My good fortune continues! Epic day at Dale Hollow Lake today. My lure of choice was a Bison colored Trout Magnet on a 3/32 ounce jig head. Rod was a Yamaga Blanks Blue Current TZ 6' 10' Jig Head Special UL Ajing rod. The reel was an Daiwa Ignis Type R 2505H spooled with 2# test SOS line and an 18 inch section of 2# test Phantom fluro leader. I caught numerous Gills...shellcrackers.....a huge catfish and two trophy sized Smallies both going almost 21 inches. The reel.....rod...line, and leader, performed flawlessly which allowed me to get these fish in. The drag was screaming and the 2# test SOS line was stretched but it held. Had to run one of the Smallies down with the trolling motor...he was not going to stop. I do not have a scale.....wish I did...these two fish were heavy. The Gills and shellcrackers show no real sign of going on bed yet. They are still scattered but can readily be found and caught. While the Gills I am into right now are only at the 8-8.5 inch mark they are chunky fish and put up a great fight. The shellcracker are starting to get bigger....they made the drag scream also. Going to clean boat...gear...and get ready for next week...life is good!
I should add that Larry G and I fished yesterday at Dale Hollow also....another great day. We caught plenty of Smallies and panfish. Larry is great guy to fish with....he also enjoys light line fishing. Larry out did me yesterday. It was brutal fighting the wind yesterday. Here are some pics from that trip.
You never cease to amaze me on what you can pull in on that 2lb test! Most people are lucky to land a 21" smallie on 10lb test let alone 2lb! Keep it up man always look forward to your trip reports
Thanks for the comments guys. I figure I have about two more weeks of the Smallie action on the flats up there. The Gills and shellcracker are not on bed but I fully expect to go up any day and find a ton of them on bed. If I am so fortunate I will be going everyday the weather is decent until they stop.
Alphahawk,
Where do you like to launch at. I have been launching at Hendricks for years. Been wanting to try other areas of the lake. I hope to go up this weekend for gills and crackers.
Thanks
I know in the past you have posted some pictures of the side scan showing gill beds, I was wondering how far out each side do you set your scan? I'm going to KY lake in a couple weeks and will need all the help I can get to find their beds.
I know in the past you have posted some pictures of the side scan showing gill beds, I was wondering how far out each side do you set your scan? I'm going to KY lake in a couple weeks and will need all the help I can get to find their beds.
Thanks,
Ray
Best results would be around 60 feet. I have done it out to 100 and it will show them but my eyes get worse each year...LOL. At 100 feet it is a lot of info on a 7 inch screen. I hear they are on bed there now.
Alphahawk,
Where do you like to launch at. I have been launching at Hendricks for years. Been wanting to try other areas of the lake. I hope to go up this weekend for gills and crackers.
Thanks
I use Hendricks some...good area there for Gills and Crackers. They are staging now to go on bed.....I think.....see latest report.
Epic day at Dale Hollow!
