[Cat Mangler]

Hit one of the low dams downtown after work around 8pm. Going on advice targeting a saug since I've never gotten one. Anyways, first couple casts in, got a decent bite but got off. Got close enough to tell it was a smallie about 10 or so but got off in the current. Was a fighter though, got 8 jumps outta him before he unbuttoned.

Another hour almost of casts with nothing than a huge slam around sunset. Was only 13.5" but I'll tell ya, these fights through the extreme currents make a 2 pound fish feel like 200(ok maybe an exageration, but almost true.) Threw for a another 30 minutes or so with not a bite so called it a night.

Just a curious question for anyone with experience fishing low dams. With a dam like I was at with holes and real heavy current at each end and soft water in the middle, would it be probable that the fish would be huggin the current seams waiting for food, or might they be out further in the softer currents?

I've been trying jigs with white curly tails dragging along the dam a few feet out and also letting it float down current and then slowly retrieving up current. Been getting plenty of smallies in the 10-14" range this way. No luck with the saugs yet though.

Funny thing looking back, but I used to ride the trails through downtown like everyday and can remember stopping at those dams and thinking to myself, why would any creature want anywhere near something so seemingly volatile? Finding out recently from fellow OGFers just how abundant these waters can be has been a mind trip to say the least. I guess the buffet these things supply is greater than I ever would've imagined. Silly me.

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[MIKE*A]

This has been a somewhat abnormal Summer what w/the cooler temp.s and above average rainfall, but normally this time of year the water is extremely warm w/a much lower Oxygen content.....the water coming over the top of the dam gets reoxygenated and can drop a couple degrees in temperature...add to that the stunned baitfish/insects/leeches washing over and it can become prime habitat for fish......watch for swirling foam which would indicate an eddy w/slack water. You might find these on the edges near shore or near islands/sandbars in the middle.......depending on which dam you are on downtown, you might also look for channels running thru the rubble below the dam, some of these can be quite deep and productive......You would be amazed what you might catch in some of these areas.......

Mike