old hickory dam <sigh>

[master_cat]

went to the dam today had 2 gen going tryed to catfish but 4 ounces would not hold it would go way down and instant hang no hits at all when yall are goin at night the gens must be off but there is always some current there tho any help would be great

[lupanfreitag]

It has been rough the last three days. I have only seen a few cats caught. With cooler temps, fish have moved to... somewhere. Also the closed doors have not helped. The fish just aren't there like they were last week.
I went Fr. Sat. Sun and I only saw two nice fish caught- one rock and one flathead.

The two generators are hard to fish. Most of those that did catch fish were anchored next to the boils. Never anchor right behind them against the dam. Never know when another generator might be turned on....

[Jim]

Originally Posted by master_cat

went to the dam today had 2 gen going tryed to catfish but 4 ounces would not hold it would go way down and instant hang no hits at all when yall are goin at night the gens must be off but there is always some current there tho any help would be great

When I was fishing last weekend, there were two generators running. I use 1 oz to get to the bottom with a live shad or cut bait, but I do not anchor. I just let the sinker hit the bottom straight under the boat and lift it about a foot. I touch it down every 10 seconds or so and then lift again. I just drift around until I find the fish and then keep drifting right over the same spot until they don't bite any more. I do get snags but not that many. Nothing like when I used to cast out heavy weights from an anchored boat.

Also, many of my catfish were not in the current, but on the spillway gate side. All the big flatheads were right on the seam between the fast and slow water. Also, the catfish were biting good in the holes down river in the first bend.

All that said, the cooler water will definitely move the fish around as they do not have to stay in the oxygenated water right below the dam anymore. For me, the best time to fish the dam is during the heat of the summer. As fall comes on, the fishing in the lake really picks up again.

Good luck,
Jim