| Weeding Out Smallies |
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| Tuesday, 11 December 2007 | |
Want a trophy smallmouth? Try fishing the weeds at Dale Hollow, and do it after dark! Yes, that’s right, the weeds. Nearly every angler knows about the bluffs, the deep-water breaks and the countless rock points in this Tennessee impoundment. How many anglers know about the weeds? How many anglers know how to fish them? As for size, the ‘Hollow has seen a resurgence of big smallmouths during the last decade. Most of the credit for this resurgence is given to the imposition of a restrictive length in the early 1990s and an even more restrictive slot limit just a couple of years ago. In the early ‘90s, amid some controversy, and 18-inch length limit was adopted on smallmouth bass. When that seemed to be working and the fish were getting bigger, a slot limit was imposed. At present, an angler may take one smallmouth under 16 inches and one 21 inches or longer. The results are remarkable. Four pound fish are now considered ordinary, 5- pounders not unusual and 6-pounders possible, if not common. A conversation with almost any serious smallmouth angler will reveal that smallmouth bass do not favor light. Few trophy smallies are caught in the light, be it sunlight or moonlight. They nearly always lurk in the darkest places they can find. At Dale Hollow, during warmweather months, the darkest places are the weeds. Weeds have spread rapidly throughout the lake in recent years. While this spread has not been without problems, it is considered to have been beneficial for the smallies. The weeds provide cover for fry, oxygen for the water and darkness for adult bass. Stephen Headrick has been fishing Dale Hollow after dark for more than 20 years. His home and business, Punisher Lures, are located in Celina, TN, just a few miles form where the world-record smallie was caught. He fishes the lake more than 100 days per year. This, coupled with his constant contact with legendary smallmouth guides like Bob Coan, makes him the go-to source for information on the lake. Headrick recommends that anglers begin fishing weeds shortly after the spawn. In most years, this will be after the full moon in April. Typical spawning sites are barren red clay, clay and gravel, or pea-gravel banks. Within a day or two of laying their eggs, the females move off the nests. After a brief respite at the first break off the beds, most will drop to the nearest weedbed that meets their requirements. Their requirements begin, according to Headrick, with weeds growing in 22 to 35 feet of water on a hard bottom. Very early in the season, April or May, coontail grass will suffice. After that, they move to skunk grass. Skunk grass, as it is known at Dale Hollow, is a thin, wispy grass that grows no more than 3 feet tall. It has a very distinct and offensive odor. You will know it when you smell it. The very best weedbeds are nearly always found on sloping banks, angled 45 to 60 degrees, and dropping into deep water. (Deep water in this 30,000 acre impoundment is something over 60 feet.) If you can find a little wood in the weeds, so much the better. WHERE TO FISH? With its thousands of acres of water and hundreds of acres of weeds, selecting a spot to fish at Dale Hollow can be problematic. With that in mind, Headrick, and nearly every quality guide on the lake, recommends fishing the upper portion of the middle section of the ‘Hollow from May into June. After that, from June into August, they suggest moving to the center area of the lake, around First Island. This stretch of water can be treacherous after dark, so be sure to scout it during daylight hours if you are not familiar with the area. Later in the season, from August until October, fog can make night-fishing difficult, but on a clear night, the better catches come from the waters near the dam. The vast weedbeds at the mouth of Horse Creek are an excellent location for late-season fish. Equipment preferences vary by angler, but most recommend open-face spinning tackle. Spool your reel with quality fluorescent monofilament 10-pound-test line. Attach the reel to a 6.5- or 7-foot medium-action rod. Sensitivity is a must for this type of angling, so high-quality rods are preferred. Attach a couple of black lights to your boat, and you are ready to fish. Headrick recommends starting the early season with a 1/8-ounce jig. After that, work your way up to heavier weights, maybe as heavy as 3/8 ounce, as the season progresses and the fish move deeper. The idea is to select as small a lure as possible to maintain contact with the floor of the weedbeds. While equipment choice may be somewhat individual, jig material is not. The jig of choice is tied with hair. Each angler has his or her favorite type of hair, but it is always hair. It is gospel at Dale Hollow that the slight, soft and slow-floating movement of craft hair entices strikes in the clear water. According to Coan, sound is as important a factor as anything else when it comes to catching smallies. He believes that the natural curiosity of the smallmouth is something you must consider if you are to be successful. That is why he rarely throws a jig that does not have a noisemaker attached to it. Favored styles combine a loud clicking noise with hooking efficiency. Coan says that sound attracts the fish while at the same time helping them find the lure. He points out that the fish are feeding at night in the darkest part of the water – “they need a little help.” Most experienced smallmouth anglers on Dale Hollow, including Headrick and Coan, recommend that you let your jig settle into the weeds after casting or lowering it into the water. This allows it to fall all the way to the bottom before you start your retrieve. Fish the jig in a manner that allows it to just touch the tops of the weds as it is being retrieved. This is best accomplished with a “lift-and-drop” retrieve. This technique requires a little practice but is well worth the effort. Chunks or trailers are popular with weedbed anglers. They point out that the chunk gives the jig more “float” and allows for better control at the depths they are fishing. In the warmwater temperatures of summer, most anglers favor plastic over pork. Likewise, moon phase is considered important at Dale Hollow. It is a factor in selecting when to fish, what color jig to use and even where to fish. Generally speaking, most Dale Hollow anglers believe the darkness of the new moon is the best time for a true trophy. These anglers point out, however, that the bite will be slower, much slower, during this moon phase. For numbers, fish the full moon. Nearly all smallmouth anglers in this part of the country agree that the phase of the moon is, or should be, a factor in selecting jig color. If the moon is at or near full, the colors should be light. If the moon is at or near new, the colors should be dark. A good rule of thumb is to use black on the day of the new moon and adjust your color selections from there. Scent products are also popular with Dale Hollow’s weedbed anglers. Following Coan’s theory that “they need a little help,” many anglers believe that it attracts the fish. Others believe that it masks repulsive odors. Either way, it seems to improve catch rates, at least in Dale Hollow. Few anglers in the area will fish without it. Garlic is the near-universal favorite. Most are particular about how they apply it, however. It is applied liberally to the head of the jig and to the chunk – never to the hair. Most products will mat the hair and ruin its effect. Angling at night requires some adjustments. Feel, as well as sight, become important. Take care to keep contact with your jig and always, without exception, watch your line. If something feels different or if your line twitches, set the hook. After all, setting the hook is just about the only thing you can do on the water that doesn’t cost you money. If you are unfamiliar with the lake, spend some time scouting it during the day. Make certain you know where you are going, how to get there, and how to get back. That sounds simple enough, but things look different after dark. It’s also a good idea to always wear a life jacket at night, regardless of whether or not the combustion motor is running. BLACK SHALE IN THE MOONLIGHT According to Headrick, there is a time when anglers looking for a trophy should move off the weeds – during the full moon. The smallmouth population if Dale Hollow depends upon crayfish for forage. There is a huge crayfish population in the lake. They spawn during the full moon on the black shale banks and points. As a result, most anglers enjoy nighttime success on black shale during this moon phase. Success is not guaranteed, however. It is dependent upon understanding light and the smallmouth’s reaction to it. In short, fish the shade, just as you would during the day. Headrick further recommends using larger jigs, with chunks and rattles attached, in color combinations of green and orange or green and brown. Originally appeared in FLW Outdoors Magazine - September, 2003 |
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