Got some Dam Questions

[Dbllunger]

A buddy and I fish Wheeler dam down in Alabama every spring and fall but this fall we wanted to give Nickajack dam a shot. We like to catch bait with a cast net and drift down in current and then run back up and do it again. Anyone know if catching bait at Nickajack is a doable thing? Anyone here have any experience with this style of fishing at this dam? At Wheeler we catch a lot of white, hybrid, smallmouth, largemouth and striped bass. I'm assuming it would be similar at Nickajack?

I guess I'm just looking for any input or experience at fishing this tailwater since it will be similar but different than what we normally do at Wheeler dam.

 

[Pilchard]

I ain't got a dam clue but please send pics. Sounds like fun!

 

[Hduke86]

I'm not familiar with doing that at Nickajack but have done it plenty at Chickamauga. Pretty easy to see the large schools of bait with the birds. I usually do it from the sidewalk up next to the pier below the dam. The way the water swirls back up against the bank. It gathers shad right there. One thing is DONT let your net touch the bottom or it'll be all kinds of stuck in the rocks and you may or may not get it back. We then run up to the dam and float down approximately to the railroad bridge and do it again. You can catch some good smallies, largemouths, catfish, and such doing it.

 

[ROVERBOY]

What Hduke86 said sounds right. You could probably ask some of the dam people, that work at the dam. They can probably answer all your dam questions. Maybe on how you can catch some dam bait.

 

[TRHC]

I've fished at Nickajack a good bit over the years. You certainly can do the same as you do at Wheeler and other dams. Although I've never been below Wheeler specifically, Nickajack is built differently than the others I'm familiar with like Guntersville and Chickamauga. The dam at Nickajack is flat faced all the way to the water. There aren't openings that go back underneath like those others I mentioned. I've seen guys just sit behind the boils and up against the dam wall to fish. The back current off the boils will just hold you there. You can usually catch bait along the face of the dam, along the wing wall between the generators and the flood gates, or along side the lock wall. It's the same for Gville and Chick, and I assume that's the same way you do it at Wheeler too. We've caught stripers, hybrids, whites, LM and SM bass, catfish and lots of drum. Good luck!

 

[Dbllunger]

I've fished at Nickajack a good bit over the years. You certainly can do the same as you do at Wheeler and other dams. Although I've never been below Wheeler specifically, Nickajack is built differently than the others I'm familiar with like Guntersville and Chickamauga. The dam at Nickajack is flat faced all the way to the water. There aren't openings that go back underneath like those others I mentioned. I've seen guys just sit behind the boils and up against the dam wall to fish. The back current off the boils will just hold you there. You can usually catch bait along the face of the dam, along the wing wall between the generators and the flood gates, or along side the lock wall. It's the same for Gville and Chick, and I assume that's the same way you do it at Wheeler too. We've caught stripers, hybrids, whites, LM and SM bass, catfish and lots of drum. Good luck!

Thanks so much for the info, really do appreciate it. Yes basically you described exactly how we do it at Wheeler just on a smaller scale at Nickajack. Catch bait the same way and same places just a different dam. We will be down at Nickajack this afternoon and tomorrow morning fishing. Mostly drifting with bait we catch and probably some big jigs with swimbaits.

 

[Hduke86]

Thanks so much for the info, really do appreciate it. Yes basically you described exactly how we do it at Wheeler just on a smaller scale at Nickajack. Catch bait the same way and same places just a different dam. We will be down at Nickajack this afternoon and tomorrow morning fishing. Mostly drifting with bait we catch and probably some big jigs with swimbaits.

How is/was the wind on the river. Looked like some good white caps out Chickamauga.

 

[Dbllunger]

How is/was the wind on the river. Looked like some good white caps out Chickamauga.

Wind was pretty bad about 15-20 out of the northeast with bluebird skys but we were still able to fish and catch some. Bait was minimal and scattered so we fished 1oz jigs with 3.5" zman swimbaits . Thursday afternoon caught a mix of smallmouth, Kentucky, white bass and walleye. Probably 12-15 fish. Not a ton of fish but it was steady. Friday morning probably half a dozen smallmouth with biggest about 3lbs and a few whites. Looking forward to heading back in a few weeks when the water cools down more.