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Wednesday, 01 April 2009 17:49 |
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Fishing has definitely picked up in the backs of the creeks. Why you ask? Warm water, especially on the upper end of the lake where it's anywhere from 3-6 degrees warmer in some spots. It's only natural for shallower water and northern banks to warm first We also had those storms come through which brought warmer rains - and man did it rain. When it rains like that is also washes a whole bunch of plant life (plankton) down the hollers and into the creeks causing the baitfish to feed more, and we all know where there's prey...there's predators.
Smallies have been a little hit or miss though - some guys were calling in with 12 in a day and others were getting blanked or might have boated two - but so it goes on "The Holler". It's a big reason why everyone wants to fish here - let's face it, fishermen have big egos. It's a known fact, proven scientifically. If a lake humbles you then by God you're gonna keep going back for more punishment until you figure her out - and when you finally do you're gonna take lots of pictures and tell all of your buddies about your great conquest and they'll call the mayor to organize a big parade and people in the streets will be calling your name - wait, maybe that was my dream last night. Anyway, if you can believe that there was a point to that, it's that we know you're not going to give up after a rough day so just stay persistent, fill yourself full of knowledge from articles, forums, & guides, and your day will come - and when it does we can't wait to see the pictures Wink
Don't forget our tournament is getting closer - April 25th & 26th - details can be found by clicking here. Click here to print the registration form! Also, we're helping to organize a benefit tournament for the family of Kevin Watson on Saturday, April 11th.- details can be found here.
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Quote of the Week:
"There will be days when the fishing is better than one's most optimistic forecast, others when it is far worse. Either is a gain over just staying home."
-Roderick Haig-Brown
Lake Stats
Waterlevel: 652 MSL - 1' above full pool of 651'.
Water Temp: 48-50 degrees on the lower end, 50-53 on the upper end.
Clarity: Clear for the most part, stained a little in spots.
To read the rest of this report, including what's working and hot spot maps, visit www.DaleHollowFishing.com.
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Written by Stephen Headrick
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Tuesday, 03 March 2009 00:57 |
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What can we say...just as we thought the weather was going to stabilize we got a mess over the weekend which made for some rough conditions for our friends at Smalljaw.com. They held their Elite Members Tournament this past weekend and from what we hear, guys were on fish one day and couldn't find 'em with scuba gear the next (and it was like that all week).
What's cool is that we've been pushing Float & Fly down your throats in just about every fishing report and some of you have to be saying to yourselves, "Aren't they ever going to talk about something else?" To be fair we have talked about the jig bite, live bait techniques, and I believe some cranks too, but have a look at that picture to the right. That bronze beauty won the tournament ($500 courtesy of Horse Creek Resort) and big fish ($150 courtesy of Punisher Lures). It was the only over of the weekend, and bet you guess what it was caught on!
Lake Stats
Waterlevel: 648 MSL - 3' below full pool of 651'.
Water Temp: 45 degrees at surface, 45 degrees 10' deep.
Clarity: Clear on the lower end & main body. Upper end has some color.
Smallmouth
Smallmouth fishing has been speratic - one day you'd go out and really get on the fish, but the next you'd be lucky to bring one to the boat. One thing we're hearing a lot is that they're staging on 45 degree banks near the points in the mouth of the creeks and secondary points waiting for those warm spring rains. That's where the baitfish have been found as well, and you know that where there's little fish...
Be sure to check out the newest feature on DHF - Dale Hollow Lake Records! You've heard of State Records and World Records, but when is the last time you saw Lake Records? Well, thanks to Darren Shell of Willow Grove Resort, DHF is now THE place to submit your catch as a lake record. Find out more by clicking here...
To read the rest of this report, including what's working and hot spot maps, visit www.DaleHollowFishing.com.
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Written by Stephen Headrick
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Monday, 16 February 2009 00:00 |
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You're probably thinking, "Well it's about time!" Understandable, and we apologize for putting of a new report, but like we said in our update, it hasn't really changed much since our last report. It's been a weird time actually. Information that usually pour in like runoff from a hard rain has shut down for the last two weeks. All we've really heard was, "Man it was rough out there." And so it goes on Dale Hollow, one the - if not THE - most humbling lakes in the country. If you're after her bronze trophies and not doing your homework she'll beat you 9 times out of 10.
The good news is that it's picked up over the last week and should continue to do so for the weeks ahead. The weather has stablized which makes it much easier to put a solid pattern together and stick to it when you get on the water.
Lake Stats
Waterlevel: 646.1 MSL - 4.9' below full pool of 651'.
Water Temp: 46 degrees at surface, 46 degrees 10' deep in the creeks, main body is a few degrees cooler.
Clarity: Clear on the lower end & main body. Upper end has some color.
Smallmouth
The days are getting longer, which means the sun is staying out longer too. Pay extra close attention to the shady banks for the upcoming week. As we get closer to the spawn it won't matter as much because the baitfish and bass will be feeding everywhere, not paying as much attention to the light.
Backs of the creeks and the little pockets are what you need to be looking for, especially around black shale rock. As the water rises fish will gradually be moving up with it, and when we get a rain, hit the creeks hard! The rain is warmer this time of year, and if you've followed our past reports you'll know that a warm rain sends baitfish into a frenzy in the creeks which does the same to their predators.
To read the rest of this report, including what's working and hot spot maps, visit www.DaleHollowFishing.com.
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Last Updated ( Saturday, 28 February 2009 16:51 )
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Written by Stephen Headrick
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Monday, 19 January 2009 00:00 |
You might be wondering why it took two weeks to get this report out - simply put, the cold weather and rising water level has thrown the fishing off a little, so we wanted to get out there ourselves and gather some solid info for you guys as we approach some of the best fishing on the lake (Feb. & March). We fished a half-day and boated 5 nice smallies - all on the fly. This was consistent with what everyone had been saying when stopping into the 1 Stop - numbers aren't there, but the quality is. We didn't catch a fish under 3 lbs., with the biggest being 4.5 to 5 lbs. All of that cold weather we got over the last week has dropped the water temp considerably. This week's theme - SLOW DOWN!
Lake Stats
Waterlevel: 642 MSL - 9' below full pool of 651'.
Water Temp: 43 degrees at surface, 43 degrees 10' deep
Clarity: main body is clear, backs of some creeks are stained.
Smallmouth
Conditions have played a big role in success on the lake for the last two weeks. If the sun is out, you've gotta fish the shady banks and bluff walls. If there's good cloud cover, main body points and secondary points with black shale rock are where it's at, and in case you're wondering what black shale rock looks like, here's a good example.
Remember this week's theme - slow down? Well, the water temperature is reaching fatal levels for baitfish. They're getting real dormant in this cold water, so that means that you need to slow down your action. If you're Float & Fly fishing, you should wait a good 20-30 seconds before hopping that bobber around. If you're throwing a jig, just lift it off the bottom real slow and let it fall. When the fishing is slow, fishermen have a tendency to fish faster and harder to play catch up. The ones who are taking their time and enjoying their surroundings are the ones who've had the most success lately.
To read the rest of this report, including what's working and hot spot maps, visit www.DaleHollowFishing.com.
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Last Updated ( Saturday, 28 February 2009 16:49 )
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Written by Stephen Headrick
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Monday, 05 January 2009 00:00 |
Its' unamimous - the fishing was definitely slower this week - and there was several reasons. First, we had a lot of sun, and Smallies don't like the sun. If you caught fish, chances are it was in shade. Second, the moon phase wasn't right. In the winter months, fishing is always better around a new moon or full moon. If you've been keeping an eye on our moon phase box to the right you'll know that we were right in the middle. The good news is that it will be full this weekend which should make for some good fishing. Last, the waterlevel is coming up steadily and the fish haven't fully adjusted. On the flip side of that, some of the fishermen haven't adjusted either. Guys who stopped into the one stop that had a slow week said that they were having trouble finding the right depth for their fly. This week should be a little more predictable.
Lake Stats
Waterlevel: 638.3 MSL - 12.7' below full pool of 651'.
Water Temp: 50 degrees at surface, 50 degrees 10' deep
Clarity: main body is clear, backs of the creeks are stained.
Smallmouth
Pattern, pattern, pattern. You'll struggle finding those Smallies if you're not paying attention to your surroundings. There's a lot of different types of structure in this lake, and if you catch fish around a certain type, stick with it. Fish adjust to the current weather conditions and hold around structure they're comfortable with based on those conditions. If you find fish around black shale rock on secondary points, find the same thing when you move and chances are you'll find more fish...
To read the rest of this report, including what's working and hot spot maps, visit www.DaleHollowFishing.com.
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Last Updated ( Saturday, 28 February 2009 16:49 )
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