"I took my biggest Tennessee largemouth in March (from the Cheatham tailrace).
--David Lawrence, Nashville

Guide Bobby Gentry lips one of the reasons Dale Hollow is well worth a spring pilgrimage by any angler looking for nice smallmouth bass in March. Photo by Ed Harp.

"Some of my best (smallmouth) catches have come from Dale Hollow in March."
--Bobby Gentry, Celina

"My partner and I landed 10 smallmouths that weighed over 50 pounds (from the Pickwick tailrace) one day in March."
--Tim Stevens, Counce

Comments like these, all from veteran anglers, tend to make one believe that bass angling this month is a not-to-be-missed affair. The author's personal Tennessee best black bass catches have been a 9-pound, 15-ounce lunker largemouth taken in March from Brown's Creek and a 7-pound, 15-ounce smallmouth from the Pickwick tailrace a year later.

If there is a magic month for big fish in this part of the world, then this is it. Because of the capricious weather, you may or may not be bothered with flotillas of boats and bird watchers, but you can bet the farm that the big sow bass are responding to warming weather, spawning urges and growling stomachs that put the angler in a position to hang into a trophy. Read on to find what a select group of Tennessee anglers say about where to go and what to do when you get there.

DALE HOLLOW
Two of the best-known names on this lake, which may rank as the Valhalla for trophy smallmouth anglers, are Bobby Gentry and Stephen Headrick. Both are professionals at finding the lake's big brown fish and both are tightly connected to Punisher Lures. Headrick owns the outfit, while Gentry uses the lures as a pro guide, then helps put them together at the plant when the fish aren't biting. But most of the time, the fish are biting.

"March brings on a pre-spawn situation on Dale Hollow like it does on most other Tennessee bass lakes," Gentry said. "Weather conditions will impact day-to-day behavior, but by and large, you can look for the fish, especially smallmouths, to be shifting more from deep water adjacent to spawning flats to the flats themselves. On a clear, bright day when light penetration and visibility are greatest, this is mostly a jig or live bait game. But when it's cloudy with wind, you can have some good times using crankbaits like the Hot Lips or series 200 or 300 Bandit."

Crankbait color?

"It doesn't make a bit of difference as long as it's red. Or at least has some red in it," Gentry said. "I like the crawfish patterns that are primarily red because they have been the most consistent for me from season to season."

When asked where he would look first, Gentry suggested the area around Kemper Flats and Halsey Creek.

"There are other places in the mid-lake area that have potential," he said, "but the depth, structure and general configuration provide a place to begin looking in earnest. Once you find what the bass prefer, you can consider other places and options."

Since he mentioned wind, the natural question to ask was where to launch. His reply brought a laugh and the comment, "On Dale Hollow in March, you can run from the wind, but you won't hide from it. Luckily, it is the rare day when things get so bad that the waves are dangerous if the angler doesn't get foolish. For instance, you can launch at Hendrick's Creek Resort where the ramps are protected and be within easy motoring distance from good fishing. Horse Creek Dock is another good place to begin because it has some excellent fishing that doesn't require a long run over open water."