9lber that was a BUTE and around 2:30 I landed a 21 1/2" 5-9 FATTIE. That made 17 for the day with 2 over 21 and 3-4 that went a perfect 15 1/2 to 16" tourney fish. Easily could have weighed in 14+ for 4 fish and I have never heard of that in any tourney at Dale Hollow. I was still pushing for 20 even though I know Hens was ready to go by 11am and Mike was ready by noon. It had rained and snowed ALL morning long up until past noon and was miserable weather but PERFECT FNF conditions. These type of days are the days I sit and dream of all year long to have in December and January. All fish caught on the fly on banks and points next to the creek and river channels. Fly had to have chartreuse and duck feather, fish dope the head only, boat in 30-35 feet of water casting up into 12-15. After the first 8 fish bank we runned and gunned the pattern to scratch out 1 fish here and there. Caught fish from First Island down to Horse Creek with many spots in between.
Friday was a different story. Usually I LOVE the day after a cold front in the winter and thought we would hammer them again but how wrong was I. Just Hens and I put in at daylight with a boat that was COMPLETELY froze from all the rain the day before. Every compartment was froze shut, ignition choke froze, could not get any rod locker open at all. With my boat having an electric wench I need some power to losen the cable to get my boat off the trailer. I could not get either of my battery storage compartment open due to them being froze solid. We ended up taking my sportcat heater and turning it upside down and practically burning my carpet all around the compartment to get one open to get power to get my boat off the trailer. Needless to say I was not a happy camper about my boat, you can take this as my opinion of my boat. We go back to the same 8 fish spot and Hens lands one pretty quick and I think it is going to be another great day, WRONG. Hens does not get another bite all day and I tinkered with jigs, depths and everything else and finally land one about 10am to tie him. We fished another couple of hours with nothing and put her on the trailer with 2 fish for the day. The greatest day in by boat to one of the most frustrating days, but that is Catchin one day and Fishin the next.
GREAT to be on the water, especially with my BEST BUDDY Hens and another guy that is becoming a very good friend in Mike. Thanks to both of them for a great couple of days and taking good care of me. I made it back in one piece and better than I left. Looking forward to going back on the 15th for another week with Hens and can only hope for 5 straight days of thursdays weather.
Elnutsmalljaws
"Certifyable Floatnflyable"
Senior Member
nice report. glad to hear the bite was good.
Senior Member
I am glad to hear you are having fun, but most of all that your spirits are up. Nothing, besides the man upstairs, can help a person heal better than a good attitude.
I came SO CLOSE to seeing what the heck FNF was today in our FOM Tourney. I was fishing with Craig and we were SO FRUSTRATED toward the end of the time he goes into the box and pulls out a rod and tells me he is gonna try FNF. I was excited because I always read about it on here, but have no clue "what" it REALLY is, or how it works. Long story short, his kids took his bobber, along with the net that cost us 2 fish (and unfortunately we would learn those 2 would have put us "in the money"...sigh), he needed to perform this FNF stuff so I lost my chance to see it in action. Guess there's always another day though.
Oh yeah, BTW, if you ever do not have a net and your trying to "help" your partner boat a fish he has lost sight of and it is a "little outta reach", DON"T TOUCH THE LINE....lol I accidentally, well actually I got over excited since we hadn't seen a fish in 5 hours, moved the line aside while trying to reach in and grab it. Needless to say, I am MUCH better with a net than my hands..lol Sorry Craig, this is my public apology for blanking on you and only being able to grab the 3 lber and not the 2 1/2 and 2 lbers (although they were both about a foot underwater and I was still going in after them in this INSANE COLD).
Senior Member
Hey Wildwood...(aka Elnut or "slim" after all the weight loss, congratulations by the way). Anyway, I just curious about something regarding F-N-F, or smallies in general in the month of December. I know in February I like to catch the third day of a warming trend...when that happens you can bet there'll be fish to catch...especially on the wind blown banks What about Dale in December, are there any particular weather pattern that is provides more favorable fishing conditions over any others? It's been colder than blue blazes the past few days here and I was wondering if that provides the best weather pattern in December at Dale or if there's something better or what. Something tells me you're gonna say the colder the better, but I'm asking anyway.
Thanks!
Well Elwood,,,,since i can`t get you or Bob to come up and fish the Ohio with me,,,when you going to take me to fish and show me your Fand F tricks on dale. Oh I`ll even fix your burned up carpet...LOL John AKA fisheater are going to dale in april again like e have the passed 2 yrs and loved it,,,,I love Dale!
Senior Member
Originally Posted by Chubminnow
I like Dale in December when the water temps drops to 50 degrees for the first time but really anytime when it gets below 55 you can catch fish on the fly. As far as weather conditions goes after the water temp is below 55 down to 48 or so, I would rather it be around 35 and spitting snow, sleet and rain because this means it will be so overcast that the sun never shows its head for the day. These are the perfect conditions for the fly. From what I have found, the fish will be a bit more shallow in the water column still suspending and I catch the majority of my fish on leaders between 9 and 12 feet deep. The higher the blue skies, the deeper they will suspend and I will have to move to a 15 foot leader to try and catch a few. The longer the leader the more tougher to cast, more demanding plus makes it tougher to land any fish you catch. The toughest conditions are when it is below 20 and high blue skies because the line freezes on your reel, freezes up your rod eyes plus you just can't get your hands warm plus these are the worst conditions for the fly. Pretty much any high blue sky days with not a cloud in the sky is tough fishing for the fly. The days when you look outside at the rain, sleet, snow when you are standing in your living room with a fire blazing in the fireplace and you have absolutely no interest in walking to the mailbox or get the paper are the perfect days to hook up the boat and head to Dale Hollow. Hope this helps.
Senior Member
Doug you are going to take me to the river as soon as my health and the bite can get together. It seems the past couple of years when you are killing them at the river and have offered I have been laid up recovering from another surgery. Hopefully this time is the last time and I am doing better than I have been doing for about 3 years now. Hoping my wound will finally be closed by the first of the year that has been open since September 2007. I am also going to get you to put all new carpet in my boat in the fall of 2009. I don't fish much in September and plan on getting with you in spring or summer of 2009 to get what I need to buy and will bring it to you. As far as Dale and the fly trip goes, you will just have to go with us some day. I am having a hard time right now with trying to accomodate everyone's request to take them to Dale FNF. It is really the only type of fishing that I think I can offer some really good tips on and that I feel comfortable in showing someone all I know. I have a list of people wanting me to take them including my Secret Santa that offered me a FREE FNF trip and I am going to have to push him off until January. I guess I need to try and get a bunch of boats together for one weekend and try and help all that I can at one time. Certainly not a pro at the fly but I think I know just as much as the next guy. I will be in touch.
Senior Member
Hey Elnut,what kinds of banks were most of your fish on...45 degree,rocks,boulders,etc
Senior Member
Other than the one bank where we caught 8 the first 1 1/2 of thursday most of our fish came on points that were closer to deeper water. Both of my big fish came on points later in the after noon. Again thursday was the absolute perfect day for the fly and I only WISH the lake was at normal winter pool and we could have fished mid lake with all my big fish spots up there and no telling what would have happened. Basically thursday was my 4th day ever fishing the fly south of first island and I was wishing to be at mid lake with normal winter pool. Since we put in at Pleasant Grove and stayed in Celina pretty much we would be fishing a new lake anywhere on the water with the current level so for only 2 days we decided to stay south. Next weel we are staying at Hendricks Creek all week and we will be fishing mid lake pretty much all the time. I am studying the map with the new level in mind as we speak.
Elnutsmalljaws
"Certifyable Floatnflyable"
Senior Member
Re: Dale Hollow Thur and Fri..
Elnut,
Reading that Thursday report was too awesome! After all you've been through lately, that report brings a smile to my face, brother. I hope you smack those brown fish upside the head ALL WINTER!
Senior Member
Appreciate the response. Hens and I will be leaving Sunday for 5 more days of Smallmouth Smackage at the Hollow.
Elnutsmalljaws
"Certifyable Floatnflyable"
Super Moderator
Elwood it sounds like you found the line you were looking for when you called me last week and talked to me while Becky and I was checking out the local night life in Panama City. Glad to see you had a good day on the water. Gotta admit that I was more than happy to be sitting in Fla sucking down beer and oysters where it was warm rather than up here freezing my behind off...lol.
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