As far as game fish go, the walleye has to be the most versatile of them all! When you think bass, you think pads, weed mats and the like. When you think pike and musky, you think cabbage beds. But the walleye can be anywhere! Depending on the time of the year and the body of water, walleye movements can be fairly predictable. No one presentation will catch them all the time. But now in August it is the beginning of “Dog Days.” And for me and my river-rat buddies, it means Wing Dams! A wing dam is a linear pile of rock or construction debris arranged so that it diverts current away from sensitive shoreline areas prone to erosion. The rocky outcroppings are made in a similar fashion, but can be infinitely different from each other. Wing dams offer current diversion for baitfish and predator alike. Some are deeper, some are shallower, some are longer and some are shorter. Some may hold fish in times of high flow, some in moderate flow, and yet others in lower flow conditions. But the reasons that they are there remains the same. The dam that holds the baitfish will hold the walleye and other predators.
One thing you will want to know about wing dams is their exact location relative to the telltale ripple on the top of the water. Deeper dams will show their ripple farther down river from the location of the dam. Shallower dams show their ripple closer to the dam. Your GPS is a valuable tool in locating these dams. Lakemaster offers wing dam locations on Pools 3 and 4 that I know of, and maybe more pools as well. But it is important to mark the dams location so that you can more easily choose your anchoring point. My rule of thumb is anchor so that your boat is close enough for your lightest jigs or crank bait to hit the edge of it. If you are not in the rock with your offering, your chances of getting bit are not as good. Whether you are pitching live bait or cranks, what we have talked about up until now remains the same.
I like to set up in the middle of a dam. This gives me access to the outer edge, the area in front of me, and the areas closer to the shoreline, or “Inner dam.” If I am fishing alone, I will have three rods at the ready. I like medium or medium light St. Croix Legend Elite or Avids in 6’ to 6’6”. I line them with a super braid line in 10 to 20 pound test. The rod I am going to cast to the outer edge of the dam will have a crank bait such as a Rapala DT6, or a deep Salmo Hornet, or a Bandit or Bomber capable of hitting a 6+ foot depth in a hurry. For my middle rod I pitch a DT4, #4 Salmo Hornet, Bomber or Bandit that run in the 4 foot depths. For my third rod that I will pitch in towards the inner part of the dam I will run a Rattle Trap or a Hot-N-Tot that will not dive too deep. Regardless of the crank you choose, you need to be ticking and tapping the rocks.
Live bait can be presented in a number of ways. One is a static presentation. A short snell and a barrel sinker are all you need. Crawlers, leeches, minnows and willow cats can all be presented this way. Rods can be set in a rod holder, and where legal, another rod can be fished with either a crank bait, or a jig and bait dynamically. If there are fish present, one of these presentations will usually provoke a strike. Again, rigging rods with heavy to light are preferred for accessing the inner and outer part of the dam. Casting live bait to a dam takes accuracy and precision. I like to work a bait down to the dam by letting the current sweep the bait to the dam. Others like to cast over the dam, and work it back. Both can be effective.
I have found that in August, shallower dams are preferred by bait fish and walleyes. There are less dynamic forces at work with smaller shallower dams. I like dams that come up about 3 to 4 feet. These seem to be my producers year after year. Some dams are nothing more than a large spread out area of rock, and not a precise rise and fall of rock. These types tend to hold chasing fish such as white bass more than walleye. I will always give them a shot, but unless I am bit in short order, I will move on quickly. Another formation of rock worth looking at are day marker piles. Walleye and smallmouth alike use these current diverters. Usually you will get a few takers rather quickly, and rarely do they hold numbers of fish. Closing dams are another rock formation used by the Corps of Engineers to steer water around areas. Closing dams that run across the flow tend to hold more fish than dams that go with the current to steer flow away from backwaters or channels. The hydraulic lifting effect of the water is lost on these dams, and bait fish tend not to hold on them unless the flow is way down. If you suspect a dam is a good one, make a few casts. Take note as to whether or not there are bait fish leaping out of the water when your crank bait speeds by. If they are there, chances are you will find walleye at some point during the day.
Daytime is the best time for fishing wing dams. We are so used to fishing walleye during low light conditions that we seem to condition ourselves to fish that way. Wing dam fish love light! They use it to their advantage. I like to use a lot of chrome baits on wing dams during the bright daytime. In cloudy conditions, I will use a lot of black baits.
Wing dams are excellent current seams that are utilized by walleye year around. But in August, bait fish swarm these high oxygen cover rich areas. Walleye are never far away if the bait fish are present. You do not need a big fancy boat to fish this way either. Wing dams are easy to fish with small boats and canoes quite easily. Move from one to the next, and by using the tips above, you can quickly eliminate unproductive dams. Never leave fish to find fish. If you are on a hot dam, work it hard with live bait and crank baits. I am sure you will soon agree with me that the “Dog Days” of August will be days you will look forward to every year!
I have a question. When you say you prefer dams that come up 3 or 4', do you mean the dam rises that far off the bottom or does that mean you prefer a dam that rises within 3 or 4' of the surface?
When targeting these wing dams via crankbait, I'm assuming you are first pulling the active fish off the top of the wing dam or just behind the current break working that crankbait back upstream. Is that correct?
However, as you pointed out, many walleyes are in front of the wing dam in the slack water and this presents challenges on how to get a crankbait down there in the strike zone. Do you cast parallel to the outer edge of the wing dam and then pull your crankbait parallel to the base of the wall trying to run your crankbait sideways against the current? Or do you anchor on the top of the wing dam, cast upstream and run that crankbait faster downstream right up to the face of the wing dam? I realize this may depend on how deep the wing dam is and also the flow conditions. But to me it's always a challenge to get that crankbait down near the upcurrent base of that wing dam.
-------------------- Brad "Grifter" Juaire
IDO Field Staff
Boog, good question...3 feet in elevation off the bottom. I have found from experience that to get the desired hydraulic effect of lifting water, the wing dam needs to be about 3 to 4 feet high. This creates a tube of slack water along the face and foot of the dam as the rapid water takes water over the top. This creates an underwater current seam that holds fish. In the winter you can drop a camera down and actually see what I am referring to. Flows are much slower, but the fish still relate to that area at the foot or base of the dam.
Brad, I start casting straight on, and at angles left and right. If I feel that fish are present and I am not getting bit...I will slide closer to the dam, and cast horizontal to it...allowing the current to wash the crank or bait into the dam while retrieving. I am not a big fan of casting over wingies like I know a few other guys are. I am not saying I don't do it...sometimes you need to to tell where the dam is in relationship to your boat. Another time that I will try to get more horizontal to the dam is when the sun is rising or setting. Like I had mentioned, I feel most dams in the Summer excel with light. If the sun is rising or setting behind you, you may be able to squeeze an extra fish out by working horizontal to the dam utilizing what light you can to profile your bait to the fish.
One other thing I forgot to mention as well is that I will often take off my split rings when fishing dams. Taking off split rings will give you a tighter wobble, and a bit more depth. If I have a hot color, I will leave the split ring on and cast that bait shallower to access those fish as well and not snag up as much.
Chris I like your article as it relates to my area here in western Iowa(Missouri river).Our river has a flow of about 5-7mph but it could get a bit faster at times.At times it's hard to find a dam with 3-5ft. elevation without encountering fast current,how would you bounce a crank off the bottom at these speeds,Ive lost a few cranks already.
When we encounter that we try to fish the second or subsequent dams in a series if we have that option..
Losing cranks is par for the course in dam fishing. You can minimize that by using cranks that float but dive when pulled. That kind of speed is tough to deal with, but if the fish are there...it can be a winning proposition...
When the speed picks up, we will often use blade baits like B-Fish-N Blades to get there and get down in a hurry. You can even hover them in front of the dam. You will fish them like the live bait rigs...lifting and dropping on a tight line...all the while imparting the vibration that should entice a bite. Work it from the outside towards the dam at an angle.
Yes, Chris I do like that idea about the blade baits. I must clarify that I'm referring to the river channel speed according to the corps of engineers.I don't know how to measure the speed above the wing dam.I will get out this Thursday and try blades,some jigs and bottom bouncers with maybe a floating Rapala or vibrating lipless bait.I'm realing liking this forum, new at asking for help.Thank you Chris and and you also Richard(56twister) you guys are waking up my unused brain cells.I'll let you guys know how it goes,heck maybe my bud Willie will hook that 35lb. flathead that destroyed his rod last summer.
On the lipless baits, keep in mind that you want to get to that spot on the dam...the foot or base of the dam where the baitfish and the walleye are. You will most likely want a bait that dives FAST to get there in a hurry. But hey, try it both ways!
chopper, where are you thinking about on the river? I do know that the same type of current can be found off sand bars, you have to remember the wing dams over here stick out of the water, where as most of the wing dams in the Mississippi sit a few feet under water. I think the type of wing dams over here have a reverse current behind then and the key is the seam where water is heading downstream and the water going upstream. Also there is a "bubble" of current along with a steep break off a wing dam and the front of the wing dam will also cause a great ambush site for walleye/sauger/smallies. I have not been out for a few weeks now, but the last area I pulled a few small walleye/sauger was up by Adam's Nature Preserve, the rip rap can be good there, and on the other side try the wing dams north of the high wires. Flat heads sound fun, have not given that a shot.
Dog Day Wing Dams
Re: Dog Day Wing Dams
