Im driving down the week of thanksgiving from Idaho to fish Dale Hollow. Havent been there since i was a kid when we rented a houseboat for vacation. With old age, i dont remember much. Haha. Wondering if theres some tips or areas to focus on. Also best launch areas. PMs welcomed. Thanks guys!
Where are you staying? That will help me give you some areas to look at. That is one of the best times of the year to fish in my opinion. I drag jigs mostly but jerk baits work as well. I have also caught fish with swimbaits parallel to the bank. If it has rained and stained the water a crawfish colored crankbait can be killer as well.
On another note, I am curious of your travel time. I have a friend that bought some land in Idaho this year and I was looking at driving it to do some hunting and to his area it was 32 hours one way. Not sure I can handle that.
Ill be staying in cookeville.
Drive time will be around 27 hrs one way
Cookeville is only like 45 min but there are plenty of marinas on the lake where you can leave your boat in the water. Horse Creek is recently renovated. I think the 1 or 2 bed cabin is like $100 / night. I've been staying there for 10+ years. Willow grove is another good place to stay but they are more expensive. Starr Point is good, also.Originally Posted by Blazerguy
If you're hell bent on staying in Cookeville I would launch at Mitchell Creek.
Im coming down to fish dale hollow a few days, cherokee a few days and make my way west to pickwick for a few days before headed to Arizona.
I would bring a lot of hair jigs, silver buddies and ned rigs to Cherokee. Water should be in lower 50's and I mean should as weather can be weird here in March. Jerkbaits and small jigs too.
Smallmouth fishing is usually better on lower end of lake, but there are plenty of smallmouth all over the lake. If you use the ramp at the dam I'd look at lodging in Dandridge, short drive. Mid lake the BW mentioned above or get a cabin. I'd get a cabin .
We are all born ignorant but one must work really hard to remain stupid---Ben Franklin
Ill be there mid Nov
In Mid-Nov, where do you guys think i have better chance of catching quality smallmouths? I heard Dale Hollow isnt what it use to be. I hear Pickwick and cherokee are hit and miss. Ill give one up to focus on another to catch quality fish
Dale Hollow has pretty much been destroyed by social media! If you want the big smallies go to pickwick. For numbers and some quality then Cherokee
"Luminous beings are we not this crude matter." Yoda
Thats what ive been reading lately about Dale Hollow
its a dang shame!! Bookface and bookface groups are destroying many things across the country
"Luminous beings are we not this crude matter." Yoda
I use to go there every year with my family for a week on a house boat when i was a kid. I remember my dad coming back around 9am to get me and had an 5 lb smallie everytime. Haha. It was motivation to get up early. I have alot of memories of Dale Hollow
Last edited by Blazerguy; 09-20-2021 at 09:34 AM.
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