DALE HOLLOW-Nearly a dozen trophy smallmouth were carried to the scales here on the lake at four different tournaments this past weekend, including two that surpassed the five-pound mark.

“It was a good week for the big girls,” Star Point tournament director Randy Roysden said Monday.  “We had five brought in and they had almost that many more down there Thursday night.”

Thursday night tournament co-director Jeff Smith said the four carried to the scales at Dale Hollow Marina this past week were “the most that had been weighed in a single tournament so far this year,” and he said he expected the numbers of big fish to continue to rise.

“Now’s the time they start showing up regularly,” he explained, “and we expect to see several more before the season ends.”

The other two of the 11 smallmouth over 21 inches long came Friday and Saturday night at Dale Hollow Marina.

The first was caught during the five-fish limit event and the other was used to win the Saturday night three-fish limit tournament.

The heaviest of the lot–a 5.15-pound giant, was captured by the Thursday night winners and the other five-pounder took fourth place at Star Point Saturday night.

 

Arms boys win with 5-pounder Thursday night

CELINA-Steven and Jerry Arms took the top prize from a 35-boat field this past Thursday night at the ‘smallmouth-only’ tournament held here at Dale Hollow Marina with a five-pound trophy bass and a complimentary fish under 16 inches long.

Their total of 6.61 pounds outweighed the competition by nearly a pound and a half, thanks to the 5.15-pound smallmouth over 21 inches long they carried to the scales.  The big sack handed them the $280 first-place prize.

Brandon Cross and Michael Savage claimed the runner-up spot worth $210 with the second fish over 21 inches long weighing 4.23 pounds.  It pushed their total up to 5.12 pounds and handed them second place.

Third place went to Scotty Stults and David Gunter.  They pocketed $140 with one big fish weighing 4.03 pounds.

Taking the final paid position was Scotty Reagan and Tony Daniels.  They won $70 with the final trophy fish weighing in at 3.75 pounds.

The series continues this week and the Smiths welcome anybody interested to come fish.

The tournaments start at 7 p.m. and participants return to a 11 p.m. weigh-in.  The entry fee is $20 per boat.

The series also features a ‘big fish of the year’ pot that has begun this year with a $10 one-time fee.  Currently there are 56 individuals participating and Savage’s 4.23-pound fish is now in the lead.

For more information about the competitions, call Steve Smith at 823-5746 or Jeff Smith at 823-4233.

 

2nd five-fish limit event taken with just over 12 pounds

CELINA-The second of a monthly series of five-fish-limit tournaments hosted by Friday night tournament director Luke Sherrell to compliment his regular weekly series was held here at Dale Hollow Marina last weekend, producing several good sacks and a significant total purse just shy of $2,000–thanks to the $100 entry fee.

Jeff Neal and Donnie Harris combined their efforts to come up with the heaviest of several limits over 10 pounds to take the top prize from the good field of 18 boats.

They pocketed $700 for their total of 12.37 pounds, which was made up of a solid catch of largemouth.

Second place went to Robert Reagan and Marty Shelley.  They won $480 with a limit weighing 11.89 pounds.

Brian Burchett and Brent McCloud took the third spot with four fish weighing a total of 11.50 pounds to win $390, and they also captured the big fish pot worth an additional $180 for Burchett’s 6.38-pound lunker largemouth.

Taking the final paid position was Danny Stone and Brock Jones.  They took home $230 with a five-fish limit weighing 11.15 pounds.

Despite being dominated by big largemouth, the event also featured a smallmouth over 21 inches long–but it alone didn’t weigh enough to climb into money-winning position.

Sherrell said he was going to have another event in August and he also invited everyone to come out this week to his regular Friday night event held from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m.  It is an ‘any species’ event featuring a two-fish limit, a $40 entry fee, and 100% payback.  There is also an optional $10 big-fish pot each night.

For more information about the Friday night tournaments, contact Sherrell after 6 p.m. at 258-3706.

 

Star Point event again showcases several big ones

BYRDSTOWN-For the second week in a row, multiple trophy fish made their way to the weigh-in here last Saturday night at the ‘smallmouth only’ tournament at Star Point Resort.

Last week a half-dozen big smallmouth showed up and this week saw just one shy of that mark.

Tournament director Randy Roysden said 22 boats blasted off and they came back with five fish over 21 inches long.

Byrdstown natives Bob Hill and Rod Moon had the heaviest bag, which included a 3.91-pound big fish.

Paired with a small kicker, the trophy smallmouth gave them a total of 5.93 pounds–handing them $352 and the victory.

Second place and $264 went to Shawn Storie and Dwayn Taylor.  They had a 3.99-pound big fish and finished with 5.63 total pounds.

Roysden and his partner Mark Norman took the third spot with a total of 5.46 pounds.  They won $176, thanks in part to their smallmouth over 21 inches long weighing 3.74 pounds.

Taking the final paid position and $88 were Miles and Dale Choate.  They took fourth with a single fish weighing a whopping 5.11 pounds–which was the second smallmouth over the five-pound mark Dale Hollow produced this week (see related story).

Finishing just out of the money were Raymond Manis and Dennis Cravens.  They had a fish over 21 inches long weighing 3.73 pounds, but they couldn’t muster a small kicker to go along with it.

The tournament series is one of the biggest smallmouth-only weekly competitions held on the lake and it features a $40 entry fee and 100% payback.

For more information, contact Roysden at 879-0555.

 

Big smallmouth secures victory Saturday night

CELINA-Danny Stone and Brock Jones used a big smallmouth and a pair of smaller fish to win the latest three-fish-limit Saturday night tournament held here at Dale Hollow Marina this past weekend.

They won a total of $210, which was made up of the first-place purse and additional big-fish money for their 4.55-pound ‘bronzeback’ over 21 inches long.

Another smallmouth under 16 inches long and a complimentary largemouth brought their overall total to 8.35 pounds–which was more than enough to outweigh the rest of the field.

The events feature a limit allowing three bass, with only one of those fish being a largemouth or Kentucky spotted bass and they will continue this week from 7 p.m. to 12 midnight.  The entry fee is $30 per boat.

For more information about the new Saturday night tournaments, contact Derrick Anderson at 267-3211 or 243-6161.

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If you have something you would like to see discussed in the Outdoor Notebook or have a picture of your trophy for publication, please contact Thomas Weaver at 243-4710 or email:  [email protected], or drop them by the HORIZON office on the square.  Pictures will be returned.

 

RUNNER UP-Michael Savage holds the 21-inch smallmouth he and Brandon Cross used to place second last Thursday night. (Photo courtesy Brandon Cross via www.smalljaw.com)

TROPHY PAIR-Scotty Stults and David Gunter took third place with this 4.03-pound fish. (Photo courtesy Brandon Cross via www.smalljaw.com)

Tony Daniels and Scotty Reagan claimed the final paid position with the fourth big smallmouth last Thursday night. (Photo courtesy Brandon Cross via www.smalljaw.com)