Next Dale Hollow Record...

Hey guys, I know there's been discussion here before about the next world record smallmouth coming out of Dale, etc...anyway's, I recently read an article on a site called [url]www.tnangle.com[/url]

Apparently there is a guide down there somewhere named Robert Reagan...according to Mr. Reagan, he seems to think the next world record smallmouth will come out of deeper waters. He goes on to say that he feels in order to catch the really big hogs you have to go out in the middle of the lake, that the REALLY big one's don't move up on the shallower banks. He also talks about using larger baits too, such as 9/16 ounce jigs, 1/2 ounce spinner baits, big Poe's 400 series crank baits, 10" worms, etc...

I know lots of you have caught some real nice smallmouth on the float-n-fly, etc...but what do you all think about the larger bait/open water idea that guide Robert Reagan mentions? He also prefers night time fishing over day time...

Easy question...Mr. Reagen knows what he's talking about and I will agree to an extent. The only time you will find big smallies shallow is that small window of opportunity during the spawn.
There's more big smallmouth caught each year at Dale while someone is trolling big plugs for Muskies.
I catch some huge hogs slow rollin' spinnerbaits(1/2oz. to 1oz.)in deep water during the spring but, I will be fairly close to some shallow cover as well:)

The man knows what he is talking about. However, a person could fish like that for weeks before getting that big bite. This also holds true to some extent with largemouth. And it is like Tee said they do move up for a spawn but I dnt think that fish of record quality gets that shallow to spawn. I have read in lots of literature on bass that the bigger ones usually spond on some fairly deep ledges. I know I have done alot of sight fishin and the biggest I have seen up is maybe 7 to 8 lbs and thats for largemouth.

I don't know about Dale Hollow, but I can't count how many 20" plus smallmouth I have caught trolling big plugs 30 feet deep for walleye at Norris. I know they're down there and it ain't just on the points, either. I've caught them all over the lake, but always in the main channel and always on rock bottoms or rocky humps.

I would love to see a new world record smallmouth but realistically when is the last time you seen an officially weighted smallmouth come even close to the record. I only know of 2-3 ever recorded over 10 lbs. The last big smallmouth I heard of came out of lake Erie by Kevin Van Dams brother at 9.5 lbs. When Dale Hollow was first impounded it had alot of nutrients from the flooded land and a small number of smallmouth (the ones that were in the river prior to impoundment). Small population of fish with lots of food = very large fish. Dale Hollow is now cosidered an infertile lake like most upland lakes with more smallmouth, many more fishermen and boats combing the water. If I were to see a few 10 lbs fish then I think I would be waiting for the record to be broken but about 8 lbs seems to be the largest officially recorded smallmouth that we see in recent years with very few toping the 9 lb mark. It doesn't look like a record is likely at this time but who knowns. The striper fishermen on Cumberland and many other Tennessee and Kentucky lakes fish very deep open water with live bait and I don't see any larger smallmouth being caught by them. Large yes, but no larger than you would catch out of a bass boat. Any one know the largest smallmouth officially recorded on Dale Hollow in the last 10 years. I heard Billy Westmoreland caught a 10 lb 1 oz monster but that was years ago.

You're on the money Plowboy. 10 lb. smallmouth are about the rarest animal on the planet. I think Mr. Hayes is safe. That may be the toughest record in all of fishing to beat.