“ Dale Hollow Reservoir is right at 28,000 acres , and the fish are scattered throughout the fishery ,” he said . “ You have bluff banks , big rock , smaller rock and earthen bottom across the reservoir . The main river section has more current flow and bigger bluff walls . The bottom substrate is the perfect habitat for bass , especially smallmouth .”
Dale Hollow ’ s largely clear water also has a bit of vegetation mixed in .
“ We don ’ t do specific cataloging of vegetation , but you can find some naiads , coontail and Eurasian milfoil throughout — but the primary areas change with water levels and current ,” Jolley said . “ The entire reservoir has clear water throughout , but clarity decreases some the further up the lake you go and with rain events .”
A healthy Dale Hollow
By all accounts , Dale Hollow is fishing exceptionally well . Both the smallmouth and largemouth populations are strong , with spotted bass quality on a slight decline .
Jack Daniel Williams ’ 2022 Toyota Series win on the lake offered a glimpse of the quality of fish that should hit SCORETRACKER ®. That tournament occurred just a couple weeks earlier on the calendar , and Williams weighed in more than 21 pounds of largemouth on each of the event ’ s three days to claim the victory .
While Williams lives just a few hours away in Kingsport , Tennessee , he sacked up 64 pounds , 10 ounces during the three-day tournament despite having never previously been to the fishery .
“ Everyone assumed that I fished Dale Hollow all the time before that , but it was never on my tournament schedule here in East Tennessee ,” he said . “ I ’ ve been back several times since because it ’ s an incredible lake and full of big fish .”
Since Williams ’ win , Jolley said , the largemouth population has only gotten better . The famed smallmouth continue to thrive , as well .
“ In my 30-year career , I ’ ve never seen the largemouth population doing so well ,” Jolley said . “ The largemouth fishing has always been good , but their size is exceptional right now , likely because the aquatic vegetation has been more consistent , and they ’ ve had some strong spawns and good year classes . On the other hand , the smallmouth fishing has always been good , and they are still the dominant species .”
Largemouth , smallmouth , and no slot limit headaches
Both species should be well represented on SCORE- TRACKER ® at Stage Three , and there ’ s also a chance for some spotted bass to play in the “ every fish counts ” format , too . When Williams won his Toyota Series trophy with all largemouth , he was still catching plenty of smallmouth within the slot limit . He believes brown fish will dominate the catch totals in April , although mixed bags will be common . He expects to see plenty of quality fish in the 4-pound range , with the possibility for a few much larger specimens .
“ I weighed in all largemouth but was throwing back 4- pound smallmouth because of the slot , but they will be a big part of this event with this format ,” he said . “ There isn ’ t a good way to target one species or another . They are mixed in many of the same places .”
Dale Hollow ’ s strict slot limit , which has been in effect since 2000 , protects smallmouth between 16 and 21 inches , with anglers allowed to possess one fish under 16 inches and one over 21 each day . While that can be frustrating for those fishing tournaments with weigh-ins — and is a big reason there haven ’ t been more major competitions held on the lake — it ’ s also part of what has made the fishing so strong . Thankfully , the Bass Pro Tour ’ s catch , weigh , immediate-release format will eliminate any concern about the slot limit .
“ Those ( smallmouth within the slot limit ) are great fish up to nearly 5 pounds , and the slot limit allows those adults to spawn and pass on the genetics ,” Jolley explained . “ We evaluate the slot limit every year and took a really hard look at it in 2015 , and our creel and electrofishing surveys have shown that it ’ s working well for the smallmouth population . These are the quality fish people come here to catch , and it ’ s why so many enjoy the lake .”
Tactics and areas of focus
Williams believes the winning area could come from just about anywhere on the reservoir . Generally , where anglers choose to spend their time will come down to individual preference regarding water clarity and species .
“ The lake is going to fish big because the smallmouth are up and down the lake , really everywhere ,” said Williams . “ The lake is gin clear but can get a little dirtier up the lake in the rivers . I ’ d say the middle to upper section of the lake would be the best bet for someone looking for largemouth .”
Williams won his Toyota Series trophy with the help of forward-facing sonar and believes it will be a factor for the BPT pros , too . The fishery sets up perfectly for it .
“ A lot of the fish stay out super deep and relate only to baitfish , almost like they do on herring lakes ,” he said . “ Most of the banks are bluffs , and there are not a lot of points , so it goes perfectly with LiveScope . Baits like the Berkley Power Switch , small swimbaits and ‘ Damiki Rigs ’ will be popular . But , if it gets muddy from rain , you ’ ll see guys flipping and catching fish on the bank .”
That said , if you aren ’ t a forward-facing sonar fan , don ’ t despair . The April timing of the Bass Pro Tour event means there ’ s a good chance it will coincide with at least one bass species hitting the banks to spawn . Williams believes the weather will likely be the deciding factor for whether a deep approach or a shallow , spawning-oriented attack takes home the win .
“ It depends on the weather , but the largemouth will likely be a few weeks away from spawning and the smallmouth will be a lot further along and moving up shallow to spawn ,” he said . “ Those dates are right about when the smallmouth start to spawn a few hours away , where I live .”
Jolley echoed Williams ’ prediction that there should be fish caught both shallow and deep . Regardless of species and technique , he believes early to mid-April will be prime time for active bass .
“ The dates of this event should put it right in the middle of the smallmouth spawn and the early start of the largemouth spawn ,” he said . “ Both species will be up shallow and active . These are spectacular dates to be fishing Dale Hollow .”
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