COME DOWN TO THE HOLLOW

Editor: The following article was written by Matt Foster, an expert crappie fisherman and law enforcement officer in Missouri. Matt does a lot of work with Brushpile Fishing, Cornfield Fishing Gear, Crappie Magnet and B n' M Rods supporting their social media, and he fishes a number of Crappie tournament trail events each year. Check out Matt's other articles at www.thecrappieblog.com or contact him at crappiemanmatt@gmail.com

In March 2021, I was invited by the Brushpile Fishing crew to attend a media camp on Dale Hollow Lake at Cedar Hill Marina. I was unsure what to expect as this was the first media camp to which I had been invited. After driving approximately six hours, I slowly pulled down the hill at Cedar Hill Marina and observed the beautiful blue waters of Dale Hollow Lake.

I was greeted by owner, Dennis Wilbert, aka Dale Hollow Denny. He told us if we needed anything during our stay to please let him know. I asked Denny when he started his marinas at Dale Hollow Lake. “It goes all the way back to 1964 when my parents brought me here for the first time and we fell in love with the place,” Denny informed me. He said his family vacationed at Dale Hollow Lake multiple weekends for several years. Denny explained that he brought his children to Dale Hollow Lake to camp. After visiting on numerous occasions, Denny said that his entire family grew so fond of the lake that he moved his family to Dale Hollow Lake and in 2012 purchased Dale Hollow Marina. After purchasing Dale Hollow Marina

and doing a total rebuild of the docks, he still had dreams of purchasing Cedar Hill Marina. Denny explained that when he was twelve years old he told his mother that he was going to buy Cedar Hill Marina for her one day. In 2019, Denny made that dream a reality and purchased Cedar Hill Marina.

Denny informed me that Dale Hollow Marina has 200 boat slips and there are another 200 slips at Cedar Hill, to which they are adding another 60 this year, with an end goal is to have a total of 400 boat slips at Cedar Hill. I inquired about rental boats and Denny said they have twelve rental houseboats, ten rental pontoons, three Tracker fishing boats, and one Tracker walleye boat.

At Cedar Hill, the cabin in which I stayed had all the amentities, including a beautiful view of the lake and the marina. I asked Denny about cabins availability for rent. He informed me they had twenty-five cabins, ten motel rooms, floating cabins, and are currently building a next-generation floating cabin for the fishermen with two beds, a bathroom, kitchenette, living room, and its own boat slip with electric hook-up. Denny explained that he is currently building one right now for his best friend, a preacher who has been very instrumental in his life. Denny said he can accommodate large groups as well. One of their floating cabins is two-stories with four bedrooms. His houseboats that have six bedrooms, and can be put side-by-side so the group is together.

The crappie we caught during my stay were big black crappie. Denny also informed me that even though Dale Hollow is known for smallmouth bass, it has a healthy population of walleye and trout as well. These marinas can be a base for all kinds of family fun, so If you are interested in a reservation, contact Denny at (931) 243-2211 or (931)- 243- 3201.