Dale Hollow 10/2/17

[CaptObvious]

So far just one. Man, I hope the evening bite is good! Finding shad and seeing the bass breaking the surface from time to time getting them. Using swim baits and jigs. Just wasn't gonna happen this morning. Hope our plan works this evening.

[TimE]

Count me in! Was the evening bite better?

[CaptObvious]

No good this evening. Hopefully tomorrow will be better. It was a beautiful day! Several boats crappie fishing. Still, I'm on the water fishing. All is good.

[TimE]

Sounds like sept funk is hanging around. Figured they would be starting up with cooler weather.

[roadrunner]

Captain hope you get in on a fall bonanza fall fishing can be hit or miss then all heck breaks loose. We are planing a trip late October for either the Holler or Kentucky lake I have not fished Dale Hollow in the fall is late October usually good time for smallies on D H?

[stripernut1]

well your results werent confined to dale yesterday. cumberland wasnt very productive either.

[Moveon]

So far just one. Man, I hope the evening bite is good! Finding shad and seeing the bass breaking the surface from time to time getting them. Using swim baits and jigs. Just wasn't gonna happen this morning. Hope our plan works this evening.

If they are hitting shad at the surface and you cast into them and don't get a bite then something is definitely wrong. You found the fish and know that they are feeding so you solved 2/3rds of the problem.

Now think about matching the hatch in all ways possible and that INCLUDES the way the bait SMELLS. Did you fill up the gas tank that morning? Did you wash your hands? Gasoline can ruin a good fishing trip. Make sure that all baits that you are using smell like the bait the fish are feeding on. Fish hate the smell of gasoline that's for sure.

I keep a bar of hand soap in my boat at all times. Some Professional fishermen that I know will wear vinyl gloves if they have to pump gas into the boat/truck.

Ever wonder why one guy or gal in the boat is catching fish and you are not? Think about that. Most of a fish's brain is devoted to smell.

Tomorrow morning make sure that you hands and especially your baits are smelling right. I used Dr. Juice as my first effective attractant. I would put it on my crank baits, jigs and soft worms and believe me when I tell you that I caught a lot more fish.

Never fill up the gas tank and get gasoline fumes on your hands and then go out fishing without washing your hands or protecting them from the gasoline in the first place.

Good luck tomorrow.

[CaptObvious]

Captain hope you get in on a fall bonanza fall fishing can be hit or miss then all heck breaks loose. We are planing a trip late October for either the Holler or Kentucky lake I have not fished Dale Hollow in the fall is late October usually good time for smallies on D H?

True, fall can be great fishing. I will be on Ky Lake around the 21st. I really like Ky lake. I fish the Blood river area the most. As far as Dale goes, there are more qualified anglers from down here that can advise. The water temp today was 75 degrees, light wind and sunny. We gave up on smallies and started gill fishing. As soon as I'm finished texting, I've got a livewell full of nice gill to fillet. We caught quite a few small smallmouths but it was frustrating. I think we're going to pan fish again this evening. Late October down here I think would depend on water temp plus the lake is at 643 now and the average October lake level is 637 according to COE. I'm sure that's not gonna help. We'll be back down some more to try though. Someone's gotta do it. Hopefully someone can chime in and give some better information than I have.

[vausoner]

Fish some bluffs for some smallies or deep points. They are no where near ready for fall with the water temp. You can fish the shallow grass flats for some large mouths.

[CaptObvious]

If they are hitting shad at the surface and you cast into them and don't get a bite then something is definitely wrong. You found the fish and know that they are feeding so you solved 2/3rds of the problem.

Now think about matching the hatch in all ways possible and that INCLUDES the way the bait SMELLS. Did you fill up the gas tank that morning? Did you wash your hands? Gasoline can ruin a good fishing trip. Make sure that all baits that you are using smell like the bait the fish are feeding on. Fish hate the smell of gasoline that's for sure.

I keep a bar of hand soap in my boat at all times. Some Professional fishermen that I know will wear vinyl gloves if they have to pump gas into the boat/truck.

Ever wonder why one guy or gal in the boat is catching fish and you are not? Think about that. Most of a fish's brain is devoted to smell.

Tomorrow morning make sure that you hands and especially your baits are smelling right. I used Dr. Juice as my first effective attractant. I would put it on my crank baits, jigs and soft worms and believe me when I tell you that I caught a lot more fish.

Never fill up the gas tank and get gasoline fumes on your hands and then go out fishing without washing your hands or protecting them from the gasoline in the first place.

Good luck tomorrow.

Good advice Moveon. You reckon they like the smell of my turkey samich?  I don't have soap in boat but do have gloves. Do I use them all the time like I should? Nope. Again, great advice.

[CaptObvious]

Got tired of trying to catch the smallmouths so we went bluegilling. Caught some real nice gills and red ear. Caught them using night crawlers on a crappie hook and a little sinker just slowly reeling it back or letting it fall around some wood. We did manage to catch a few small smallmouths but We cleaned a whole bunch of gills. Water temp 75. Light wind. Going to try something a little different tomorrow but I'd say we will get some more gills tomorrow for the freezer

[DHart]

Cap, I also fished at the Dale this week...from Oct. 1st until this morning.

I have been fishing the first wk. of Oct. for 25 years on Dale Hollow, as the start of "cool weather" fishing (the first of several visits into January). Well, it was not the start of cool weather...it was hot as is the case with a few previous years. But it was different this time.

At the lower lake (say, Cedar Hill area), there seemed to be less shad than previous years; and - being as warm as it was - the absence of bass boats in the evening got my attention. Also did not see any trolling in the river channel.

I also had very little action with any bass species. In past yrs., the 20 - 30 ft. flats would produce down that way at night when hot in Oct.

Would love to hear some other opinions about the early fall fishing this year. But hey, I probably wasn't deep enough.