U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
This article is the first in a series of tips for the urban angler. Click here to view the rest of the rest of the articles in this series. Dams are often the most fished spots on a river, and for good reason. The current provides oxygen for fish and brings food to them. The dam itself is a barrier that blocks migrating fish and forces them to concentrate at the bottom of the dam. This is also the area that tends to receive the most fishing pressure. The fast moving water directly below a dam is where you will find actively feeding fish, so long as you can fight for enough shoulder room to cast into these areas. Fast moving baits work well here because the fish are active. Try bouncing soft plastics along with the current. Inline spinners and crankbaits work well too. Basically, you want to use something that will trigger the aggressive fish into striking. Look for areas where the fast current meets slow moving water. The fish will sit in the slow water waiting to ambush any forage that is swept along in the current. Bring your bait along these transition zones, and you?ll be putting it right in front of the fish?s face.  The first deep pool below a dam can be very productive if fished correctly. Brent R. Hanson, USGS One of the best areas to fish near dams is the first deep pool down river. This is where inactive fish will move to for protection and to get out of the current. These areas are particularly good during cold fronts. Most anglers are busy getting tangled in each other?s lines in the crowd directly below the dam, and don?t bother to fish these areas. Those that do often fish them with the same tactics as the area close to the dam, and therefore do not catch any fish. The first pool below a dam is full of fish that aren?t actively feeding, so you have to fish for them differently. There are two ways to get these fish to bite – slowing down or getting a reaction strike. The first can be accomplished several ways, but my favorite is to use soft plastics. Scented grubs on light jig heads fall nice and slow in a gentle current, and the sent and flavour helps entice a strike. If the current is too strong, or the fish are close to the bottom, then using a large jighead with a worm or crawfish imitation can really pay off. Keep the bait in contact with the bottom, and slowly reel it back, stopping every once in a while. The bait will stir up the bottom, sending insects and other food floating down current. If the fish are suspended, then hot-shotting crankbaits works well. Start up stream and drop your lure in the water near the start of the pool. Disengage your reel?s anti-reverse mechanism, and slowly reel backwards. This will let out line, and the lure will slowly move backwards. Keep it slow enough that it maintains good action in the current. Depending on the current, you can even just let it sit in one spot every few feet. This will put the lure right in the fish?s face, wobbling back and forth, until they can?t resist any longer. Remember to reengage your reel?s anti-reverse when you get a strike. Getting a reaction type strike from an inactive fish involves presenting a bait in such a manner that the fish hits it without even thinking about whether they are hungry or if the lure is safe to eat. Burning spinnerbaits through the water is great for enticing these type of reactions. The fish notice the bait coming because of the vibration and flash, but it?s moving so fast that they don?t have time to think about whether or not they should eat it. They only have a split second to react before the bait is gone, so they hit it even though they don?t need to eat at that moment. Lipless crankbaits are also excellent for inducing reaction strikes. Either reel them back fast at a constant depth, or let them sink to the bottom and jig them up by raising your rod tip quickly. The area above dams often creates a deep slow water area that can be home to a wide variety of fish, and can be fished using the same methods you?d use on a lake or pond. Again, these areas are often left alone by anglers seeking the white water and active fish below the dam. Logic says that if an area is filled with other fishermen when we arrive at a location, then we should try fishing the spots that haven?t been fished. That?s rarely what happens. People tend to follow the pack, even if it?s not producing fish. Remember to look around for the less pressured areas where fish will let their guard down. You may have to adapt your techniques to suite the habits of the fish in these spots, but your reward will be more fish with plenty of shoulder room. Let the other guys have their dam fish! WARNING!: Many dams release water on a scheduled basis, and others irregularly. Anglers must use extra caution when fishing below a dam because water levels can rise without warning. Never wade below a dam and always ensure that you have a clear path to higher land. |
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