Pick Wick Dam

[jons69chevy]

Any of you guys ever fish below pick wick dam for strippers? I started out going to Counce for catfishing several years ago. Lately the catfishing has been slow so we started stripper fishing below the dam. We usually do better in the fall but spring has been ok. We will be down there 2nd week of May-Any suggestions? Do any of you tie off to the dam? And have any of you had any luck this year catfishing the area either on the lake or on the river below the dam? Thanks, Jon

[ep72]

I dont think you would want to tie off @ the dam right now. They been runnin some water. Drifting the boils is what most do.

[jons69chevy]

I see people tie off to the dam with it running but it would make me a nervous reck. The water looks like it is pretty dangerous without being tied off.

[ep72]

Its more dangerous being tied off. Aint nuthin but a thing drifting the boils, as long as your not in a 12ft flatbottom. Wear your life vest at ALL times from the dam down to the barge cells in front of the ramp.

[castin4five]

You shouldn't have any problem being tied off to the dam. Years ago, you would go back there, but "NEVER" tie off behind a dead boil. As long as it was running you were ok. If it was dead and you were tied off, when that generator came on it would completely fill the windows behind the boil and you didn't want to be tied off when that happened. Boat and everyone on board would go straight up and then straight to the bottom! Nowadays, since they changed to the new impellers, they don't come on like they used to. They just kinda fizzle and the water just boils up a couple feet. Still, I never tie off behind a dead boil. When you go up there you can watch one when it comes on and see what I'm talking about. You can call this number before you go to make sure that they are generating because if they're not, just go to one of your local ponds and fish because you won't catch nothing without some current. The number is 1-800-238-2264. When the recording picks up, just hit 432 on your phone and it will take you straight to the discharge rates for Pickwick Dam. I don't striper fish that much, but in May the catfish will be doing good.

[jons69chevy]

The last couple of years we havent done well on the catfish-not like we did the first few years we came down there. We have done really well on the strippers though (for us, 8-12 pounds is a really good fish) It is hard to sit and catfish when you know the strippers are hitting. Any suggestions as to where to catfish and what bait. We have done alright a few times under the bridge in Savannah with crawdads but it is hard to keep the crawdads alive-for us anyhow.

[castin4five]

If you want to catch catfish, ditch the crawfish and get some shad guts or cut skipjack. You can tie up to the dam and throw directly in the boils (which will catch you bigger fish) or you can blind drag out in front of the boils all the way down to the first mooring cell (which will catch you more numbers of fish but smaller). If you've never blind dragged before you might be better off to anchor about 100 yds or so upstream of the first mooring cell and bump bottom behind the boat. You'll have to play with weight size according to how much current is being generated. Even floating on the edge of the current next to the dead water is a good place to catch them. They are spawning right now, so they should be plenty hungry in May....

[jons69chevy]

When you say blind drag is that what we call bumping? What we call bumping is putting 2 hooks on 1 leader tied about 6" up from a good heavy sinker. We would then set the boat into the current and set the trolling motor so that the boat was slowly drifting backwards. We would just fish right over the side of the boat and leave the sinker on the bottom until we felt it drag. Then lift it up and set it back down? Is that blind dragging?

[castin4five]

Basically that's the same thing but you want your line to be behind the boat. I always have the big motor running and you have to put it in and out of gear to keep your rod at the same position. Never give it any slack because you'll get hung. I alway's use a 3 way swivel tied to the main line with a hook tied to one eye and a 2 to 3 ounce sinker tied to the other. Leave the hook about 6" or so above the sinker. Be sure you use lighter line on the sinker because most of the time that's what will get hung and you can just break off and tie another sinker on. Yes it's bumping. Just bump it up and down about a foot but don't let it drag the bottom. I don't know where the term "blind dragging" come from. The key is keeping the bait behind the boat, not under it. It's too easy for your boat to float faster than your bait and then you'll be sure enough "dragging" it allowing it to get hung instantly. It'll take you about an hour to get the hang of it but you'll love it. Hold on to your rod good because a 10 lb'er will just about rip it out of your hands in that current....

[jons69chevy]

I am not trying to beat a dead horse or anything but when you fish tied off at the dam, are you casting out right at the boils and bottom fishing? I thought that I tried it and kept getting snagged. Do you still set your leader around 6 inches up when fishing around the boils? I appreciate you taking the time for all of my questions.

One other way that I fished around there is to anchor and cast in back of the boat. I would let the sinker hit bottom and leave it there for a few minutes. If I didnt get a bite I could "walk" it down a few more feet but just letting some line out and raising the rod tip. I would just keep walking it down stream until I couldnt feel if it was on bottom or not or I caught something. Is this kind of like the technique that you are talking about also?

[castin4five]

You can bump back behind the boat but you'll have to play with the weight size according to how much current is being generated. The only thing is that your not covering much water that way. It's too much hassle for me to anchor, then pull the anchor and move again and again. You can use the same length leader behind the boils but you want to have enough weight on there that when it hits the bottom it doesn't move. Sometimes that can mean up to 6 oz. If you ever drag it at all your hung. When you go to reel in, reel as fast as you can and hold your rod up high to get it over the wall that's down there. Those big fish hang right by that wall. You need some really heavy line back there too, at least 30 lb. And be ready to untie quickly when you hang a big one because your not going to pull him back against the current, you'll have to follow him. There's always some locals sitting back there, just watch them and you'll learn what's going on. Hope your not in a fiberglass boat because it'll probably get banged up back there against the wall. While your back there, that's just a good a place as any to lay into one of those big stripers, oh, and not to mention a big drum too.