Dale Hollow Fish Kill

[GeoFisher]

another related question... at this point with healthy slot fish thriving in the lake, is the slot limit still needed at Dale? Should it be changed a little or done away with it? Had some conversations recently with guys who believe the slot limit is stunting the growth of the fish now.

How could the slot be stunting the growth?

If they had such a large kill, that definitely limited the competition on food. AND TRUST ME.....that lake doesn't have a problem with food.

Shad and Alewife everywhere.

Later,

Geo

[Fishin is life]

I think the unusual slot limit was put in place to make the lake a trophy smallmouth fishery. If you keep all the 19-20" brownies from being hauled around in a livewell all day, the better chance they have to grow into trophies. Those big ones are the ones we want reproducing, and we want them to reproduce with the bigger males. See what theyre doing in TX with the share a lunker program using the male offspring of monster females to reproduce with other monster females to try to create a broodstock of giants and putting them back in the waters they came from.

Note: Tournaments and hauling fish in the livewell isnt a huge problem right now, remove the slot on smallies and watch tournies start flocking to Dale like they do to our other lakes

[GeoFisher]

I think the unusual slot limit was put in place to make the lake a trophy smallmouth fishery. If you keep all the 19-20" brownies from being hauled around in a livewell all day, the better chance they have to grow into trophies. Those big ones are the ones we want reproducing, and we want them to reproduce with the bigger males. See what theyre doing in TX with the share a lunker program using the male offspring of monster females to reproduce with other monster females to try to create a broodstock of giants and putting them back in the waters they came from.

Note: Tournaments and hauling fish in the livewell isnt a huge problem right now, remove the slot on smallies and watch tournies start flocking to Dale like they do to our other lakes

Remove the Slot and there would be tourneys there all through the normal season, and a **** ton of winter tourneys there too.

You can regularly catch a 20lb sack of smallies on that lake using a standard 15 inch size limit.......

Yea, LEAVE the slot..........

[mhall]

They have been trying to kill the slot since it was done on that lake. I have seen guys so mad over it they want to fight somebody. I have nothing against tournaments but when it takes the front seat over the best interest of a given fishery I call BS. I also think it happens a lot to due to the almighty dollar.

The northen states drill us on how to manage fisheries. No I don't believe in fishing seasons, well not a 100% but I do buy into a lot of other things they do. That is why you can go catch 50 to 100 good smallmouth in day in some of those lakes.

I will quit before I get somebody all tore up and butt hurt because I know thats coming with this conversation, lol


Here is one maybe you guys can answer for me. I have been a advocate of the same slot Dale has for Cumberland for years. I have had so many guys I have lost count tell me it won't work on Cumberland. In fact several on here have done it and I don't claim to be overly smart so I ask you fellas...............WHY wouldn't it work on Cumberland, what possible logical reason...tell me?????

[pastorbass]

I'm a smallmouth guy and want what's best for the smallmouth and dale. I don't dislike the slot limit, it doesn't effect me as I would never keep a smallmouth anyway and I don't fish many tournaments. this discussion just came up during a recent trip to dale. The 3 pounders seem to be dominating the lake while overs are few and far between. We haven't started a petition or anything like that, just an interesting question a few of us guys who love dale were having I thought I would toss out here.

I booked trips with Keith Palmerio the last two years and he says dale fishes in cycles. He predicted last winter that the up cycle was starting and expected fishing to get better.

I would also be in favor of a similar slot on Cumberland as it can be a great smallmouth fishery from time to time.

[mhall]

I'm a smallmouth guy and want what's best for the smallmouth and dale. I don't dislike the slot limit, it doesn't effect me as I would never keep a smallmouth anyway and I don't fish many tournaments. this discussion just came up during a recent trip to dale. The 3 pounders seem to be dominating the lake while overs are few and far between. We haven't started a petition or anything like that, just an interesting question a few of us guys who love dale were having I thought I would toss out here.

I booked trips with Keith Palmerio the last two years and he says dale fishes in cycles. He predicted last winter that the up cycle was starting and expected fishing to get better.

I would also be in favor of a similar slot on Cumberland as it can be a great smallmouth fishery from time to time.

Good thoughts Pastor we knew you weren't slamming the slot it was just conversation. Have a good day sir.

[rickhise]

To protect an promote the best plans to grow the SM at Dale. Tenn. has it going. What we were told in regards to the fish kill, I'm suspect of that.

Now 2 years later I'm confident the recover is on tract. I log a lot of time on the water, my one over recently isn't near as impressive to me as the fish bouncing around the 4lb range I'm seeing.

I boated 3 fish mid day today each one had me on edge to boat. Feeling like a 6 lb er was there. Needless to say they all under 4 but still trophy's to me.

You are a good bunch on this site. I enjoy the back an forth. Great topic.

[Fishin is life]

Trying to post pictures from my phone, hope it works. These are some smallies from sunday. We had atleast 3 that we measured and maybe as many as 5 over 20", but no overs. All very, very healthy fish. Had one spit out a rather large bluegill on its way to the boat with the bluegill still swimming

[Fishin is life]

And a couple more. Also had 6 good keeper sized largemouth. Few on live bait, but most on jig

[mhall]

Purty fish fellas

[roadrunner]

Purty fish fellas

Boy I agree on the purty I love those ole brown fish with the bars and 18 to 20 inches purty purty

[thebassman30]

Hello guys...long time since my last post...hope you are well.

In talking with some of the best anglers on Dale over the last few weeks it is taking catching about 200 fish to get an over. That seems about right, although in reading through these posts I see some folks are catching them more frequently. Sounds like they got something special worked out.

We've been avg about 15-20 day with a majority of them being in the 19-20 range. Some of these are already pushing 5 lbs so I don't know if they'll ever make it to 21". Perhaps some of these upper end slots will grow some length, but I'm sure it will take a few years.

The overs I have seen are largely old river fish that are just long and skinny...some barely over 4 lbs.

The largemouth are substantially abundant and schooling up with the smallies and spots. It's a good time when you get on them.

One thing that I found interesting this year in the tournaments was that the people who caught the numbers didn't catch anything over. To me, this might mean that the big ones are loners not really schooled fish.

Ya'll take care,
Mark