Holland Lake

I went to Holland Lake last weekend with a co-worker who just bought his first yak. My primary goal was to test a new Lowrance fish finder, and a rather interesting transducer rig I came up with. I started out early with my spinning gear with a wacky rigged worm, and he started out with a fly rod. After an hour or so of no luck and watching him nail the bluegills, I paddled back shore, threw my spinning rods in the truck bed and whipped out the fly rod.

In the end, we caught numerous bluegill, as well as a few small bass. I even caught my first bass on the fly, but he was so small, I'll pretend it never happened

Definitely planning some more trips to that lake to learn more about it.

Good job man. Now if only you hadn't told us we could have acted like the next one was the first.

I used to go out there quite a bit and found that the lake has a very good population of large red ear sunfish (shellcrackers). I tried everything I could to get them to take surface with no luck. After, some research I found that this species is a bottom feeder that feeds primarily on aquatic snails. Then I found that they will readily attack a size 8 or 10 beadhead woolly bugger. At that time, they mad the majority of thier beds in the shallow southern end of the lake. They pull like crazy and are a bunch of fun to catch. Holland is a fun place to fish. Glad that you had a great time.

Way to go Chris , I haven't been out to Holland in years, I remember catching a lot of gills out there . I was thinking the other day I need to go back out there sometime soon. Maybe I'll hit it next week one day, Tues or Weds AM any body want to go give me a shout , how was it in the Kayak ? All I used to do out there was bank fish.

And Congrats on the First Bass on the fly it doesn't matter the size the first one is pretty cool. Of course the second and third...aren't bad either.

Congrats on landing the Bass Chris!

The whole lake is pretty shallow except for the channel around the dam. Unlike the other Bragg lakes I've been too, Holland wasn't choked up with hydrilla or lillies either, except way down in the south end in the shallows, there's a bit on the bottom. I'm not marina botanist or anything, but I know it's not hydrilla though. Not sure if that's normal or not. And the water was surprisingly clear for a pond. The east side of the lake up near the damn has alot of stumps in the shallow water. We pretty much had action all over the lake; close the bank and as far out as 4-5 foot deep, all caught on top water bugs and poppers.

We did see three snakes, one was quite clearly a moccassin. Saw him at the "ramp" and made sure to give him plenty of personal space.

In the end, I liked it...small, quiet, out of the way, plenty of bite action, albeit it small. I will certainly revisit it, though next time with a different arsenal of sinking bass flies...clousers or something. I still have a few I tied up at the last fly tying class.

Word of advice though, unless you're feeling adventurous, don't take Raeford-Vass road as a short cut...it's not. It was like driving across Carolina Beach. I'm still not sure how my truck made it through

How would you suggest going to the lake? I'm interested. Sounds like a great little lake.