# New personal best



## Marshall (Apr 11, 2004)

i made a trip to Tennessee to visit my parents. For years we used to go to Dale Hollow. The last few trips we have been fishing a reservoir that dale dumps into called Cordell Hull. Yesterday 12/3/2016 I caught my personal best largemouth. This lake has lots of rock like Dale Hollow but is not quite as deep. I was fishing a jig off of some rock near a small bridge and had a good bite. At first I thought it was a big cat or drum. I was wrong. It came to the top and showed itself. It was the largest bass i have ever had hooked. Luckilly we got it in the boat. The bass was 8lbs 10 oz. and 24.5 inches long. What an amazing day. After a few pics we put her back. This was a great day to spend with my dad and brother.


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## polebender (Oct 29, 2011)

What a great looking largemouth! When I first looked at the picture and seen the rocks and saw the road above I thought you were on Alum and thought Whoa! Lol! Great catch! Congrats!


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## Marshall (Apr 11, 2004)

I wish it was that easy at alum to fish rip rap and catch big fish. Lol


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## laynhardwood (Dec 27, 2009)

Nice fish that's a monster


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## YAK_THE_FLIPPER (Jan 2, 2015)

Absolute beast! Are you going to get a replica mount?


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## Marshall (Apr 11, 2004)

YAK_THE_FLIPPER said:


> Absolute beast! Are you going to get a replica mount?


Dad wants me to get one. I probably will just so i can remember that trip. Plus it would look nice on the wall.


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## PapawSmith (Feb 13, 2007)

Wow, what a tank. And it has a picture perfect look as well, fish of a lifetime.


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## Fisherman 3234 (Sep 8, 2008)

Nice tank bud!!!


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## Scum_Frog (Apr 3, 2009)

Now thats a Big Ol Bug Eye!!!!!! Awesome job! But that hook set felt amazing!!!


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## Flannel_Carp (Apr 7, 2014)

Congrats! That is an awesome bass!


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## Marshall (Apr 11, 2004)

Thanks guys. Yes the eyes on that bass were big.


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## YAK_THE_FLIPPER (Jan 2, 2015)

For a little perspective about how special that fish is consider this- the largest fish ever caught during a Major League Fishing event is Bobby Lane's 8lb 5oz largemouth he caught in Shreveport, LA.


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## williamonica0214 (Aug 1, 2006)

Great bass Congrats


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## NCbassattack (May 5, 2014)

Beautiful fish! Way to go!


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## Bassthumb (Aug 22, 2008)

Great fish Marshall!


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## freshwaterexperience (May 23, 2014)

Awesome!!!!


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## Fishing Flyer (May 31, 2006)

That is a beast! Do you catch better numbers at Cordell Hull? I've been to the hollow a half dozen times now and I struggle to find fish consistently.


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## Marshall (Apr 11, 2004)

Fishing Flyer said:


> That is a beast! Do you catch better numbers at Cordell Hull? I've been to the hollow a half dozen times now and I struggle to find fish consistently.


No we have not caught better numbers but that lake sure has been good to me. I tend to fish it in the cold weather periods like december or march. I would be willing to bet april and may would be better for numbers. But honestly i have not explored the lake much. Basically i have fished 2 coves. There are some big fish in there. 
We have struggled at dale too. I find the hull to be easier to fish. Its not as deep in most places. As for Dale, i hear the mid to upper part of the lake has better numbers of fish. We have always fished the lower end. I have been itching to fish dale based on the results from blf's and all the big largemouth that comes in. Lots of grass in the upper end from what i hear.


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## Fishing Flyer (May 31, 2006)

There's a ton of grass at Dale. I've spent most of my time in the mid section. Back in 2012 there was a Smallmouth kill. In the spring of 2013, I ended up on Dale during the largemouth spawn, and couldn't believe the number of big largemouth that were shallow. The lake was flooded so the bass were literally in the forest, but the water was crystal clear, even up in the trees. It was surreal running the boat through the trees with canopy overhead. We caught a handful of decent largemouth, but they were tough with the spawn. A local claimed to have caught a dozen four and five pounders one day with floating pink and white worms under willows. I don't even own a pack of floating worms. I'm not familiar with recent bfl results at Dale, does the largemouth population seem to have exploded?


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## Marshall (Apr 11, 2004)

From the results i have seen. It usually takes 20 plus lbs to win and the top 15 or so are not far behind. A lot of A-rig fish from what i have read over the grass. It seems the largemouth have been doing well. I need to give dale another try. I have done well with the A-rig at cordell too.


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## NCbassattack (May 5, 2014)

Fishing Flyer said:


> There's a ton of grass at Dale. I've spent most of my time in the mid section. Back in 2012 there was a Smallmouth kill. In the spring of 2013, I ended up on Dale during the largemouth spawn, and couldn't believe the number of big largemouth that were shallow. The lake was flooded so the bass were literally in the forest, but the water was crystal clear, even up in the trees. It was surreal running the boat through the trees with canopy overhead. We caught a handful of decent largemouth, but they were tough with the spawn. A local claimed to have caught a dozen four and five pounders one day with floating pink and white worms under willows. I don't even own a pack of floating worms. I'm not familiar with recent bfl results at Dale, does the largemouth population seem to have exploded?


Man, you need to grab a couple bags of floating worms. I use the Zoom Trick worm in merthiolate red or bubblegum. Fished with a 2/0 hook, they are deadly after the spawn and most of the summer long.


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## All Eyes (Jul 28, 2004)

Congrats on the amazing catch and even better memory. Thank you for sharing it with us. You'll be hard pressed to top that one.


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## Fishing Flyer (May 31, 2006)

Dale is a beautiful lake. It's just so hard to find the fish. For a fishing trip, I'd rather drive to Erie, or even Kentucky Lake. For vacation with fishing mixed in, Dale is very relaxing.


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## NCbassattack (May 5, 2014)

Going to Belews Lake tomorrow. It's a very deep, clear lake. Has both largemouth and spotted bass. Steam plant discharge keeps water 58f to 64f all winter long. Fish school shad all winter, but it can be a hit or miss lake. The fish there grow fast, but rarely live over ten years. Few largemouth get over 6 pounds, spots up to four. But it can be fun. After the ten inches of snow last weekend, it'll be good to get back out. We had three 65 degree days and got rid of the snow, cooled off to 50 today, expecting clouds and 60 tomorrow.


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## Marshall (Apr 11, 2004)

NCbassattack said:


> Going to Belews Lake tomorrow. It's a very deep, clear lake. Has both largemouth and spotted bass. Steam plant discharge keeps water 58f to 64f all winter long. Fish school shad all winter, but it can be a hit or miss lake. The fish there grow fast, but rarely live over ten years. Few largemouth get over 6 pounds, spots up to four. But it can be fun. After the ten inches of snow last weekend, it'll be good to get back out. We had three 65 degree days and got rid of the snow, cooled off to 50 today, expecting clouds and 60 tomorrow.


Nothing like catching a bass on topwater in january. Water temps look good for it. Good luck.


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## laynhardwood (Dec 27, 2009)

NCbassattack said:


> Going to Belews Lake tomorrow. It's a very deep, clear lake. Has both largemouth and spotted bass. Steam plant discharge keeps water 58f to 64f all winter long. Fish school shad all winter, but it can be a hit or miss lake. The fish there grow fast, but rarely live over ten years. Few largemouth get over 6 pounds, spots up to four. But it can be fun. After the ten inches of snow last weekend, it'll be good to get back out. We had three 65 degree days and got rid of the snow, cooled off to 50 today, expecting clouds and 60 tomorrow.


You lucky dog!! Let us know how that trip played out. I will be bass fishing up north pretty soon.


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## NCbassattack (May 5, 2014)

We got into the spots today. No schoolers, the skies stayed clear til later so we fished deeper. Got them on Scroungers and Speedcraws, Carolina rigged. Caught six apiece. Here's a couple of the better ones.


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## Saugeyefisher (Jul 19, 2010)

NCbassattack said:


> We got into the spots today. No schoolers, the skies stayed clear til later so we fished deeper. Got them on Scroungers and Speedcraws, Carolina rigged. Caught six apiece. Here's a couple of the better ones.
> View attachment 227781
> View attachment 227782
> View attachment 227782


I've seen videos of guys crappie fishing those warm discharge lakes. How's the crappie fishing in that particular one. I'd love to have something like that here local!
Oh an marshal that is a giant well done


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## NCbassattack (May 5, 2014)

There are some good crappie in Belews. A fella on my NC site caught 15 a week ago, one pushed three pounds. But if you ever come down here to crappie fish, I would suggest Lake Jordan. Crappie are found in abundant numbers in all of our lakes, but Jordan has some of the biggest I've ever seen. Two pounders are not rare, and the lake record is four pounds eight ounces.


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## ttipul (Jul 19, 2014)

Great fish!!!!


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## NCbassattack (May 5, 2014)

Thanks, and recently, we've found out they are not spots at all, but their larger look alike relative, the Alabama bass. Both are invasive in our waters. Found out a 13 pound five ounce bass was taken in a tourney on Jordan lake last weekend on a Carolina rigged Ultra vibe Speedcraw. Man, that's a beast..


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## Buick Riviera (Jul 15, 2007)

What a nice bass! That had to be a heart stopper. If you do a replica consider Lake Fork Taxidermy. They did a great job on a SM for me and very reasonable.


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