TN Walleye

[UTgodevil23]

A small group of friends planning on spending 3 days on Dale Hollow next month in search of our first Walleye snd maybe other "firsts". Just curious, what is the "go to" method of fishing this time of year??? Don't really want to spend a pile of money on stuff I wouldn't use at home. Don't want spots, just best methods. Are there sauger and lake trout there as well? Thanks team!

 

[Doskil]

There are rainbow trout in Dale Hollow in addition to walleye

I assume you are boat fishing?

 

[UTgodevil23]

Yes sir. I am average at best. Can run a jig and a hook and minnow I'm not ready to invest in rod holders and boarding techniques!

 

[MickThompson]

Probably be a good idea to hire a guide for a day or 2

 

[PickettSFHunter]

Honestly the best time and location for catching walleye in Dale hollow seems to be one of those rare things that isn't all over the internet yet and hopefully it stays that way. Lake trout were in there at one time but I haven't heard anything about them lately.

 

[Bone_Chaser]

Honestly the best time and location for catching walleye in Dale hollow seems to be one of those rare things that isn't all over the internet yet and hopefully it stays that way. Lake trout were in there at one time but I haven't heard anything about them lately.

Yep, alewives and the Erie strain are a curse and blessing.

 

[Kevin Snook]

Yep, alewives and the Erie strain are a curse and blessing.

Alewives do change the fish-that is for sure

 

[eyeseeker]

Fish Dale a lot but have no idea where to start this time of year..I would think most of the fish would be moving up above sunset bridge starting their pre spawn run. Rainbows down by the dam, just troll a small spoon. Unfortunately opposite ends of the lake.

 

[ewc]

Fish Dale a lot but have no idea where to start this time of year..I would think most of the fish would be moving up above sunset bridge starting their pre spawn run. Rainbows down by the dam, just troll a small spoon. Unfortunately opposite ends of the lake.

That's pretty accurate-

But two months too early. Walleye are still scattered. Try this advice in February and follow them up river thru April.

April-July the lake spawning population will start. Casting jerkbaits at night is a great idea.

 

[ewc]

In Norris, I found there were 3 distinct populations of walleye-

Clinch River spawn
Powell River spawn
Main Reservoir spawn

 

[Doskil]

Two different types of walleye

Native river run fish

Great Lakes fish stocked later into TN lakes some on top of the remaining native fish

Long before anyone cared about different walleye populations

 

[WTM]

That's pretty accurate-

But two months too early. Walleye are still scattered. Try this advice in February and follow them up river thru April.

April-July the lake spawning population will start. Casting jerkbaits at night is a great idea.

this is almost pretty much the scenario on ky lake/tn river for sauger, moving from the main lake basin all the way to pickwick. the months are almost exactly the same.

 

[ewc]

Two different types of walleye

Native river run fish

Great Lakes fish stocked later into TN lakes some on top of the remaining native fish

Long before anyone cared about different walleye populations

Precisely.

Original biologists were great, but didn't give thought to what they were stocking and where from.

Dave Bishop was a great biologist, but should've been fired for what he did to Norris.

Norris would've been a world class walleye/smallmouth fishery. He introduced an exotic (a huge no-no today) that was a voracious predator. No studies, he just did it. Great man and wanted the best for Tennessee, but he made a bad mistake and TWRA backed his error.

 

[Doskil]

What did he stock?

Stripers?

 

[TNLynn]

What did he stock?

Stripers?

I'm curious also what species would have kept a lake from being a WORLD CLASS smallmouth/ walleye lake! And what evidence to prove that!!

 

[Setterman]

Precisely.

Original biologists were great, but didn't give thought to what they were stocking and where from.

Dave Bishop was a great biologist, but should've been fired for what he did to Norris.

Norris would've been a world class walleye/smallmouth fishery. He introduced an exotic (a huge no-no today) that was a voracious predator. No studies, he just did it. Great man and wanted the best for Tennessee, but he made a bad mistake and TWRA backed his error.

Norris doesn't have the fertility or make up to be a world class fishery. Grew up on it, and love it but it's just not in that category

 

[redblood]

Im getting cold just thinking about dale hollow in January

 

[ewc]

Norris doesn't have the fertility or make up to be a world class fishery. Grew up on it, and love it but it's just not in that category

I did too. And gave 3 years of my life in grad school studying walleye on Norris. I respectfully disagree.

I met several anglers that that caught walleye up in the Clinch and Powell rivers that caught walleye above 15 pounds. Best I heard was 22 pounds from a guy in Middlesboro. That to me is world class.

Now, add rockfish. Another mouth to feed. Add alewife. Add gizzard shad....

 

[Bone_Chaser]

You forgot zebra muscles

 

[Doskil]

I looked

Stripers and walleye are stocked into Norris lake

Neither must reproduce

 

[wcw280]

I looked

Stripers and walleye are stocked into Norris lake

Neither must reproduce

Place is crawling with walleye. I've watched them spawn a lot. I think the fluctuations in the lake kill the eggs. I firmly believe they would reproduce if the lake didn't fluctuate 10' right after they spawn.

 

[Setterman]

I looked

Stripers and walleye are stocked into Norris lake

Neither must reproduce

EWC likely knows better than me, but I think the walleye spawn

 

[Biggun4214]

The hoop nets on the Clinch may have a bearing on walleye reproduction.

 

[mike243]

Heard tell of gigging on the Clinch back in the 70's but I have no first hand knowledge of it.

 

[PickettSFHunter]

One of the hardest parts of catching walleye here is to not be directly upstream of a net stretched from bank to bank. It's a big deal, they'll have scouts on the roads watching for the wardens and assembly lines to run all the fish up the hill fast. You basically just have to let all those guys fill their freezers and be done with it then the legal fisherman can catch what's left. TWRA tries enforcement but you can't beat the locals teamed up together, they'll have grandma and grandpa watching the roads and the kids helping haul, just how it is.

 

[ewc]

I looked

Stripers and walleye are stocked into Norris lake

Neither must reproduce

Walleye spawn on the upper Clinch and Powell. Above 34 on the Clinch and above 17 on Powell.

Check water flow. That's the key.

Above 2,000 cfs on either catch rates went to zero.

Clinch @ Tazewell
Powell @Arthur

Put in at Beech Grove on Clinch
Earls Hollow on Powell

 

[ewc]

One of the hardest parts of catching walleye here is to not be directly upstream of a net stretched from bank to bank. It's a big deal, they'll have scouts on the roads watching for the wardens and assembly lines to run all the fish up the hill fast. You basically just have to let all those guys fill their freezers and be done with it then the legal fisherman can catch what's left. TWRA tries enforcement but you can't beat the locals teamed up together, they'll have grandma and grandpa watching the roads and the kids helping haul, just how it is.

I was the last to net on the clinch. You're completely out of the loop. TWRA asked me to shock instead of netting. Get better info. TWRA actually cares about this fishery.

 

[PickettSFHunter]

I was the last to net on the clinch. You're completely out of the loop. TWRA asked me to shock instead of netting. Get better info. TWRA actually cares about this fishery.

I'm not talking about the Clinch. The thread is about DH. Out of the loop

 

[ewc]

Whatever Steven

 

[Wooden Arrow]

they try. i've caught walleye up past Kyles Ford on the Clinch.