Dale Hollow Float N Fly Trip

[woody]

I just got back from my annual Winter Dale Hollow float n fly weekend with Bryce (Nofearengineer). We spent much of our time searching for the baitballs on the main lake points and back in the creeks. I would say that close to 50% of our time on the water was spent in searching for baitballs. We found the baitballs in the creeks near secondary points and pockets within the branches of the creaks. Once we found the bait the we would work our fly under the bobber and did manage to boat some decent fish.

I want to extend my thanks to Bryce for sharing his boat and electronics with me. We couldn't of done it without your big hummingbird.

[nofearengineer]

I am an amazing photographer. Not much of a fisherman, but an amazing photographer.

[nobass]

here I thought I woody was just a camera hog

[woody]

Well, Bryce does get the credit for putting us on the fish anyway.


-Mark

[bassinbob]

Glad you two had a great time.

[woody]

Here is a copy of my trip report, posted over on smalljaw.com that some of you may find interest in reading. This report was directed towards fishermen with a familiarity of Dale Hollow Lake.


I met my buddy with his boat from Evansville Indiana at Cedar Hill's boat ramp this past Friday morning just before sunrise, with mostly cloudy skies, and a fast moving Alberta Clipper bearing down on us. It did seem as if the conditions were ideal for smalljaw fishing.

We decided to head south to a no name creek next to the restricted cove belonging to the ACOE, to look for bait and found none. We then idled along the bluff wall heading toward the restricted area and the dam, looking for bait and finding none. We also looked for bait around the mouth of Dale Hollow Creek and Horse Creek with no baitballs to be found. So then my buddy had a couple of spots over in Indian Creek that he wanted to check out. At first we didn't notice any baitfish in the area, but we decided to go ahead and fish a secondary point that had produced fish for him in the past. After spending close to 30 minutes there with nothing to show for it, we decided to make a move, and what a move my buddy decide to make, all the way to Long Branch we went, through one heck of a snow squall blowing out of the south sideways right into our faces. I'm glad I made the investment of buying a full face motorcycle helmet; it was money well spent. After searching Long Branch with no sign of bait, we decided to head over to Lick Run, all the while checking main lake structure for bait and finding none.

After putting in about 4 hours searching for bait we finally were able to find multiple baitballs at about a depth 9' to 10', in a secondary creek, with mostly cloudy skies. We caught two within 40 yards of each other back in the pockets, one brownfish being a 14" under and another 16" slot. Conditions: Water temp. 45, mostly cloudy skies, steady 15mph wind out of the SW with 20+ mph gusts, 9' leader with duck feather Chart. and purple fly.

The next day conditions, before mid=afternoon,: mostly sunny skies, 8 - 10mph winds out of the SW. We located bait back in Indian Creek near a secondary point, and managed to catch 3: 2 brownfish @ 17" and 1 healthy spotted bass 18", off the some productive secondary point. I was using a 13' leader under a bobber with the same colored fly.

Considering that this was only our second FNF trip, I considered it to be a success, but ONLY after putting in the TIME searching for baitfish.

[nofearengineer]

Nice report, Woodrow.