any tips for a novice fishing the dam?

Seems like this is where everyone is headed, so might as well join the crowd once my boat is dug out today. I dont have electronics so no depth finder or trolling motor, so Im wondering how you guys are jigging the dam. anchored as close as possible? Im not even sure of the depths near the dam, as Ive only fished down stream the three times Ive been out previously. Not looking for any ‘secrets’, just the best way to maximize fishing the dam out of my alumacraft.

to mudneck joe, yeah thats the fail safe plan for the most part.

Not an expert but try to find current seams where the water is slack water meets the moving water. Good luck

thanks tgruenke, Im not looking for any monsters or even concerned about getting a limit. Main goal is to have my partner with me finally catch their first walleye ever, although anything beyond that would be quite nice.

Without a depth finder keep middle/right while navigating. The wing dams are on the left. Be careful. You might want to glance at a map or ask the guys at evert’s to point them out to you before you head out.

oh yeah, I know where they are, fellow Ido member theGun pointed them out to me back in october or november. The last thing Im trying to do is row back to Everts

What HP and size boat? With out a troller you may be stuck anchoring unless you can back troll slow enough to slip slowly down stream in the current.
There will be TONS of boats there Sat and Sun with the warm weather and the MMWS tourney.
Boat control will be a must with the crowds and drifting unpowered will cause big issues. Anchor or backtroll/slipping will be your best bets.

If its like down here on a nice day (and im told its 20X worse) then your best bet is to anchor on the outside of the pack where you are not in anyone elses way. When guys try and anchor here in the pack its a big pissing war. They let out 50 feet of anchor rope and everyone else runs over it the whole time yelling at the anchored boat.

Drifting without a TM might be worse if you have to keep firing up the big motor to avoid collision.

IMO the best bet for a boat with no trolling motor is to anchor on the edge of the pack out of anyone elses way. Yeah they dont own the river and you have a right to anchor in the middle of the pack if you want.. but the last thing I would want to do is urine off 40 boats all within blade bait casting range of me.

Hopefully you anchor right on a honey hole and sit there pulling out 20″+ fish all day while the rest of them drift around catching nothing

its an alumacraft, so only 12′, 14′ maybe with only a 6 or 9 hp motor. definitely not the king of the river, and prolly wouldnt last long on the weekends which is why Im shooting for tomorrow instead as its near impossible for me anyways to find an open seat to get in so I have to pull the boat out if I plan on going fishing. how deep is it by the dam, as I dont have an endless amount of rope for my anchor.

most anchor in 35 or less there is seventy+ feet but you should be looking at that twenty to thirty five feet of depth. Good luck

watch the signs on the shore near the dam. There is an area that is closed in march and april out from the dam a hundred yards or so to protect the spawners.

look to see what other people are using when they bring a fish in. If it’s plastics, what color and body shape. If using minnows, is it a hair jig, standard jig or plain hook.
you can ask them too, most people are pretty friendly down there.

Good luck.

managed a 16″ male eye and a 14″ sauger amongst the ocean of boats. saw alot of shorts come in when people actually had bites, and one smaller flathead, but for the most part there was more action in line at everts before launch then there was on the water.

Agreed. Also if you are going to fish in the deep stink hole out in front take extra time and care bringing the fish in. Remember your pulling a fish out of 30-80′ of water so don’t rip thier face off and don’t crank em in. Those are the next years to come fish

The DNR studies have shown they won’t be anything next year. Just tonight’s eagle dinner.

That’s why I refuse to fish the stink hole

I was no where near the scour hole. my one eye actually came when I thought I was way too close to shore.

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my one eye actually came when I thought I was way too close to shore.

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…and keeping that in mind, you are half way there to catching larger fish!

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most anchor in 35 or less there is seventy+ feet but you should be looking at that twenty to thirty five feet of depth. Good luck

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That’s great advice if you want to catch a lot of small fish. If there is any color to the water, you will catch better fish in 2 to 12 fow. The most common mistake people make is they fish too deep.

poster wanted to put guests on first walleyes ever. With out trolling motor shallow water fishing for newbies can be hard. Lots of snags and hazard areas. but many good days with both big(12+lbs) and small walleyes have been had in areas i recomended. shallow water bite can also be fun.

Here is a tip, throw big bloated bellied walleyes like the one kept in the picture above back so they can at least drop they’re eggs and then maybe her babies would have a chance to grow as big as they’re mama for someone else to catch….

Im shure this was her fist time spawning? Have released a pile of 8+lb bloated walleyes keep a couple and your the bad guy? Sometimes its nice to actually catch that fish on your wall not just some fake numbers you dream up.

Congrats on your legal wall mounter amundsonjon!

Although “I” am into replicas, that sure doesn’t mean you have to be. If the DNR’s felt the fishery couldn’t handle it, they would changed the rules of the game.

I would have to say (and I’m certainly no expert) but there are more big fish caught in the shallower water (2 to 10) then in the deeper waters of Pool 4 anyway.

When folks complain about only catching small fish 9.5 times out of 10 they are fishing the deeper water. Using a camera show how many little guys are in the deep water and that the big girls are much shallower. BUT never say never on the river!

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Im shure this was her fist time spawning? Have released a pile of 8+lb bloated walleyes keep a couple and your the bad guy? Sometimes its nice to actually catch that fish on your wall not just some fake numbers you dream up.

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Im not saying anything, first 42″ lake trout I caught immediately went on my wall, as I dont know when the next 42″ will come along.