As far as game fish go, the walleye has to be the most versatile of them all! When you think bass, you think pads, weed mats and the like. When you think pike and musky, you think cabbage beds. But the walleye can be anywhere! Depending on the time of the year and the body of water, walleye movements can be fairly predictable. No one presentation will catch them all the time. But now in August it is the beginning of “Dog Days.” And for me and my river-rat buddies, it means Wing Dams! A wing dam is a linear pile of rock or construction debris arranged so that it diverts current away from sensitive shoreline areas prone to erosion. The rocky outcroppings are made in a similar fashion, but can be infinitely different from each other. Wing dams offer current diversion for baitfish and predator alike. Some are deeper, some are shallower, some are longer and some are shorter. Some may hold fish in times of high flow, some in moderate flow, and yet others in lower flow conditions. But the reasons that they are there remains the same. The dam that holds the baitfish will hold the walleye and other predators.
One thing you will want to know about wing dams is their exact location relative to the telltale ripple on the top of the water. Deeper dams will show their ripple farther down river from the location of the dam. Shallower dams show their ripple closer to the dam. Your GPS is a valuable tool in locating these dams. Lakemaster offers wing dam locations on Pools 3 and 4 that I know of, and maybe more pools as well. But it is important to mark the dams location so that you can more easily choose your anchoring point. My rule of thumb is anchor so that your boat is close enough for your lightest jigs or crank bait to hit the edge of it. If you are not in the rock with your offering, your chances of getting bit are not as good. Whether you are pitching live bait or cranks, what we have talked about up until now remains the same.
I like to set up in the middle of a dam. This gives me access to the outer edge, the area in front of me, and the areas closer to the shoreline, or “Inner dam.” If I am fishing alone, I will have three rods at the ready. I like medium or medium light St. Croix Legend Elite or Avids in 6’ to 6’6”. I line them with a super braid line in 10 to 20 pound test. The rod I am going to cast to the outer edge of the dam will have a crank bait such as a Rapala DT6, or a deep Salmo Hornet, or a Bandit or Bomber capable of hitting a 6+ foot depth in a hurry. For my middle rod I pitch a DT4, #4 Salmo Hornet, Bomber or Bandit that run in the 4 foot depths. For my third rod that I will pitch in towards the inner part of the dam I will run a Rattle Trap or a Hot-N-Tot that will not dive too deep. Regardless of the crank you choose, you need to be ticking and tapping the rocks.
Live bait can be presented in a number of ways. One is a static presentation. A short snell and a barrel sinker are all you need. Crawlers, leeches, minnows and willow cats can all be presented this way. Rods can be set in a rod holder, and where legal, another rod can be fished with either a crank bait, or a jig and bait dynamically. If there are fish present, one of these presentations will usually provoke a strike. Again, rigging rods with heavy to light are preferred for accessing the inner and outer part of the dam. Casting live bait to a dam takes accuracy and precision. I like to work a bait down to the dam by letting the current sweep the bait to the dam. Others like to cast over the dam, and work it back. Both can be effective.
I have found that in August, shallower dams are preferred by bait fish and walleyes. There are less dynamic forces at work with smaller shallower dams. I like dams that come up about 3 to 4 feet. These seem to be my producers year after year. Some dams are nothing more than a large spread out area of rock, and not a precise rise and fall of rock. These types tend to hold chasing fish such as white bass more than walleye. I will always give them a shot, but unless I am bit in short order, I will move on quickly. Another formation of rock worth looking at are day marker piles. Walleye and smallmouth alike use these current diverters. Usually you will get a few takers rather quickly, and rarely do they hold numbers of fish. Closing dams are another rock formation used by the Corps of Engineers to steer water around areas. Closing dams that run across the flow tend to hold more fish than dams that go with the current to steer flow away from backwaters or channels. The hydraulic lifting effect of the water is lost on these dams, and bait fish tend not to hold on them unless the flow is way down. If you suspect a dam is a good one, make a few casts. Take note as to whether or not there are bait fish leaping out of the water when your crank bait speeds by. If they are there, chances are you will find walleye at some point during the day.
Daytime is the best time for fishing wing dams. We are so used to fishing walleye during low light conditions that we seem to condition ourselves to fish that way. Wing dam fish love light! They use it to their advantage. I like to use a lot of chrome baits on wing dams during the bright daytime. In cloudy conditions, I will use a lot of black baits.
Wing dams are excellent current seams that are utilized by walleye year around. But in August, bait fish swarm these high oxygen cover rich areas. Walleye are never far away if the bait fish are present. You do not need a big fancy boat to fish this way either. Wing dams are easy to fish with small boats and canoes quite easily. Move from one to the next, and by using the tips above, you can quickly eliminate unproductive dams. Never leave fish to find fish. If you are on a hot dam, work it hard with live bait and crank baits. I am sure you will soon agree with me that the “Dog Days” of August will be days you will look forward to every year!