whats your best dale hollow story?

getting cabin fever! need some help getting through the next 5 weeks. What is your best dale hollow story?

Late April, '97, fishing out of Star Point. At that time the smallie limit on DH was two over 18" I think. I practice 100% catch/release so I wasn't keeping - but I was counting.

It was a sunny mid-afternoon, t-shirt weather, the sun was high with a little wind blowing in and the water was slightly stained to nearly muddy in some places. I was fishing flats off the main channel across from Jolly. I was throwing a 4" black curlytail mr twister grub, the cheapest of the cheap, on light spinning gear. That afternoon I caught 17 smallies at or over 18" in about a 1/2 mile stretch and in a total of about 3-4 hours. I did not count what I caught under 18". I never got out of site of the spot where we started. My uncle was on the boat and throwing something else and never got a smell, so he started running a camcorder. It was the most unbelievable fishing I've ever seen at any time in any place. I knew every time I threw that something was going to happen. One big smallie was followed to the boat by two (or more) others, and I caught those on two successive casts. Has never happened to me before, or since, anywhere. I was actually physically exhausted after that afternoon, my forearms and wrists were killin me. And actually, I've since fished several 10-day trips straight thru and never caught that many on the WHOLE trip.

If that never happens again I'm still satisfied. My uncle and I still talk about it all the time and go back to that spot every year, just to relive it. Haven't had as much success there since, but still a great memory.

....BillH

First trip on Dale early march 2003. Read everything I could get my hands on about smallmouth fishing. Had a box full of silver buddies, red crankbaits, hairjigs plus 25lbs of other stuff (can never have too much). I started out of Horse creek Jack the marina manager told me a few places to try I caught 13 smallmouth thought I died and went to heaven biggest maybe a couple lbs. All on a buddie off points down by the dam area. The next day i ventured past the next marina to the mouth of lick run. As I idled in I was real close to the points, that water is super deep right next to the bank ,I looked at my Bottomline and there were some really big fish down about 28'. I tried my buddy there and nothin. I went to a 1/8 leadhead jig with a salt and pepper skirted grub with the tails dipped in charttreuse. I threw it right against the bank and moved it slower than I have ever fished just trying to get it to fall from ledge to ledge. Bang I snapped back and had the fight of my life I was sure it was a carp or big largemouth finally up she came broke water and dove light crazy after what seemed like forever I got her to the net. I weighed her on my digital scale 7 lbs 2 0z I took 24 pictures from a disposable camera the whole **** camera load and turned her loose. After sitting for a few minutes and getting my self back together I threw out and did exactly the same thing after 3-4 more casts I stuck another one and lost it on the way up. I fell in love with Dale Hollow and love her to this minute. Oh developed the film and not one darn picture came out but the Lord ,The fish and I know!!