Dale Hollow

[Chefdave]

Hey guys, I'll be at Dale from 6/10-6/18 on my honeymoon. we have a houseboat rented out of Cedar Hill resort. I haven't fished this lake for at least 10 years and was hoping to get a little help on what to throw, and general patterns for that time of year. Not much of a smallmouth fisherman although I'd like to be. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!

[elnutsmalljaws]

Honeymoon at Dale Hollow, does she have any sister's that I could trade my wife in for. Are you kidding me, Honeymoon at Dale, the home of the Giant Smallmouth's, she is a definite keeper. Find the deep grass beds and work a jig or tube thru it or slow roll a Big Black Colorado Single Blade spinnerbait over the top ticking it along the way should produce some monsters. Look up Stephen Headrick at the One Stop in Celina and he will help you out as well, always has helped me. May even consider booking him for a guide trip for he knows the lake forwards and backwards. There is a lot of DEEP grass in Dale, Deep meaning 15-25 feet deep at summer pool and that is where they should be hanging around. Good Luck but no matter if you catch any fish or not, you already caught a wife that will let you take her to the lake on the Honeymoon, Awesome. Enjoy it while it last for you will have completed 2 rings of marriage, Engagement Ring(Step 1) - Wedding Ring(Step 2) - And all that is left is the SUFFERING(Step 3).

Tight Lines

[Chefdave]

Thanks for the help elnut, and yes I know it is hard to believe but the honeymoon was all her Idea! She is the greatest. I've been taking her fishing with me occasionally, for about 2 years and she is a natural fishergirl. She usually doesn't catch numbers, but she will usually land one good fish per trip which is awesome. anyway, I'm planning to fish at night so wish me luck!

[bigwormy]

if you don't have any luck on the grassbeds, try fishing the slides on the lake. my buddy and his dad went last year and fished at night for the first time and didn't do worth a crap on the beds. the next couple nights they went to the slides and wore them out on tubes and caught a few on spinnerbaits. might want to give it a try especially if the beds aren't working.

[mhall]

My lovely bride and myself spent a week fishing on Reelfoot on our honeymoon, she' a keeper too, well sometimes. Wormy is right the night bite is looming large it's fixin to be go time. Usually the first full moon in June cause the crawfish to do their annual mating ritual, which means they get active at night and shallow. They make alot of noise and movement in the rocks when the are doing this, this drives them ole brown fish crazy. May be a bit early yet but I believe I'd give it a try anyway. Oh and by the way congratulations, and may you and your wife have a safe trip and a long happy marriage together, tightlines, Mark.

[Chefdave]

Thanks for the kind words Mark. I'm planning on fishing as much as possible, that is when we aren't, well you know. Anyway I am really looking forward to this trip. Not only because of the occasion but the fact that I desperately need a vacation! Anyway, thanks again!

[plowboy]

They were tearing the rod out of my hands last week on a 6" strait tailed worm fished like a jerkbait with no weight. They seem to be in pockets near the mouth of creeks. Early is better. Not much luck on flats with the worm. I bet a senko would work also. I'm sure there are other patterns going but this worked for me. Fish on the Tennessee side hit a Ky blue worm but the Kentucky fish hammered the Vol Orange worm. Just joking about the blue worm.

[Chefdave]

One more question for you guys, If I'm fishing at night, can I get away with using heavier flourescent line or do I still need to be using 8# flourocarbon? I fish baitcasting equipment about 90% of the time, but do have a couple of really good spinning rigs, I just prefer the Baitcasters.

[mhall]

>One more question for you guys,
>If I'm fishing at night,
>can I get away with
>using heavier flourescent line or
>do I still need to
>be using 8# flourocarbon?
>I fish baitcasting equipment about
>90% of the time, but
>do have a couple of
>really good spinning rigs, I
>just prefer the Baitcasters.


Depends on what you are fishing. If fishing jigs and plastics you will probably do better with being able to see your line under the black light so use flourescent. If you are using a spinnerbait or cranks you could use whatever you want including flouocarbon. Also don't forget about the early topwater bite that could be going on at time. Have that spook ready for dawn in case they come up in the jumps, you'll be ready. Throw beyond where they are busting and work that spook through the middle and hang on tight.

[Chefdave]

Thanks again! IM READY!!!!

[TEE]

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON May-25-06 AT 01:26PM (EST)[/font][p]Throw some shiners out off the back of the houseboat at nite around some points with a lighted bobber and even your wife can participate...GOOD LUCK! :)

[plowboy]

I use 8 and 14 lb flourescent line all the time at Dale. I can tell no differnce in the bite and neither can the guide (Well known with articles in Bassmaster and In-fisherman) I use. Just caught a 5.4 with 14 lb Berkley XL clear blue flourescent on a orange colored worm (caught several more that morning). Caught many on the float-n-fly with flourescent line, many! Not saying clear line doesn't help but it isn't the big deal many make it out to be. I would recomend low visability on the float-n-fly but like I said my friends and I have used flourescent line and had great sucess. Just my 2 cents.