FISHERY
SPOTLIGHT
ILLUSTRATION BY BRANDON ROWAN
By Tyler Brinks
DALE HOLLOW RESERVOIR
What to expect when the Bass Pro Tour arrives at the historic Tennessee fishery
he 2024 Bass Pro Tour schedule will throw anglers some curveballs , with a few popular fisheries that haven ’ t hosted tour-level events in recent years plus a couple brand new venues on the docket . Among those is the legendary Dale Hollow Reservoir , the site of Stage Three from April 9-14 .
Located along the Tennessee and Kentucky border , this impoundment of the Obey River – a tributary of the Cumberland River – is best known in bass fishing circles as the home of the world record smallmouth bass . Still , the lake ’ s unique slot limit has generally excluded it from the highest level of professional bass fishing — until this year .
Fishery profile
Dale Hollow is properly synonymous with smallmouth and has been since 1955 , when David Hayes caught an 11-pound , 15-ounce behemoth while trolling a Bomber Water Dog . The reservoir has also kicked out several other monster smallies over 10 pounds through the years .
While the smallmouth fishing draws many anglers to the fishery , it ’ s also home to a significant population of healthy largemouth . The 80- man Bass Pro Tour field will have its pick of the two species ( plus spotted bass ), according to Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency fisheries biologist Mike Jolley , who said the expansive reservoir offers plenty of excellent bass habitat .
68 MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM | FEBRUARY-MARCH 2024