Dale Hollow Smallmouth

[double browtine]

So I have never been fishing at Dale Hollow. What would be the best month to plan a 3-4 day camping and fishing trip this year? Since DH is the best smallmouth fishing around, when would be the best time to catch them? I was thinking early Spring, like late March early April. Does that sound about right?

 

[mike52]

Best time I have had on DH is late February after a good rain. Lake has great small mouth using a deep diving crank bait off finger points, but you can get your string stretched in the creek banks flippin for large mouths

 

[Sam Davis]

March has been good for me. Caught my biggest smallmouth ( 5 lbs ) in march.
They have had a lot of tournaments on the lake. Been told going to have even more added this year. I would try to plan around them. I have had a couple bad experiences with people practicing.

 

[double browtine]

I caught a 5 pounder at KY lake years ago. I took a picture and released it cause I had a 4.5 pounder I had caught a couple years earlier that I had mounted. Well when we moved, I had it hanging in the basement and my Lab was able to pull it off the wall and ate half of it. I've been wanting to try to catch a good sized one to replace it.

 

[double browtine]

March has been good for me. Caught my biggest smallmouth ( 5 lbs ) in march.
They have had a lot of tournaments on the lake. Been told going to have even more added this year. I would try to plan around them. I have had a couple bad experiences with people practicing.

I saw this on Instagram the other day. It probably would have come in handy for you.

Your story reminds me when we were anchored in a cove on KY lake one spring fishing for bream and red ear. We were a long cast from the bushes for bream gear but not for a bait caster with a heavy jig. Well we had two guys in a basscat who were flipping the bushes troll between us and the bushes right on top of where we were fishing the beds. They never asked us if they could fish in front of us, they both were actually on the front deck flipping. My buddy was fishing with me at the time. He whispered to me what kind of A-hole does that when they started to get close. They never even turned around till they heard that 1 ounce sinker from my catfish Rod smack off the side of their boat. The guy turned around and said what the heck was that! Did you just hit my boat? As I was reeling it in. I said sorry you were in my way. He starts cussing at me more and I let it fly again and whack. He is really pissed now and cussing me. I said next time I bet you will think again and have some respect for another fisherman before you fish between them and the bank! We were fishing in my Stratos bass boat at the time. I thought the guy was going to troll over looking for a fight but he just trolled on off fishing and cussing!

 

[Ridgeline300]

February and March are best for me, almost always a tournament so just got to deal with it.

 

[Jcalder]

What does a tournament matter? They aren't any more entitled than anyone else. I'd guess a tournament could be found nearly every weekend somewhere on DH.

 

[TNReb]

What does a tournament matter? They aren't any more entitled than anyone else. I'd guess a tournament could be found nearly every weekend somewhere on DH.

Guys are going to be targeting largemouth in tournaments. You can still find plenty of places to fish for smallmouth.

However, most big tournaments (BFL's) launch from Star Point. If you're planning on staying at Star Point, you'll want to schedule accordingly because all of their places fill up.

 

[Jcalder]

Guys are going to be targeting largemouth in tournaments. You can still find plenty of places to fish for smallmouth.

However, most big tournaments (BFL's) launch from Star Point. If you're planning on staying at Star Point, you'll want to schedule accordingly because all of their places fill up.

I personally wouldn't target smallmouth, but I also haven't fished in years. Why they hold any big tournament at star point is beyond me.

 

[Ridgeline300]

What does a tournament matter? They aren't any more entitled than anyone else. I'd guess a tournament could be found nearly every weekend somewhere on DH.

Doesn't matter to me as I'm usually participating in them but some folks don't like them for various reasons such as crowded or having to deal with the occasional butt hole that thinks because he's in a tournament he should have rights to any spot

 

[TNReb]

I personally wouldn't target smallmouth, but I also haven't fished in years. Why they hold any big tournament at star point is beyond me.

If I'm not in a tournament and I'm at DH, I'm targeting smallmouth! It's a world class smallmouth fishery. They're a blast to catch.

 

[Jcalder]

If I'm not in a tournament and I'm at DH, I'm targeting smallmouth! It's a world class smallmouth fishery. They're a blast to catch.

I grew up on Dale hollow. Only time we ever targeted them was night fishing tournaments.