The Dale Hollow Dam had been completed by 1943 and the lake was filled by the end of 1944. The new lake gave the people of the area new recreation and trade in an area that was once small communities and farms. In the late 1940’s, a man by the name of O. H. (Hoss) Marshall, owned property on the lake and began his business with a small mud boat ramp called Marshall’s Dock, but the business was later nicknamed (Hoss) or Horse Creek and the name remained in 1951, when H. T. Dodson, a retired US Navy service man, purchased the property and he and his wife Mickie added a few boat slips and a crude fuel dock which was only a 55 gallon drum of fuel on a wooden platform that floated on four empty drums.     


 The fledgling marina possessed a few wooden flat bottom fishing boats made by a small company known as ‘Westmoreland”, that founded by the father of Bob Westmorland and his brother, the legendary fisherman Billy Westmoreland when he built the first boat for his sons to fish use for fishing. The father and son company built many of the boats before they began to build flat bottomed houseboats that were common to Dale Hollow through the 1960’s and 70’s, as many of the marinas rented to tourist.    

  The flat bottomed fishing boats however gave young Bob and Billy Westmorland an opportunity to make some extra spending money by catching fresh fish and selling them to the folks of the area. Bob recalls, “Billy and I would fish together, until they got in high school and Billy would beat me home and take off with out me. When I could I would cut school and get the boat first and leave his butt standing on the bank.” The two brothers then came to an agreement to fish together.    

  The boys became well known for their ability to locate and catch “them ol’ brown fish” or smallmouth as they are known, and the two provided a local restaurant or two with their “catch of the day”. Bob recalled one restaurant that was gaining fame for their catfish, he laughed when he said, “Those people didn’t even know that they were eating bass.”  The two boys fished and built boats and even worked in oil fields for a dollar a day until the moved away to attend college where both played football, and later became football coaches for two of the area high schools.   
    

  Billy’s interest remained fishing and he became well known as a guide. His first guided trip was as a boy at the age of thirteen. He continued to guide during summer breaks to pay his tuition at Middle Tennessee State University. In 1969, H. T. Dodson sold Horse Creek Dock to Jack Huddleston and his wonderful wife, Red. Jack had worked at another dock for a short time, and decided that he would like to have his own. Jack and Billy took partial ownership, as well as Simcox family.  Billy guided for and became friends with country singer Porter Wagoner, Jerry McKinnis, one of the owners of B.A.S.S, Johnny Morris owner and founder of Bass Pro Shops, and many other well known anglers in the industry.        


 Jack Huddleston and Horse Creek Dock was Billy's sponsor on the B.A.S.S Trail for his first few tournaments. Billy was one of the first to fish the newly formed B.A.S.S Circuit. Billy won a total of 3 tournaments in his 6 years on the tour and twice winning the Florida Invitational held annually on the St. Johns River. His total winnings on the trail even with three wins were much less that anglers win in one tournament today. $32,215.00 was his total earnings on the B.A.S.S. trail in his six year career, much different that winning an elite tournament by today’s standards.      

  In the beginning as Billy began to fish with some of the top names in fishing, he enjoyed the attention and fame of appearing as a guest on their TV shows so much he wouldn’t even charge for taking the celebrities to his secret honey holes. Billy made a name for himself in the fledgling B.A.S.S. organization and in the new sport of bass fishing as he began winning tournaments.  Bob Westmorland laughed as his brother would get patted on the back, and told what a fine fisherman he was. “Good old Billy Westmorland, a fine fisherman” he said as he remembered the day he encouraged his brother to make his own TV show about fishing.     

  In the 1980's Billy was one of the first to have a weekly TV show. He inspired many people to begin fishing with his show. Many people who watched the program became aware of Dale Hollow Lake and the fact that the world record smallmouth had been caught there was brought back into the spotlight.  Billy’s program seemed to bring life back to the area. By this time, Jack Huddleston bought out his partners at Horse Creek and Jack and Red ran the marina, until they retired a few years ago and passed it down to family with the ambition to keep the marina in the family for many years to come. In its prime, Jack hosted many of the legendary fishermen such as Bill Dance and others who came to the legendary Dale Hollow Lake, home of the world record smallmouth and the legendary angler Billy Westmorland.      


  Billy Westmorland was a true legend in bass fishing, and one of the pioneers on the Bassmaster Tournament Trail. He was a much loved source of information and tips for articles in the early Bassmaster Magazine on the subject of smallmouth bass, which was his life long specialty. Very few anglers knew more about what he called "them old brown fish" than Billy. He is greatly missed by all that knew him. To quote Jerry McKinnis (pictured above with Billy), "Westmoreland would be on my 10 best bass fishermen list even if he wasn’t a good partner, but he was a good partner. We use to have so much fun fishing Dale Hallow and Lake Cumberland. One time we were fishing Dale Hollow and I caught a 6-pound smallmouth. I really thought I was something until he caught one that was 9. Biggest smallmouth I’ve even seen in my life."
Bill Dance had this to say, “Loved Billy like a brother and many a day doesn’t go by that I don’t think of him.”    

 Many of the folks around Dale Hollow are hoping to organize a memorial tournament or event to honor what the legend of Billy Westmorland and what his name still means to the people of the area. I agree that his remembrance is well deserved. Pictured to the left is myself (L) and Bob Westomorland (R), his recount of the "good 'ol days" on Dale Hollow was a blessing to hear and to share with my readers.

    






 Special thanks to those who helped with this article:  

Jack Huddleston (pictured left center) – Information
Horse Creek Dock - Information
 Bob Westmorland – Information & Picture
Jerry McKinnis – Information & Picture
Bill Dance - Information
Darren Shell – Information & Picture
Ferlin Wynatch of Redemption Outdoors – Information
And a very special thank you to my late Father-in-law, Tommy L. Mullins, who passed away before this article was finished. It was his knowledge about Billy as a fan that inspired me to write this. I was able to share the story with him before he passed last week. May he rest in peace.