Dam Fishing: How to Do it

A lot of bass anglers are used to fishing in different areas like reservoirs, ledges, offshore pumps, and points.

Even if they are used to these places, they fail to see the dam as a rich opportunity to catch good fish because they have concrete monoliths that can hold a lot of bass.

You can try this yourself and you will be given tips in this post so you’ll know what to do in case you decide to venture into this kind of fishing.

Catching bass is fun and it will give you different kind of fulfillment that get you hooked and make every dam fishing journey memorable and exciting.

Fish For More Than One

You will not be able to catch bass in a dam if you do not really go fishing for them. It is significant that you fish them and do it several times until you succeed.

A lot of people will try fishing in a dam and give up after a few tries and if you do the same, you are not going to be successful.

Spend several hours every day until you get the hand of it. You will also know if it is indeed a good dam to catch bass.

Don’t Be Too Fancy

The tackle manufacturers have created a wide range of products and it that is a very good thing for anglers.

There are benefits that come from doing a bit of exploration of baits techniques that you can try to determine which one works best for you.

One technique that does not get old is keeping it simple. It is better to stick with simple techniques that you are able to execute really well and catch more fish.

You can try several techniques, but the basic and simple way will always be effective no matter how diverse the tackling industry has become.

There Is Less Current If The Temperature Is Less

Once you have spent enough time fishing in dams, you will get a clear idea of how bass swims in them differently depending on the current weather situation.

One thing that you will be able to observe is when there is a drop in temperature, fish will find an area that has less current and stay there for the mean time.

During the summer, bass will come from areas where there is a very strong current.

During fall and winter, bass like to stay in the calmer water parts of the dam. Most people have a misconception that during the winter bass leave the area, but that is not usually the case.

They will relocate to the dead water part of the dam, which is behind and you can still fish for them. You just have to know where they go.

Nearby Points

These nearby points are usually made up of scattered rocks, mud, and similar to fingers, they hold on to logs and limbs of trees while floating downstream when there is a flood.

Bass like to stay behind these because they are big pieces of cover while the current has a very strong flow. You can ambush this area and catch a lot of bass.

Look For Offshore Humps

Regardless if it occurred naturally or it is man-made, any spot that is high and adjacent to a dam draws in a lot of bass.

Bass will start to swim around the hump while the current is slow and hide behind a rock top or a stump when there is a very strong current because they are getting water out of the dam.

Fishing Backwards Is Better

A common mistake that is done by people is they fish in the current “backwards” or they go upstream to get their baits.

This is something that needs to be corrected because bass will always put themselves into the current, which means that if you do it “backwards” you are putting the bait behind them and they will not even see it.

Cast upstream all the time and the bait needs to be brought back in the direction of the current. Of course it is simpler to do it downstream, but your chances of catching bass is five times more if you fish going into the current.

Fish Along Diversion Walls

Diversion walls are made of concrete and they are able to deflect current that really help in stopping erosion of the shoreline that is close to the dam.

This area is a magnet for baitfish and it breaks the current because algae coat this area and you will locate schools of shad that are lurking around them.

Have More Patience

Spending too little time in a dam is a big mistake that a lot of people make. They are quick do to a dam, cast a few times and then look for another dam in case they don’t catch fish within the time that they gave.

There is always that urge to leave right away, but this is something you need to avoid doing because spending more time will only increase your chances of catching bass.

Consider all the factors like rocks, current, and bass hide in certain areas that you cannot always reach unless you wait for them to come out from there.

If you only have patience for one or two casts, there is a big possibility that the bass did not even notice the bait that you threw at them because when it goes over the dam, it is not always the same.

The only way to go is to look for a potential spot and try harder. Make more than 10 casts until you attract fish because they actually saw the bait. Patience and trying harder goes a long way so you can catch