Taking my Wife to Dale tomorrow

[Cajun78]

Everyone, I am taking my wife for a little getaway to the Mary Oaken Lodge on Dale. We'll be fishing Tuesday evening/night, Wednesday morning / night and probably Thursday morn. Will stay on the KY side near Illwill, Trooper and all that.

Id really like for my wife to get a good smallie this weekend (She's never caught one) and Im figuring on throwing light T-rigs with Craws or small worms around the grass I can find. But I havent been to Dale since winter and I could really use some help.

Thanks again!

Cajun

[bigwormy]

make sure your getting the right worm wet

[bereabasser]

find grass on sandy points about 15 to 25ft of water and youll be fine

[Cajun78]

bigwormy, indeed It'll be that 10' monster worm. (LoL)

Berea, 15-25 ft, are they feeding on craws, shad, what? What setup you think might be best?

[MsgMills]

Wish I could help, but I have yet to fish on Dale....But good luck to you and the wife...You do know that most often times like these is when she'll probably spank your butt on catching a bigger fish than you and the ribbing will really be coming from her for sure..... Good Luck to you and her.....

[bigwormy]

well its a good thing your wife married a guy like you throwing those '10 monsters around. when i take my wife she only gets to use a 2 inch grub. GOOD LUCK AT DALE!

[Cajun78]

Id welcome her catching bigger fish than me. She does quite well when I have taken her fishing. I usually put her a 1/8 jig head with a mr twister grub and she stays with it and catches more fish than me most of the time. But you know, I think I get more a rush watching her catch a fish than when I do!

thanks everyone for the word.

[Cajun78]

well its a good thing your wife married a guy like you throwing those '10 monsters around. when i take my wife she only gets to use a 2 inch grub. GOOD LUCK AT DALE!

LOL - Yeah, surely I wasnt exaggerating.

[wtucker]

Everyone, I am taking my wife for a little getaway to the Mary Oaken Lodge on Dale. We'll be fishing Tuesday evening/night, Wednesday morning / night and probably Thursday morn. Will stay on the KY side near Illwill, Trooper and all that.

Id really like for my wife to get a good smallie this weekend (She's never caught one) and Im figuring on throwing light T-rigs with Craws or small worms around the grass I can find. But I havent been to Dale since winter and I could really use some help.

Thanks again!

Cajun

That t-rig craw is a good choice. If you are going to be out late enough to blacklight, think about letting that rig fall down those bluff walls to about 30 feet at night. It is hard to beat black and blue. the bank on Tennessee island facing the lodge is hard to beat for this.

[WacoWildcat]

I was down there a couple of weeks ago night fishing. Our pattern was as stated above, find grass in 15-25ft. and the fish will be there. We fished only with jigs and caught them pretty good. We had 2 5lbers, a few 3 lbers and some smaller fish all caught on a custom jig. The jig was a 3/8 oz. with brown, black, and orange colors with a brown/orange trailer. Good luck to you.

[bereabasser]

yea throw your basic jigs at em and have another throwing a stan sloan spinnerbait or brush hog

[Cajun78]

Well the bite was tough. Took my wife out Tuesday nite and we fished Illwill and the bank opposite the Lodge from about 8pm to 11pm. I threw light T-rigged salty craw, she threw a 1/8 grub in smoke/purple flake. Nada. Water was so clear I could see 20 ft down easily. Not to mention traffic, it was busy down there. Next morning we got out there at about 6 am and fished til 10am. Threw buzzbaits, spinnerbaits, grubs and cranks. Took one spot on a bayou boogie in some shad. Found grass on the bank above TN Island on a long flat, found the edge of it and threw jigs. Found more grass in cuts off of Illwill and behind Trooper. Threw flukes, weightless worm, 4' TX rig Robo worm. Got 1 smallie, about 13 in. Last nite fished 5:30 to 11pm and caught 2 smallies, one got off right at the boat; both came on dark green grubs fished slow. neither very big, but they were pretty.

All in all, disappointing fishing. I stayed in 15-25 ft, around grass and even on deeper banks with ledges, but could not pattern anything. Finally thought I was on to something in the backs of the creeks off Illwill with my grub, but didnt work anywhere else. All I could think was that it would be later at night before water cooled off and fishing til 11pm at the latest wasnt late enough. Either that or the water was too clear and too much traffic. (Or I **** at fishing) hehe.

Anyway, we hiked some real nice trails during the day down there, Mary Oaken Lodge is a wonderful place. Had a great time, just didnt get on the fish like I wanted. Cumberland sure looked pretty good coming back though, I **** near threw it in at Halcomb's and hit those points near the dam! (wife was done though