# Dale Hollow Mid April....Info?



## rustyfish

Headed to Dale Hollow for the first time April 14. Staying at Eagle Cove Marina near Kentucky/Tennessee boarder in the NE section of the lake. First time fishing anything like this and was just curious if anyone had any info or tips on bass and panfish. Guide trip is not really an option im just lucky to make the trip in the first place. Done some research and dug through old post and im finding its very temp and season dependent. Got the general idea of drop off points for smallies and creek/deep coves for largemouth. Didnt know if night fishing was worth it this time of year or if that just depends on temp, water quality, and sky conditions. Just curious if anyone has knowledge of the area or other information they would be willing to share. The group of guys im going with did not have a good trip at all two years ago so if anyone could point me in the right direction that would be awesome. Thanks


----------



## Popspastime

The Hollow is a very tough lake to fish, Clear water makes it almost an exclusive night time fishery. I've a friend who lives 35 miles south of the lake who is a very good fisherman and he's been relentless in his quest to learn the lake, so far he is unsuccessful. The lake lays in both Ten and KY so make sure your licensed for the state your in. Lot's of creeks to fish and sights to see, it's a beautiful lake. In 3 times I was there in total caught a handful of fish so being burnt by that lake I won't go back. Wish I had better news for you but there's much better choices of lakes to fish down there.


----------



## sherman51

i suggest you break down and hire a good guide for a day. its money well spent. the smallmouth bite can be hot that time of year. but the hollow has its own way of fishing the water along the rock walls. i done good on crappie along fall downs and rock slides up some of the coves. also have caught some hog rock bass (red eye to some down there) along some of the banks. have done real good fishing flooded timber for gills. white bass can be good fishing willows up the rivers. and night fishing the head waters can get hot if the white bass have started spawing with a chance at a couple of eyes.
sherman


----------



## zack2345

you don't need a guide this time of year... all the fish are up shallow well crappie and largemouth... just fish the backs of creeks with buck brush and willows... personally I like the willows better but if you guys go down with slip bobbers and minnows and fish the backs of the creeks you will do well... I've got a group of guys going down 1 week from today and we have been following lake levels and temps... should hit it perfect for the crappie pre spawn /spawn... and the bass will be right there with them... as for night fishing that's just for when the water gets hot been down for the past 5 or 6 years love the place in the spring my wife will be giving birth to our second next weekend so I can't go so I'd be happy to help you out


----------



## rustyfish

I see "back of creeks" wording a lot for LM bass and panfish for this time of year. Are we talking actual creeks, or coves from saddles coming down the hillside.


----------



## jessejames556

I just returned from a four day trip to DHL two days ago. When I arrived on 04/03, water temps were 58-60 degrees. The weather took a colder turn after day one and temps were around 54-57 the rest of the trip. I did not catch a single smallmouth but to be fair I was not targeting them at all really. I make a few trips to DHL a year and I've found the best way (for me) to not get skunked is to really focus on largemouth. Any smallmouth caught are just a bonus.

Day 1- I caught only one for the three hours I was on the water. One small spotted bass on a secondary point in about five feet of water on a crayfish color squarebill. 
Day 2- I searched hard for baitfish clouds on sonar and found them in coves 10 feet down in 15 feet of water. I caught two 2.5 lb largemouth by running a shad color lipless crankbait through these baitfish clouds. Tough day. I miraculously hooked into a 5.5 lb Walleye while clearing a birds nest at one point, so that was cool. 
Day 3- I tried to match Day 2's pattern and discovered the bass just weren't going for it. I ended up switching gears and trying my luck at shallow cover in the coves. They were not interested in anything until I switched to a green pumpkin fluke fished weightless. Once I did this, the bite was on. I found them holding tight to flooded timber and willows in the back creek arms. 
Day 4- I matched the pattern I developed late in Day 3 and it paid off. I caught 6 largemouth with the fluke still holding tight to shallow cover in the creek arms. I also happened to detect a baitfish cloud down around 5 feet while hitting the back creek arms and decided to throw a squarebill through them. I caught one largemouth and a white bass doing this. The bite died off around noon on this day and I couldn't find any more fish until around 5pm. I ended up catching two more largemouth with the fluke that evening. I probably missed five good bites that evening and I wish I would have had more time to throw a drop shot or something slower. 

My biggest regret of the trip was not trying shallow cover sooner and not going out earlier in the morning on the first three days. I also wish I would have hit some more points to look for some bigger bass still holding deeper. I wrote a book but this is the info I wish I would have had before I left for my trip. Good luck and please let us know how you do. And to answer your question- when I say coves I mean actual creek arms.


----------



## miked913

Nice, that is one of the prettiest colored walleye I've ever seen!

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk


----------



## zack2345

rustyfish said:


> I see "back of creeks" wording a lot for LM bass and panfish for this time of year. Are we talking actual creeks, or coves from saddles coming down the hillside.


I mean actual creeks ... the willows and buck brush grow up while the lake is down and now that the water is back up the crappie and bass get up in it to spawn... the smallies are done I wouldn't mess with them unless you have a guide


----------



## rustyfish

zack2345 said:


> I mean actual creeks ... the willows and buck brush grow up while the lake is down and now that the water is back up the crappie and bass get up in it to spawn... the smallies are done I wouldn't mess with them unless you have a guide


Smallies will be messed with. I have more confidence finding them while getting ready for spawn than i would ant other time. If the water temp is in the low 60s or less I feel I have a good shot at finding them.


----------



## zack2345

I wouldn't waste much time .... I'm not the only one telling you they are hard to find .... the smallies spawn in like 15 20 foot deep In that lake... they are not easy. but like I said if you guys go up In the willows the largemouth and crappie fishing will be on fire ... message me while your down there and I'll let you know what my buddy's are doing


----------



## rustyfish

Thanks guys. I appreciate the info. Winds in the high teens may keep me in the backs of creeks anyway.


----------



## glasseyes

Been almost 30 years but an old friend spent lots of time on that lake and took me there a few times for smallies. I was always going to catch them with artificial and always ended up using live bait. The large minnows he would get , he called them skimmers, when you threw one out along the rocks they would jump and skim across the water just driving the smallmouth crazy. Sure have some good memories of that place


----------



## Jigjunkie

Currently on the lake only 1 brown bass for the week but a good one. Caught on a watermelon candy shaky head in 16 Fow in Horse creek. LM starting to move into shallows and scouting bed sites.


----------



## redhawk fisherman

Here are a couple fish from Dale last week. Fishing was tough and weather was very unstable.


----------



## afishinfool

Rustyfish, if you are gonna fish DH then fish it. Been following this thread and Im seeing alot of nay sayers but the smb ARE there as well as lmb. Cant catch them if you are not fishing it. Try night time too.


----------



## zack2345

we go down the 3rd week of April every year man I'm telling you ... you would be foolish to fish anywhere but the shallows for crappie and largemouth it's going to be on fire


----------

