Smallmouth Poaching on Dale

[mhall]

I talked with a guide a few weeks ago that I will leave nameless. He was off his home water of Dale Hollow guiding for stripes on Cumberland, we spoke at Grider Hill Dock. We talked for quite a stretch and I asked him alot about the smallmouth fishery condition at the Holler. He went on to tell me several stories of guys taking coolers full of undersized smallmouth out of Dale on a regular basis. He said it was so bad that there are a ring of regulars down there that do this so often over the last few years that it is affecting the fishing some in his opinion.

I do not want to argue as I know nothing about this but I did find his stories intriguing and very believable. I can tell ya this he gets blood in his eye when he's talking about it so I know he darn sure believes it. Have any of you other guys heard about this at all, any rumors or the such. He said he has given names to the Department and they are still doing it. One group of fellas he spoke of boasted of having over 80lbs of fillets in there freezers at home at one point this past year.

[elnutsmalljaws]

It happens more than you think. I know in December 2005 they Tenn Wildlife busted a houseboat that had 6 guys on it and they had coolers full of "Fish Fillets" and almost a hundred pounds of Smallies in the cooler yet to be cleaned. I never heard of the total they thought these 6 had taken but did hear they played the "Stupid" card and said they thought the limit was 5 over 15" long like the Largemouth per person per day and were from out of state so they did not know the lake size and creel limit. I was told by a guy a few months later that they went to court and all the judge did was take away their liscense and fine them $150 per man. Not a big enough penalty if you ask me, Fillet them and see how they feel.

[offdtop]

Try to catch a limit of "Kentuckies" aka true spotted bass on Ky Lake........ I believe this issue happens alot.

[bassfisherman99]

That is the dumbest " tale" I have ever heard in my life. Coolers full of fillets and a hundred pounds a smallmouth waiting to be cleaned. You out did yourself this time. You told some good tales on here before but this tops all the rest of them. It's insulting to even read this. How many people do you really think are going to read this and not know your lying? I can tell you not many.

[bassin_bug]

That is the dumbest " tale" I have ever heard in my life. Coolers full of fillets and a hundred pounds a smallmouth waiting to be cleaned. You out did yourself this time. You told some good tales on here before but this tops all the rest of them. It's insulting to even read this. How many people do you really think are going to read this and not know your lying? I can tell you not many.

I certainly believe it. I have personally seen two men with a long stringer of Smallmouths and there were at least 25 or more on it; most of them looked like they were undersize. They had 4 or 5 that looked like they were legal and were hanging over the top of the smaller ones. My husband and I were spending a week on Dale Hollow at the time and I was frequently around the same dock they used. On that particular day they came in and parked facing our boat and I got a good look at their string of smallmouths. The men were going and coming from a cove above Cedar Creek Boat Dock, on the side away from the dam. They would come in and put their fish into a cooler in their truck and go back out again. I don't believe all of them were caught using rods and reels. (jmo) On that particular day the winds were 25-30 mph and the water was extremely rough which makes me further doubt they were using rods and reels.

[slippedcork]

I certainly believe it. I have personally seen two men with a long stringer of Smallmouths and there were at least 25 or more on it; most of them looked like they were undersize. They had 4 or 5 that looked like they were legal and were hanging over the top of the smaller ones. My husband and I were spending a week on Dale Hollow at the time and I was frequently around the same dock they used. On that particular day they came in and parked facing our boat and I got a good look at their string of smallmouths. The men were going and coming from a cove above Cedar Creek Boat Dock, on the side away from the dam. They would come in and put their fish into a cooler in their truck and go back out again. I don't believe all of them were caught using rods and reels. (jmo) On that particular day the winds were 25-30 mph and the water was extremely rough which makes me further doubt they were using rods and reels.

If I saw a stringer that big I would have followed them! How exactly do you think they caught all those sm, a trotline?

[bassin_bug]

If I saw a stringer that big I would have followed them! How exactly do you think they caught all those sm, a trotline?

How long have you been confused?
Followed them?!! Now how do you think I knew where they were catching the fish? Most fishermen won't tell where their "honey hole" is so there was no point in asking a stupid question like that. I don't know if I'm being interrogated here or not but do you really think a trotline is the ONLY way to catch massive numbers of fish? How about traps, baskets, and gill nets?

We show respect for other fishermen and if they are fishing in a certain area, we don't run in over them. I can tell you that NOBODY was catching fish that day except those two men. I even talked to a fishing guide and nobody in his boat had caught anything all day either.

[elnutsmalljaws]

Fishing in Winter 2005 was the best winter to date that I found at Dale Hollow since 2004. Water level was normal and had good water temps pretty much all thru December and January. When the incident happened that I posted on this post as I did back then when it happened, was pretty much prime time Big Smallmouth catching. In looking at my notes that I keep the actual date that I caught these fish and the same date the guys were busted was Dec 9th 2005 for I caught my first one over 6 that day and had another one over 6 on the same spot on Dec 30th, exactly 3 weeks later. We caught a lot of good fish during that month as well as January. My boat was averaging 12 fish per day with 2 days of 22 fish and a bunch of days in the 9-15 range with a 3lb average. One boat catching 35-50lb of Smallies a day and you have 3 boats on the water could easily fill up a cooler over a few days of fishing.

[floatman]

I'm asking, if a game warden found that many fish cleaned and in a cooler and that many short fish, wouldn't or shouldn't they confiscate equipment or arrest somebody, like they would if they caught a deer hunter, doing the same thing?

[lroberts]

Agreed....but the only problem would be determining what species the fillets are. If the offenders were "smart" they would cut the fillets into smaller pieces so they couldn't be identified. Anyone doing this should have a HUGE fine...the only way to get to most people is through their pocketbook!!!! $150 is a joke!

[slippedcork]

How long have you been confused?
Followed them?!! Now how do you think I knew where they were catching the fish? Most fishermen won't tell where their "honey hole" is so there was no point in asking a stupid question like that. I don't know if I'm being interrogated here or not but do you really think a trotline is the ONLY way to catch massive numbers of fish? How about traps, baskets, and gill nets?

We show respect for other fishermen and if they are fishing in a certain area, we don't run in over them. I can tell you that NOBODY was catching fish that day except those two men. I even talked to a fishing guide and nobody in his boat had caught anything all day either.

Im not confused! You saw the fish. I can catch a few here and there but coolers full is a little stretched! I also have a few honey holes and I have never in my life caught a cooler full of smallmouth. Maybe an exceptional day 1/8 of a cooler but not 3 to 6 days in a row! Lets get down to reality! Im sure you saw a big stringer with alot of short fish. Those guys must be offspring of Billy Westmoreland using a silver buddy with a succer minnow as a trailer.

[bassin_bug]

Im not confused! You saw the fish. I can catch a few here and there but coolers full is a little stretched! I also have a few honey holes and I have never in my life caught a cooler full of smallmouth. Maybe an exceptional day 1/8 of a cooler but not 3 to 6 days in a row! Lets get down to reality! Im sure you saw a big stringer with alot of short fish. Those guys must be offspring of Billy Westmoreland using a silver buddy with a succer minnow as a trailer.

I did not say "coolerS full" and I did not say "3-6 days in a row." You used the "confused" icon and I got the impression you were confused. I can see where this is going; just because YOU never caught a cooler full of smallmouths establishes a precedence that it isn't possible for anyone else to do it. I don't do geaneology so I don't know who those guys are related to and I don't search tackle boxes to see what is inside.

This is getting down to REALITY: Why do you have to be one of the people on this board who is always mixing up the posts and then trying to turn it into a full-blown argument? Why do you think some people are not happy to read your comments?