# LL Dam was on Fire today7/18/15



## brucevannguyen (Oct 21, 2012)

OMG!!! Speechless.


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## big D. (Apr 10, 2010)

Awesome Trip Bruce!

Might have to sneak down there again on my way up north Wednesday! Gonna hit a few lakes with Ryan next week! Can't wait! 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## SetDaHook (Oct 21, 2010)

Hey, I counted 52 in that pile!! Just kidding....Awesome catch and that's one happy boy there too. Congrats...


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## brucevannguyen (Oct 21, 2012)

That's a hundred fish four persons. I have other 2cooler boats fish next to me if you need names. One of them had to call me over to use my dikes to cut the treble hooks out of his thumb. We had to push the hook through and cut the barb. Very painful!!


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## Boomhauer75 (Jan 3, 2010)

brucevannguyen said:


> That's a hundred fish four persons. I have other 2cooler boats fish next to me if you need names. One of them had to call me over to use my dikes to cut the treble hooks out of his thumb. We had to push the hook through and cut the barb. Very painful!!


It wasn't Matt was it? I have had to help him remove hooks 2 times now. One time my wife hooked him! lol

Great catch!:dance:


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## Northern fisherman (Sep 16, 2014)

Wow way to knock em down, so when's the fish fry?


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## Sac-a-lait Trey (Jun 10, 2015)

Great catch, Bruce!

I managed to stick my thumbnail recently with a brand-new hook, and must have hit quite a vessel underneath because there was blood down to my elbow in a split second. I just kept thinking how thankful I was that it hit the nail because it would surely have been the same situation of pushing it through to cut it out, otherwise. Glad you were there to help those guys out!


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## Fearless (Jun 28, 2015)

Sweet.


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## Jwsops (Mar 7, 2013)

Nice. i shouldda go today.. dammit.~


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## Watersoul (Feb 15, 2013)

Hey Bruce. I am planning a trip with my daughter to the bottom of the dam early next week. It will be my first time to fish below the dam. I have a 18' alumacraft CC. Any tips or pointers to stay safe and catch fish. 

Thank you in advance


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## brucevannguyen (Oct 21, 2012)

Watersoul said:


> Hey Bruce. I am planning a trip with my daughter to the bottom of the dam early next week. It will be my first time to fish below the dam. I have a 18' alumacraft CC. Any tips or pointers to stay safe and catch fish.
> 
> Thank you in advance


The only problems you will have is encountering a few jackarshes that dont 
know the proper way of boating and backing down a damage boat ramp. I suggest you wait and see a boat back down a ramp and use that exact ramp. More and more water is being reduced so the current is really not that bad or dangerous except immediately behind the cable at the center where the current is a little strong. As more and more water is reduce space is limited and the fish is more tightly group and the fishing will only get better and better. I predict you will have an excellent week next week. Just look for birds and schooling activity. The water was boiling with fish everywhere below that river yesterday pretty much the whole time I was there. I'ts no secret below the dam,you catch em or they will all be gone when the water recede to nothing.It will be a waiste to see all those fish go down stream some where and all die.There's tons of fish below the dam,you bring your entire family down there and enjoy some fine fishing before it's all over. Tandem rig rattle traps seems to produce best when they are schooling. When they are not schooling pet spoons behind a cork moderately burned across the surface will get them to come up and strike. Good luck and do bring back a report. Stripes should start hitting the deck when water recede,cats are good on cut shads near the channels and behind the cable if you can a line half way back there.Whites are just pretty much every where. Look for deep holes are structure where they can take refuge from the current and work your bait behind those structures.


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## skinnywaterfishin (Jul 1, 2015)

brucevannguyen said:


> That's a hundred fish four persons. I have other 2cooler boats fish next to me if you need names. One of them had to call me over to use my dikes to cut the treble hooks out of his thumb. We had to push the hook through and cut the barb. Very painful!!


Man I had to do the same thing on my finger this May....man it hurt and sucked bad. Got a little queesy but we were far from a doc/hospital and it was the only choice. It was coming out.

Nice mess of fish....when's dinner?

Jeff


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## brucevannguyen (Oct 21, 2012)

skinnywaterfishin said:


> Man I had to do the same thing on my finger this May....man it hurt and sucked bad. Got a little queesy but we were far from a doc/hospital and it was the only choice. It was coming out.
> 
> Nice mess of fish....when's dinner?
> 
> Jeff


Yeah there were no way in heck that guy was gonna get it out. it was buried deep under his finger nail. He wanted to go to the emergency room but me and another guy say heck no. That would be one expensive fishing trip. So me and another guy held him down push the barb under and out the other side of the finger cut the barb and back the hook out. Guy was on so much PAIN.


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## brucevannguyen (Oct 21, 2012)

Boomhauer75 said:


> It wasn't Matt was it? I have had to help him remove hooks 2 times now. One time my wife hooked him! lol
> 
> Great catch!:dance:


Naw Matt was busy putting bunch kids on fish. They were wackin em left and right. Fun to see kids wacking em.


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## brucevannguyen (Oct 21, 2012)

Watersoul said:


> Hey Bruce. I am planning a trip with my daughter to the bottom of the dam early next week. It will be my first time to fish below the dam. I have a 18' alumacraft CC. Any tips or pointers to stay safe and catch fish.
> 
> Thank you in advance


One other advice. When water receded drive slow there will be a lot of stump sticking out or just below the water immediately to the right of the boat ramp on the east side ramp.


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## Mattsfishin (Aug 23, 2009)

Bruce if you would have said something I have something for the pain to remove a hook.

Make sure you have a good anchor or i pilot. Inline spinners were killing the whites. The middle ramp on the east side is about as good as any with the flow rate they have now. Have to watch out for the bank beaters at the ramp. They don't seem to know what a boat or boat trailer is when it is coming towards them. If the flow goes down will need to stay towards the middle.
I had a guy yesterday mention that I was trying to get to close to his boat. I was anchored and his boat was drifting back. A lot of anchors will not hold down there in the current.


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## Bowhntr (Aug 7, 2006)

I caught my limit of WB Friday on blade runner. The fish were boiling up down left side dam area.


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## prophead (May 25, 2012)

brucevannguyen said:


> OMG!!! Speechless.


LL dam? Where's that?


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## 3StoogesFishing (May 4, 2010)

Well All I can say is a big thank you to Bruce. I had a good time and I can not wait to get on the fish with you again. See my post about helping a 2cooler.


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## Watersoul (Feb 15, 2013)

Thank you for the info.


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## sea hunt 202 (Nov 24, 2011)

Hay Bruce
The action was killer and thanks for the advice, I will see you on the water


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## Watersoul (Feb 15, 2013)

Hey Bruce. You mentioned fishing at the metal cable and casting in towards the dam. Do you ancor at the cable? I don't have an IPilot. I have a 70lb trolling motor, but I bet that water is moving.


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## sea hunt 202 (Nov 24, 2011)

*anchoring*



Watersoul said:


> Hey Bruce. You mentioned fishing at the metal cable and casting in towards the dam. Do you ancor at the cable? I don't have an IPilot. I have a 70lb trolling motor, but I bet that water is moving.


What Bruce told me is that you need to be just out of the fast moving water, and that worked for us. That guy is a fishing machine


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## pYr8 (Apr 17, 2012)

prophead said:


> LL dam? Where's that?


Launch below the Livingston dam at one of the Browder's ramps...
Can be crazy good


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## brucevannguyen (Oct 21, 2012)

Watersoul said:


> Hey Bruce. You mentioned fishing at the metal cable and casting in towards the dam. Do you ancor at the cable? I don't have an IPilot. I have a 70lb trolling motor, but I bet that water is moving.


Here it is Mr.Water soul. There use to be a cable but not any more. Just metal post line up like a fence post to your left and to your right of the dam. You need to anchor just behind those post and not to far back. Anchor away from those post because there are some that are submerge. You will hook one and might loose an anchor. You will need to invest in two anchors if you are gonna fish below the dam. Preferably one that is proven to dig in down into the hard mud clay. Make sure anchors is type that will dehooked it self in case it hook a stump,medal post or concrete piling or what ever that is down there. Throw both anchor down at the same time one will not hold. Even for my light weight boat i still need two anchors. Anchor just a little out of the current and throw your lures in toward the dam and toward the currents. This is one option that usually produce.

Second option is to chase the schooling whites around with your trolling motor. Birds are constantly working the schooling whites. Tandem rigs is prefer so that you may catch as many whites as possible before they disappear and pop up somewhere else a few hundred feet from you. The schooling will go on and on and on and on and on well you get the message,all morning and evening sometimes noons to. Tandem rig is just two of your favorite lures tied to the same swivel. My favorite is rattle trap bottom small pet spoon top or in line spinner bait bottom and little shad plastic on top. I would stay away from plastic though cause they seems to get hit the most and tears easy. But really when they are schooling anything you throw at them they will eat.

Third option is my favorite and require none of the above and is only reserve for my close friends.

When all bait fail to produce then you will need to rig you up a pet spoon tied behind a floaty with 15lb leader no longer than 2 to three feet. Burn it across the surface at a moderate speed and you will start hammering them whites when no one else will. Dragging a pet spoon across the surface of the water imitates a fleeing shad and they will hammer it. That is what I constantly been observing fleeing shads just below the surface and whites tailing right behind them shads. Burn too fast and they will not be able to hit the spoon. Burn it too slow and they will figure out it's not a food. This is my to go to rig. A spoon behind a floaty. I caught and release 200 hundred fish yesterday Sunday and it's all on a spoon behind a floaty. Even all the kiddo I take fishing prefer this type of rig because they know it catch fish and its maintenance free. Patterns change from time to time as they close more gates and less water is coming out. So what works yesterday and where the fish were yesterday might not be here today. Best time to fish is now where condition does not change that much and plenty water is still here to keep the fish happy. Too little water and the fish will all head down river. When fish are not where they are suppose to be look around they are there just adjusting to the changing water. Might be in the channel,might be all stacked up in deep pockets, might be just below the drop off behind the cable. When water is reduced to where a person can wade out almost to the channel its game over stay home don't go.

I hope this help you and other who wants to try their luck below the dam. I wish you and everyone can catch as many fish as I and can experience a little of this phenomenon that is going on right now below the dam. Many think I should keep it a secret. I think there is tons of fish that fell down from the lake and will all soon be gone and would be a waste to keep a secret. I been fishing this dam for more than ten years and it's been always this good when a lot of water is released from the dam. Yall aint seen nothing yet. There's time when you go down there and catch limits of stripers,cats ,and whites all on the same day. Im hoping next week would be such a day when they close more of those gates. We would only have to wait and see. Happy fishing good luck and please do bring back a report.:smile:

How to safely launch a boat below the dam next subject. I memorize the bottom contour and what hazard there is lurking just below the surface


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## brucevannguyen (Oct 21, 2012)

Current is still there but rolling waves are gone,


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## ls7747 (Jul 20, 2009)

I have a 16 ft jon boat, sounds like a good place to take it out. but how about the bank fishing, is it worth it, I have a daughter in a wheelchair, so it would be better from the bank if the bite is good. any info appreciated...


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## bowmansdad (Nov 29, 2011)

Great advice, Bruce, thanks for sharing !


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## brucevannguyen (Oct 21, 2012)

7747 text me tomorrow evening after 8pm I have a few option that will fit you perfect for your daughter.


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## texcajun (Feb 22, 2009)

Hi Bruce, I tried to reply to your PM you back, but apparently your settings are such that you can't receive a PM back.


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## brucevannguyen (Oct 21, 2012)

Now if you guys show up and the cable is full of boats and there is no way to squeeze in than anchor anywhere near along where the current flows which marks the middle of a deep channel is also a good spot. Shads gets push down those strong current and the whites is waitting for them all along that channel.

One other spot would be to the right of the east side boat ramp. There's a grave yard of submerge tree stump there. Whites love to hang around there chasing shads too. If you are backing your boat out from the east ramp it would be emediately to your right. Water is still kinda high to see some of those stumps but you will see some grass brush sticking out from the water marks the timber area.

On the right side east bank near the cable there's a large old broken concrete slabs. Use to be a boat ramp. That area is also good for whites but you gotta keep your distance from the bank fisher.

On the west bank just past the sandy beach there's a shallow flat from the shore comes out almost all the way to the channel. Noticeable when the water is lower because everyone get their prop smash agains the bottom thinking they still deep. Thats also a good spot. Whites would position all along that flat and ambush them shads as they pass by.

Launching from the west side boat ramp just on the opposite bank directly in front of the ramp is a sandy point that sticks out noticeably when water is low. Whites like to hang around there too. Its the first point that leads to the west bank cant miss it. Usaully got a few boat anchor there.

Anything past the bridge is out of my terrertory. I did fish a few sandy flats way past the bridge first major turn down stream in the past and did good for whites and undersize stripers. Been a while might have to check it out again.


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## brucevannguyen (Oct 21, 2012)

texcajun said:


> Hi Bruce, I tried to reply to your PM you back, but apparently your settings are such that you can't receive a PM back.


I tried resetting it to except pm but the dang thing wont let me.


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## ZYTHUM13 (Jul 2, 2013)

*nice!*

Thats alot of helpful information. I had bank fish below the dam but never taking my boat there. I appreciate the techniques to use, but I would like to know more about any hidden hazards to be aware of. Again Thanks! for all the helpful information you have shared.


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## texcajun (Feb 22, 2009)

brucevannguyen said:


> When all bait fail to produce then you will need to rig you up a pet spoon tied behind a floaty with 15lb leader no longer than 2 to three feet. Burn it across the surface at a moderate speed and you will start hammering them whites when no one else will. Dragging a pet spoon across the surface of the water imitates a fleeing shad and they will hammer it. That is what I constantly been observing fleeing shads just below the surface and whites tailing right behind them shads. Burn too fast and they will not be able to hit the spoon. Burn it too slow and they will figure out it's not a food. This is my to go to rig. A spoon behind a floaty. I caught and release 200 hundred fish yesterday Sunday and it's all on a spoon behind a floaty. Even all the kiddo I take fishing prefer this type of rig because they know it catch fish and its maintenance free.


Yo Bruce, It's funny you should mention this technique. I actually used this same technique many years ago below the dam on Lake Wright Patman up near Texarkana. I was up there for work and while things were slow I would go to the dam and pay attention to what the local fishermen were doing. I noticed several doing exactly what you described up above, but instead of a pet spoon, they used an unweighted bait keeper hook and a 2" chartreuse or white curly tailed grub. Since that dam had high walls on the side you were anywhere from 12 to 30 feet above the water so when you cast it out and worked it back in, you could see the whites chase down the grub and slam it. Once you hooked and played the fish you would have to winch it up the side of the dam wall top handle it. It was really neat and after buying an appropriate rod/reel combo I used it quite effectively. Thought about using the same technique below LL dam, but just have never tried it. You are right though, it caught a ton of whites!

I'm going to try to make it back out there on Aug 6. Doubt it will be as good as it's been, but my schedule is such that I can only go when the stars are aligned just right. If any of you make it that day, I'll be in a 16' Alumacraft tunnel hull, stop by and I share a cold beverage with ya.


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## brucevannguyen (Oct 21, 2012)

I love this rig texcajun. Don't have to worried you snagged to something lost your lures cause it skid just below the surface. I can go all day with one spoon and not loosing it.


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