Dale Hollow Bruisers.

Bluegill fishing public waters in Tennessee doesn't get much better than Dale Hollow Gills. A friend and I together boated around 100 Gills all between 8-9 inches. The girth and shoulders on these fish are truly outstanding. Most fish caught on a Bison colored Trout Magnet with a few caught on white, and a few caught on a Midnight Blue Dancer. The jig head for the Trout Magnet bodies was a 3/32 ounce with a #6 hook. The jig head used on the Dancer was a Micro Fry white 1/16 ounce head. My buddy Larry was using SOS 4# test Ice Blue crappie line. I was using SOS 2# test. Larry also had two nice Smallies caught on a Bison colored Trout Magnet.....he had a great battle with those. The Gills fought hard.....once getting over the deeper water at the boat heading straight down....drags were screaming today. The pic of the warmouth is in there because I thought it was really colored up well in that clear water. We used a net on all the Gills....they were that heavy. Both of us using UL rods...best not to deadlift a heavy fish with JDM rods with tips only 9/10 of a mm in diameter. It was an absolute blast catching these fish. You had to keep the Magnet on, or almost on the bottom......we were catching these fish in 7-10 feet of water. They are not on bed...marked a lot of beds but nothing on them.....water temps were only 68 degrees with a few spots hitting 69 degrees. We would pull into a hollow.....then into the coves, and fish each pocket.....pulling 5 or 6 fish off of that pocket and moving to the next. Had two shellcracker. We caught fish for a solid 5 hours and were still catching when we both decided it best to make that drive back home. I am having the best spring fishing....ever. The new boat along with Trout Magnet...JDM rods.....makes for a deadly combination. I have been waiting for years to get on the Gills at Dale Hollow. I will continue to fish up there until the bite is over or school is out, and the lake really gets crowded. Did my best to stay away from Smallies up there today focusing on Gills. All fish released for another day. Life is very good!


Regards

Good job again

Nice fish

Nice looking fish. Great fish. Congrats on a good spring of fishing.

nice catch , congrats .

That is a great looking mess of fish.

Nice fish and a big shout out for finding that pattern. Trying to figure out the red ear bite on the Twin lakes in Ky. when they are not on the bed but staging up. I bet that rod was working hard. Been looking at them. Also thinking about leaving the night crawlers home!! I met the owner of Trout Magnet a few years ago and he is a super feller.

sure enough looks like a fun time to me ....and them are some dandy gills without a doubt ......
personally though i love them there warmouth .....i love that smallie tiger coloration and that attitude they have ..
nice photos and read

I sure wish I could find that size bluegill on Barkley. Those are some really stout bluegill. Dale Hollow has tremendous potential in the panfish department.

You are killing me with all the great pictures. To think I spend two summers at Cordell Hull and never went to Dale Hollow is making me ill. Also learned from the previous post that a Rock Bass and a Warmouth are two different species. Saw the one you posted had the 3 spines on the anal fin where the Rock Bass has 6 or 7.
Learn something new everyday on here. Keep the reports coming.

Excellent report - some "reel" beauties

How are you fishing the Trout Magnets? Casting under a float?


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Awesome

I was also at Dale Hollow and caught some of those monster gills in 6-8' of water in the cove pockets near the beds. I didn't catch near as many as you but they were about the same size. Was some really amazing fish. All of mine where caught on red worms with a very small split shot on bottom. I tried the bison trout magnet and did not catch anything. I believe it was because I didn't have confidence in it. The jig is so small that I couldn't feel it and know where it was. I just couldn't get used to not feeling the bait in that deep water so I would always go back to the messy worms. Can you explain in detail how you fished those small trout magnets in that depth of water? I would much rather fish them than worms but I need to build my confidence in them first.

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Originally Posted by tcounty

How are you fishing the Trout Magnets? Casting under a float?


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I use the twitch method....which is a constant rocking cadence of the rod tip....reeling very slowly on the retrieve. This makes the TM flutter in the water. The reason for the slow retrieve is to keep it as close to the depth I want as long as possible.

Regards

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Originally Posted by tncrappiebass

I was also at Dale Hollow and caught some of those monster gills in 6-8' of water in the cove pockets near the beds. I didn't catch near as many as you but they were about the same size. Was some really amazing fish. All of mine where caught on red worms with a very small split shot on bottom. I tried the bison trout magnet and did not catch anything. I believe it was because I didn't have confidence in it. The jig is so small that I couldn't feel it and know where it was. I just couldn't get used to not feeling the bait in that deep water so I would always go back to the messy worms. Can you explain in detail how you fished those small trout magnets in that depth of water? I would much rather fish them than worms but I need to build my confidence in them first.

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Certainly nothing wrong with fishing with worms...I did it for a lot of years but like you I wanted to find a good micro jig to use. The problem with the TM in deep water is just as you mentioned...you lose feeling with the jig head. If the water is around 6 foot or so deep I will use a TM jig head with one size B split shot about 18 inches up from the jig. The Trout Magnet was designed to catch trout in shallow water. Many have found it to be an excellent bluegill lure. Over time I wanted to fish it deeper so I started buying jig heads in 1/32....1/24....1/16...all with a #8 hook. I also have 3/32 with a #6 hook. I use the appropriate jig head for the fishing conditions. I will use the 3/32 for 16 feet and deeper and if it is a windy day.....maybe the 1/16 for 10 feet of water...so I have all depths covered and am still able to keep a small profile. I have caught fish with the TM as deep as 30 feet using the 3/32.....no way am I waiting for the 1/64 to get down there....if it even could. I will count down to where I think the fish may be and once I find them I use the same count every cast. I will constantly twitch the rod tip in a slow cadence....twitching it all the way back to me. This will make the Trout Magnet flutter in the water. My retreive is agonisingly slow to keep it in the zone or depth as long as possible. If it is a very windy day I fish it under a float using the 1/64 jig head....letting the wave action do all the work. I have an 8' 3" float rod if I am doing that in deeper water. Will be more than happy to answer any more questions anyone has. Now it's time to get to bed as I am going to hit Dale Hollow again in the morning...weather permitting....meaning if the wind don't howell....LOL. Those Gills are on a clock up there and I have to get them while they are there. Unlike other lakes when you can catch Gills all through the summer it doesn't quite work that way up there....unless someone knows how to get them in summer I will be happy to listen.

Regards

Well Dale Hollow was a bust. Not because of the fish but my Ulterra trolling motor would not stow. So there I was having to cross a lake that was white capping with the motor sticking straight up in the air. Got back to ramp and went through the manual stow procedure. Got it strapped down and headed home. Called tech support and seems my motor....and many others...have magnets that can fall out. So was told when I take it in they will install new magnets along with whatever else was wrong. Well the service center I have to use told me could be a week or more to get to me and find out what is wrong.....didn't want to be without a boat for that long so fixed it myself. Reseated magnets...reoriented the head and all is good...for now. Just a heads up about the Ulterra with the faulty magnets...will post this in electronics.

Regards

Great looking fish. and a great report. I would love to come down and fish. But with a lake that size would probably be hard to locate nice fish

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Originally Posted by Frank Cecil

Great looking fish. and a great report. I would love to come down and fish. But with a lake that size would probably be hard to locate nice fish

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If you are wanting to fish for Smallies not hard at all right now. They are all over the place...fatnin up from the spawn. Gills are another story. I talked to the guys that work the docks up there and they too are waiting for the bedding to begin. One told me today he thinks because of all the cold fronts it is going to happen quick...and be over quick. Also talked to him about catching Gills in the middle of the summer up there. He said forget it...they go deep...very deep.

Regards

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Originally Posted by Alphahawk

I use the twitch method....which is a constant rocking cadence of the rod tip....reeling very slowly on the retrieve. This makes the TM flutter in the water. The reason for the slow retrieve is to keep it as close to the depth I want as long as possible.

Regards

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Bringing up an older thread. Thanks for the detailed description. I to have a passion for DHL Ears and Gills

Now that's what I call bull gills and the other fish certainly weren't dinks. That's almost too much fun.

That was a very good day!! Many pigs in those pics. And the weather was good, I see your friends jacket open. Best of all is that you feel up to getting out so you must be healing well, good deal.

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Originally Posted by skeetbum

That was a very good day!! Many pigs in those pics. And the weather was good, I see your friends jacket open. Best of all is that you feel up to getting out so you must be healing well, good deal.

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Thanks Skeet but this post is 4 years old. I am doing much better though.

Regards


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That story was worth bringing back to the top. Great day right there.

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Originally Posted by Alphahawk

Thanks Skeet but this post is 4 years old. I am doing much better though.

Regards


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I noticed the age after the response was made. Still a good day and bruisers is a good name for those fish. Worth another look.....

Those are some beauties! Congrats.

Gorgeous fish. Great day for sure!!

I was bless Ed to have been here the first time around

Awesome!!!!! I am so ready.