How to fish wing dams for sunnies??

I fish walleye on wing dams this time of year a lot. Every year as the summer goes on I start catching sunnies on the dams while walleye fishing. I have never targeted sunnies on the dams on purpose, but would like to start. What are some good setups to do this? I’m looking for what presentations work the best on the wing dams. I have thought about setting slip bobbers and floating small jigs with waxies, worms, etc.. just above the dams, small spinners, small shot and bare hook with bait and roll it over the dam. I guess what I am asking all of you die hard panfishers is what works best for you. Which live bait works best this time of year etc…
Thanks Much.
P.S. This is my first ever post. Have been reading for about 2 months now and gained a ton of information. This is a great site.

Welcome to the site Blackduck. You’ve pretty much answered your own question there bud. There is no perfect setup for gills on the wingdams as they all work well at different times. Conditions will dictate which methods will be used on a given day.
If I was to pick a go-to method day in and day out, it would be a simple #4 or 6 gold long shank extra light wire hook, a split shot set about 20 inches above the hook, weight depends on the current at that time, and a small leech or chunk of crawler for bait. Toss is out to a “fishy looking” area and work it slowly back to the boat. If the rig gets hung up, pop it a few times and it ussually comes loose or lots of times a fish will get it out for you because of the action to the bait you’re creating.
Like I said earlier, lots of methods work. There are two reasons the fish are there this time of year, oxygen and food. You provide the buffet.

If the bluegills are running good sized I prefer a 1/16th ounce black jig with a small leech because the casting and slow retrieve is a bit more engaging and fun to me than watching a bobber… but both methods work well. Another reason I like to go with the jig is that if there’s a smallie within a 100 yards he’ll find that leech under that bobber and gut hook himself before I can react… which makes me about cry. So, the jig allows me to instantly set the hook and then be able to release these fish. Also, don’t forget small surface poppers early in the AM and later in the afternoons up until dark. I like to fish these tight to shore behind wingies. They really fight like a devil on a light flyrod.

Hey Herb; I’ve been trying the drop shot method with a light jig in the current, much like you’re doing but I think I’m detecting the strikes better & the lure stays in the strike zone easier. Direct contact with the hook with out the slinky effect of the inbetween sinker. {John}

Thanks John, I plumb forgot about trying the dropshot method.

Hi John, could you describe what a drop shot rig is for me?
Thanks!

Steve

Jazzer, Drop shooting is a method of percise depth fishing.

A drop shot rig is where the weight is tied to the end of your line and the hook or jig is tied at a certain distance above it,depending on the depth that you want to fish is where you will tie the hook/jig. You want to use a Palomar knot so your rig will be horizontal to your line. I hope this will help you out some. If you have any further questions, give me a shout.

Hey RR – thanks for the info, this is a new rig for me and definitely something I’m gonna try.
Thanks for the reply!

Steve

Herb is right on. We fish a lot of Wingdam Sunnies in August and early September and if they are on the wingdams a split shot and piece of crawler work well. The method just tends to be simpler and more effective then trying to use a bobber.

Also, thanks James for the leech idea. Might even pick up a Smallie or Walleye.

One last thing. I fished below the Whitman Pool last week and caught a fair amount of sunnies in snags with current. Might be worth a try if you are going for sunfish.

Thanks Much guys, I will be trying these!