When you vertical jig on the river lets say below a dam. Are you anchored or are you drifting and vertical jigging?
With being anchored you would obviously have to use a heavier weight to keep the lure down and it seems the concensous is go with the lightest weight possible which would point back to vertical jigging while drifting with the current.
So what is it guys do when you vertical jig below the damn do you do it anchored or do you drift with the current.
Most people are drifting with the current.
Slip drifting the current is a popular method on the river. When there is current flow you want to run your trolling motor against the current just enough to slowly slip downstream. Using a heavy enough jig to make bottom contact and stay vertical.
When achoring you are better off pitching or casting jigs to cover more water.
Yep, what Don said!
Both methods can be very effective.
One thing to keep in mind when wanting to anchor, if you see boats drifting the current seams and you anchor up in there path……you made someone PO’d for cutting them off 
Yes, everyone has a right to the river. With that said there is common courtesy also 
Anchoring outside of the seam and pitching up river and letting your bait follow the seam will catch fish and still let the others continue there drifts.
Did that make since 
Bret
Actually it makes perfect sense
That is a remarkable thought, to bad everybody doesn’t realize to follow the flow and not anchor up right in the middle of the pack that should be a dam rule if your gonna fish just respect everybody and we could have a blast- post a sign in the spring and you are also getting some of the best feedback from gatorhunter and Don these guys know the river well- they have beat me. Have fun the next time you go jiggin up at the dam. Just smile while your up there and somebody will say hi. That always works for me!!!! 
See I would have been the butthead cutting everyone trying to fish the dam and then there would be posts about me on in-depthangling.
I am a Bass fisherman Trying to learn the skill of river walleye fishing, my Dad and I are going up to the river next Thursday.
I purchased the In-depthangling video and what a excellent video great work fellas
JUST TO THROW IN MY .02
WHEN HEADING BACK UP STREAM TO START ANOTHER DRIFT WATCH YOUR WAKE WHEN GOING THROUGH OTHER PEOPLE, NOTHING I HATE WORSE THEN BEING BOUNCED AROUND WHILE TRYING TO JIG. 
I would have to read what he says about it but when slipping the current you are using the boat as part of the presentaton. The whole key is to stay vertical. With low flow and wind blowing opposite the flow you have to troll downstream to stay vertical. There are quite a few factors involved but in my first post I would not consider it fighting the current.
It’s important to remember that current is not uniform from the surface of the water to the bottom. Current is often fast on top and slows as depth increases. So, your boat may be experiencing different current speeds than your bait. Remember also that any wind that may be present will affect your boat but not your bait…another complication.
The most important aspect of vertical jigging is staying on top of your bait. That means that you have to use the bow mount, the big motor, or a kicker to stay on top of your bait. I have tried all of the above methods and one thing that really works for me is to sit on the back of the boat and use the kicker to stay vertical. This works especially well if I have a downstream wind (in the same direction as the current). Here, the wind will force the bow downstream, and I can use the kicker in reverse to help keep me on top of my bait. I use my left hand to control the kicker and hold my rod in my right hand, perpendicular to the boat. Then, I just watch my line. Is the line behind (upriver) of my rod tip? Apply a little reverse thrust to get back to vertical. Is the line downriver of the rod tip? Back off on the thrust until vertical again.
I enjoy the challenge of vertical jigging in rivers. I use my Bow Mount with the addition of the Re-actionsystem. If you are interested, talk to Dean when he gets back at it, he has the ole try it before you buy it demos in the shop. Dan Palmer
Dan, he doesn’t have to wait for Dean to get back…I demo’ed on today. I didn’t see the fella when he brought it back in though.
Just to add a little bit to what the others have said…under ideal conditions (not too much current or wind) I only use my trolling motor to stay on top of my bait. Most of the time, I need to use my outboard. I keep it running at idle speed and as others have said put it in forward or reverse as need be to keep my line vertical…which is easier said than done on windy days. 
Vikefan, have you seen the Re-actionsystem that Dan was talking about?
It’s fairly new on the market.
What it does for a vertical jigger is makes it very easy to give the trolling moter a little boost to get back on track from a gust of wind or heavier current.
Normally when a gust hits the boat, you have to reach down or use your foot to add speed to the trolling motor, then readjust the control again to get back to the correct speed to slip down stream or drag your baits. Using the Re-actionsystem, it’s just a matter of touching the momentary power switch on the foot pedal to give the motor a fully adjustable burst…then by taking the foot off the pedal, the trolling motor goes back to the preset trolling speed.
As a catfisherman, I have no need for something like this, but the wallaby guys that have taken it out for a demo at Evert’s think it’s the cat’s meow..(sorry for the pun!)
Lots of good info given already.
Here is my two cents.
Vertical jigging keeping your presentation straight from the bottom to your rod tip, under control so that you feel anything that touchs that bait. As you progress down the river.
What I think Keith Kavajecz was talking about is the simplest way to follow your baits down stream. It is alot harder to back your boat down river using the bow mount then to follow your baits with the bow.
With all this being said it takes practice to master this art. The bottom changes all the time so you are letting line out and reeling line in but key is to keep making bottom contact.
I think the biggest thing I see people doing wrong is trying to fish 20 to 30 feet of water with 1/8 oz and 1/4 oz jigs. They become lost and never get the feel on making contact with the bottom. The jigs wind up getting blown out and drift aimlessly.
So the idea that lighter is better is not always ture. I have and use plenty of 1/2 oz and 5/8 oz up to 3 oz jigs. If you get the jig in front of a hungry river fish he will eat it. That is one of the benefits of plastics in cold water you get the occasional tail puller but you hook up alot more instead of feeding them minnows.
Remember vertical jigging is only one presentation for fishing the river. Casting structure, pulling jigs, dragging jigs.
I was on Pool 4 yesterday and wanted to check out the dragging bite. So I spent my day in 5 to 15 feet of water dragging ringworms. I managed a nice two man limit of fish between 15 and 20 inches. For my boat the bite was not on fire but there were alot of small fish caught. My two man limit was all sauger with one walleye. All my walleyes yesterday were bewteen 4 and 8 inches long except for the one 19 incher.
I stayed for the night bite in the rain but it did not happen for me. The fish turned on but the biggest was 18 inch sauger.
I dragged 3/16 oz 1/8 oz and 3/32 oz heads the only bait I used was ringworms. My best colors were oyster shell with a sour apple head, fire & ice with a black head, cotton candy with an orange head, chartruese pepper and sour apple head.
When the lights went down it was cotton candy and Chartruese pepper that made them munch.
Take care and Good Luck in 07
Here is a sauger that couldn’t pass up my oyster shell sour apple offering. All my fish were released on this day.
I just needed to unwind and feel the head shakes. 
Wow, this is the kind of post that makes this the best site on the planet! People sharing their knowledge and experience to help someone just getting started. I love it.
There is no such thing as a silly question concerning fishing. I would love to see more posts like this. These help all of us!
Now, for my 2 cents worth. One thing I would recommend learning early if you are just beginning to vertical jig is the art of back-reeling to let line out rather than opening and closing the bail. When fishing with one rod this is a much smoother, and more effective tactic. Speaking from experience, it is much harder to train yourself to do this after learning to vert. jig using the bail. The key is remembering to keep your drag set right, and remember to keep ahold of the handle at all times and lock the anti-reverse after setting the hook!
Also, along the lines of what Vandy was saying, don’t try to make one jig work for a wide variety of depths. I like to have several rods with different weight jigs in the bow with me. Switching up until I find the depth I want to key in on, then adjust colors to find what the fish want.
All great info, thanks for asking chan93lx50! 
the only other piece of advice I can give you at this moment is, keep an eye open for open seats for fishing on 4, and jump on in if you can. you will learn who the good river guys are and sometimes they have an open seat and you can pile in with your gear and leave your boat on shore. that is what happened with me yesterday, I got to pile in with one of the river pro’s. but also getting out after you learn a few things is always a good way to reinforce what you learn, don’t be affriad to try different things, but always come back and as questions. the only stupid question is the one that is not asked!!!
good luck and let us know how you do with jigging.
shane
Another option when we are talking wind and current is to use both bow and transom trolling motor. This is very effective with the wind blowing with the current. With the bow downstream, the angler in front controls direction and depth. The angler in back controls the presentation by holding thrust against the wind and current. very effective method but I don’t see it used very often.
Wow, I just love this site. I just got back from the Kansas City Chiefs game and I come here to check out the thread and there is an explosion of knowlage posted. So now I am sitting here reading all the posts to my 4 month old daughter (In my silly Dad voice).
My back story is that I started fishing the mississippi about 4 years ago and absolutly fell in love with it, I realized I have been missing out on some of the best fishing in the country and it is basically in my back yard. With that theme of finding new waters to fish, I am also looking to start fishing the some of the smaller rivers like the, waspsi, cedar, iowa, etc. I finally talked my wife into getting another boat that I could use on smaller rivers. I Just never felt comfortable taking my bass boat on those waters specially when they are low, but I need to hone my fishing skills and adapt to those body of waters.
This is the only site I have found where the people are so willing to help and give out information.
Thanks and keep up the great work.
Now if I only can get you guys to give me you mushroom hunting locations
my mushroom hunting spot is in the woods!!!! 
good luck finding them and good luck fishing.
shane
Great reply Vandy. I agree with you all the way on useing heavier jig heads. After you get some exp. you will be able to lighten up some. This time of year I’m on the water 2-4 times a week. I’ve found if I have somebody that is new to vert. jigging with me,I always start them with at least a half oz. I’ve found they don’t get snagged as much and they catch more fish. It’s easier for them to maintain contact with bottom. Good luck.
I will definatly start with a heavier jig and work my way down to the lighter ones, thanks for the suggestion.
I have done alot of vertical jigging on lakes when wind has been an issue and I always would use my bow mount trolling motor, but this is current we are dealing with and it will be a whole new ball game, but hey its going to be fun.
My next question is eliminating water below the damn, I posted a link to a contour map of the lock and damn at the Guttenberg.
Before I drop the line I will be looking to locate fish with my electronics, but where do I start? The Channel edge on the west side or east side of the river, or should I start up by the damn closer to the 80′ hole and work back.
I am not looking for a recent report where the fish are but rather pick your brain as if you never fished this water and need to eliminate the water where would you go and why?
It is tough to eliminate a lot of water without seeing the current flow, but I would personally start by eliminating all water over 30′. Fish could be found there, but pulling saugers from over 30′ is almost certain to cause their swim bladder to thrust into their mouth, so I chose not to fish those depths.
That being said, there are several interesting areas I would look at, judging only from the map. The area above the DNR office looks to have a good current break with the sharp turn to the west on the shorline. The 20′ area upstream of that jut, along with the water immediately below it and out in front of the DNR station would be worth a look. The area around the 25′ hole just upstream from the boat ramp symbol may be good as well.
On the Wisconsin side, the point which is mark 5/15/25 on down should hold fish, as well as the 10′ hump down stream and the area around the 30′ hole just below that hump. I am guessing that may be a wing dam or rock structure where it comes up to 10′. The 15′ flat across the channel from this would also be interesting.
One real key to eliminating and keying on water is not possible without being on the water. I look for current seams, back eddies or backflowing current, transitions from rock to sand, sand to mud, especially where deep water is near. These are the real keys for me in homing in on waters I have not fished. Hope this helps some, let us know how you do!
Wow Mr. Tucker thanks for the response. I bet I could sit down with someone knowledgeable all day and look at contour maps of lakes or rivers that I would never even fish.
I usually try to find a contour map of lakes I never fish and circle the high percentage spots, but it’s always nice to get another persons point of view.
This is what makes fishing so fun, I can sit down with a map circle the spots I want to hit, but even then the best spot on the lake could be missed due to seasonal, weather, Water level, and current (river) changes. This is what make good fisherman great in having the ability to adapt.
Another note, my trip had to be postponed until next Tuesday, found out 7pm the night before that I had an orientation meeting that I needed to attend, nothing like finding out at the last minute huh? 
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