Striped Bass Tactics For Dam Fishing!

[ReggieT]

This could be ANY INFO ON DAM FISHING. Headed out @ 4:30 am for some early morning action for stripes at Wheeler dam. This water is violent and fast.. I broke a "not so heavy duty" spinning rod a week ago and lost about 5-6 good Rooster-tails and mix of other lures to the current and rocks!

 

Share with me some good lures, baits and strategies for "bank fishing" this dam...I'm kinda new to dam fishing and all I've heard so far is to fish the "little pools"...

How the heck do I distinguish ze little pools?

 

I have a good selection 1/2-1 oz Bucktail jigs in White & Chartreuse, 4 in curly tail jigs, and some Chrome shallow-medium running crank baits...a friend of mine has been tossing baby bluegills about 4-5 inches long and just murdering the stripes and Flathead catfish!

 

 

Thanks

Reggie

 

 

 

[Kevin22]

3/4-1oz lipless cranks will work wonders. As will a big bucktail jig with a 4" grub on it. Fish them fast and hard. The fish in that current are using reaction strikes to catch food, no need to finesse it. Crank fast, lots of jerks in the rod tip and hold on. 

[SirSnookalot]

Bucktails are great, one way to fish them in heavy current is casting against the water flow so they drop closer to the bottom, keep a high rod tip so you don't snag, you can go as light as 1/4 oz if you wish.  Casting with the flow works good too, if the current is strong enough like 6-7 knots the jig regardless of weight will be close to the surface, they want it they'll come get it. You may want to trail a bass worm off the bucktail.

[ReggieT]

Bucktails are great, one way to fish them in heavy current is casting against the water flow so they drop closer to the bottom, keep a high rod tip so you don't snag, you can go as light as 1/4 oz if you wish.  Casting with the flow works good too, if the current is strong enough like 6-7 knots the jig regardless of weight will be close to the surface, they want it they'll come get it. You may want to trail a bass worm off the bucktail.

Thanks for the info...just now read this...wish I read it this morning! I endured a thorough thrashing today....NOT A BITE!  Good news...no lost lures & left there an caught 4 small large-mouths on some back-waters..

Wife called....fishing trip...over. 

Other than that...a pretty awesome day! Awesome day regardless!! lol

[basshole8190]

I have a lot of luck at tailrace dams fishing the largest size sassy shad in pearl or green back color on jig head

[senko_77]

I used to do a ton of fishing for stripes while fishing dams along the rivers here in Georgia. 

 

As annoying as the current is, your definitely fishing the right place.  From my experience, the harder the water is pushing, the closer to the actual dam the fish get.  We call it the "Suck Theory" because when the river is RAGING it seems like every freaking fish will move upstream until they run head first into the dam, like the river is sucking them all up to the dam.  So basically, the harder the current, the closer you want to cast to the actually gates letting the water out.

 

Get used to losing your baits.  It's a part of river fishing and there really isn't much you can do about it.  I've had my best luck using heavier weights on my jigs, like 1/2oz -1 1/2oz.  To save money, I would order bulk, unpainted jigheads online in the weight you want and learn to tie your own bucktail jigs.  It saves a ton of money. 

 

Here are my top 2 baits for the river stripes....

1.  The bucktail jig.  I've had a ton of success using white/pink bucktail with a zoom fluke as a trailer.  I don't want any action with this setup.  Just a nice, streamlined jig gliding through the water.  I like to throw this directly upstream or at a slight angle and let it drift straight back at me.

 

2.  The scrounger head.  I take a 1/4, 1/2, and 3/4 (all the long billed versions) and tie bucktail to these as well.  For a trailer I use either a curl tail grub or paddle tail swimbait.  This bait works better for me when I'm throwing across the current.  It puts off a ton of vibration and this is the setup I've caught my bigger stripers on. 

 

Good luck, man.  Nothing like hooking into one of those linesides in heavy current.  Those massive tails of theirs let them have there freakin way with you.

 

PM me If you have any questions about river fishing or if your interested in tying your own stuff, I can point you in the right direction. 

[ReggieT]

I used to do a ton of fishing for stripes while fishing dams along the rivers here in Georgia. 

 

As annoying as the current is, your definitely fishing the right place.  From my experience, the harder the water is pushing, the closer to the actual dam the fish get.  We call it the "Suck Theory" because when the river is RAGING it seems like every freaking fish will move upstream until they run head first into the dam, like the river is sucking them all up to the dam.  So basically, the harder the current, the closer you want to cast to the actually gates letting the water out.

 

Get used to losing your baits.  It's a part of river fishing and there really isn't much you can do about it.  I've had my best luck using heavier weights on my jigs, like 1/2oz -1 1/2oz.  To save money, I would order bulk, unpainted jigheads online in the weight you want and learn to tie your own bucktail jigs.  It saves a ton of money. 

 

Here are my top 2 baits for the river stripes....

1.  The bucktail jig.  I've had a ton of success using white/pink bucktail with a zoom fluke as a trailer.  I don't want any action with this setup.  Just a nice, streamlined jig gliding through the water.  I like to throw this directly upstream or at a slight angle and let it drift straight back at me.

 

2.  The scrounger head.  I take a 1/4, 1/2, and 3/4 (all the long billed versions) and tie bucktail to these as well.  For a trailer I use either a curl tail grub or paddle tail swimbait.  This bait works better for me when I'm throwing across the current.  It puts off a ton of vibration and this is the setup I've caught my bigger stripers on. 

 

Good luck, man.  Nothing like hooking into one of those linesides in heavy current.  Those massive tails of theirs let them have there freakin way with you.

 

PM me If you have any questions about river fishing or if your interested in tying your own stuff, I can point you in the right direction. 

Brother...thanks a million! I have been wearing out my search engine trying to look up much of what you just stated in a few words!!!

 

     I will be contacting you shortly...

 

Bless Ya!

 

Reg