Dale the past 3 days...

[elnutsmalljaws]

Just back from Dale and was going to post tomorrow for I am sore and tired but inquiring minds want to know per the emails that I received so here goes..

Went down Tuesday with no intentions of fishing but things change. Cloudy and 73 degrees as I hit Burkesville just before noon and check into the motel. Go to Celina and it is puring cats and dogs and 50 degrees by 2pm. Saw Steve and Lynette Headrick at their store for the first time in about 7 months and spent a good hour talking fishing and about my health issues. The rain lets up and my Tuesday night plans cancel so it is off to the lake to fish. I get to the Dale Hollow Marina ramp and it lets up so I am putting on my rain suit and the skies opens up again. Back to the One Stop to check on the weather and it looks like it will quit soon. Soon becomes an hour so back to Burkesville to the hotel and not a happy camper. Talking to my buddy Cliff a little after 2pm CST and the rain stops and the sun pops out in Burkesville. In the Explorer I go and off to Holly Creek this time. I get to the ramp and the mud line in Holly Creek is way out past the NEW marina docks. The worst that I ever saw it. Down to Dale Hollow Marina and I launch the beast by myself. Wind is howling, no telling how fast, but fast enough that my ride from the marina down towards the Dam was the worst I ever had on Dale so I can only imagine what Mid Lake was, my guess is ROLLERS. Hit several spots trying to find fish and stay out of the wind, which is impossible on Dale for it comes at you from all directions at times. Hit some main lake spots which is where we found them over the weekend to no luck. Went up into some creeks to no luck then finally I hit one stretch of bank that gives up a 4-2 and a 4-3 within a few feet of each other. Off to the next cut trying the same pattern and land a 6-6, my biggest ever, and a 5-15 within a few feet of each other. All came on the fly and all were as fat as a pig. All came on the backside of an eddy created by the wind howling around the point and were just up inside the creeks on main lake points. Water visibly stained and it was 44 degrees when I took out just before dark.

Wednesday I have Mike W and Mike R in the boat with me. Back to the same area but no takers on the big fish points. I figured the backs of the creeks would be heated up with the warm rain, so in the back we went and Mike R loses one half way back to the boat, but lands his biggest ever 4-15. I had a 4-8 and we had 2 other just under the slot fish from the same area all within 40 minutes. The bite got tough after 10 but we had 7 smallies and 2 trout for the day with the only pattern being in the backs of the creeks.

Thursday Mike W is in my boat and Chris and Mike R are in his. Back to the same area, in the fog, but we go even farther back all the way to the end, turn around and Mike W has one on the second cast and I catch 5 in a row within the next 45 minutes. Then the bite shuts down. We ran all over trying the same type spots but when the sun got up the bite was gone. We took out around noon and came home. Chris and Mike caught one 12" trout for the day but no brownie takers.

17 Smallies total, 3 trout, 2 people got their biggest ever, 6 fish over 4 with the biggest being 6-6 for a part of the lake that I have spent 5 days total on fishing the fly, which includes the past 3 days. Could have been better and surely could have been worse. If you are fishing the fly at Dale and you sleep in then you might as well stay in. Bite shut down by 11am both the last 2 days, with 10 of the 17 total smallies coming within the first hour of daylight, and without the complete overcast, wind and rain on Tuesday, I doubt that I would have caught those. Be on the water, on your spot before the sun comes up. Headrick fish Thursday as well and caught a couple on the fly but caught some more fish up into the day on the yellow asprin head jig in 45 feet of water. Good luck in pattern these fish. Hens and I catch them all on main lake spots around grass over the weekend, that bite shuts down and we catch them in the back of the creeks the past couple of days. With it being 73 on Tuesday, all the rain, then snow projected for the weekend and temps 25 degrees below normal predicted, these fish could do anything. My guess is these creeks will cool down and what fish that moved to the back will head back out. You may try main lake points and fish towards the back to look first but your guess is good as mine. Hope this helps, not the long version for too tired to type but inquiring minds wanted to know so you now do.

[WacoWildcat]

Thanks for the report Elnut. Congrats as well on the 6-6...that's a good one. Must have been fun trying to net that yourself using the big pole LOL. I caught one over 4 a few weeks ago by myself on the fly and I thought I was going to loose it for sure at the boat. That fly pole takes some getting used to.

[elnutsmalljaws]

Thanks for the report Elnut. Congrats as well on the 6-6...that's a good one. Must have been fun trying to net that yourself using the big pole LOL. I caught one over 4 a few weeks ago by myself on the fly and I thought I was going to loose it for sure at the boat. That fly pole takes some getting used to.

Try netting her with the wind shifting you and you are up on the top deck trolling motor trying to not get slammed against the rock bank then back down to the middle deck to try to net her. Went back and forth 3 times before doing my best impersenation of "Netboy".