# A few tips for below the LL dam fishing



## brucevannguyen (Oct 21, 2012)

This rig has been proven over and over from one Dam to another by me. Very effective rigs to catching all species of fish laying on the bottom. Unlike the lakes fish. Fish below the Dam can not suspend or hang around hard running currents for too long but rather they seeks to lay on the bottom with the currents running over them rather than through them. Deploying this rig will get you bigger whites,cats,and stripers,and even crappies. Yes I say crappies. I catch a mess of crappies at Wright Patman Dam using this rigs with a crappies jig. Only problem is people throw this rig and expect to catch a fish right away. Yes if you found a good school of big fish on the bottom right away. Other wise you must move around cover as much river bottom as possible till you find them. It can be in the channels,pot holes,changes of bottom contours,behind structures,and even throwing it toward the dam upstream of the cable. Take the time to work this rig thoroughly and learn it's full capability. It can be an absolute fish producing rig you'll ever use in the river. Other wise you guys can watch me catch and keep wondering why you aren't catching any bigger ones. You can buy them or make them easily with split shots and heat shrinking material. Another option if you don't have any snagless sinkers is to use slabs with their hooks removed. It does well hopping over snags with hooks removed. Only problem is occasionally your slab will get hit by a very large striper and you know it but get no hook ups. I've just came up with an idea to remove the treble hook and replace it with a weedless hook. Hoping to test it out next time I go down there. 
I hope anyone and everyone reading this thread gets a better chance at catching some keepers white next time they go down below the dam. There are plenty of fish in the river and no need for keeping secrets. Any thing I've learn on my own I can share. We are all 2coolers here with the same purpose and love for fishing. I hope you all go down there and put your family on a mess of fish before all this water disappear. Not any time soon,but one day soon. 
Her's also a few baits and the time to use it. I've done a thorough testing of theses bait and the times when to use it last year and the year before.
Starting now and till water gets very shallow. When fish are schooling tops. A pet spoon behind a cork is deadly on schooling fish. Retrieve it at a speed like a fleeing bait fish is deadly and produce the most strikes,keep your leader tied to a pet spoon short. Rattle traps,crappies jigs,crank bait,inline spinners,slabs,snagless sinkers rigs are all baits you should all try. See witch one produce the most bites at the time you are fishing.
When water recedes and gates are close to 1,2,3. Top water TINY,I REPEAT TINY torpedoes from Hendon Lures is a killer walking the dogs slow and steady. Inline spinner baits in pink color also is a killer on those shallow water fish. 1/4oz Bass Pro brand in pink is the best. Blades spin at a slower retrieve. Other brand don't spin at a slow speed.Just run one of those spinner across the channel or deep pockets of water and get slammed. I hope you guys the best. I will probably hit the road hard far and beyond Livingston and Houston once I get my truck all tuned up. Fishing else where in new territory is just as productive and addicting as here near at home. Waiting for my contacts in Arkansas to give me a report on when them hybrids starts schooling and I'm gone. Live bait is catching a bunch right now but I prefer top water actions.


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## brucevannguyen (Oct 21, 2012)

I would probably be here next week deploying the same rigs and baits  Lots of crappies


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## brucevannguyen (Oct 21, 2012)

See that black dot. There's a drop off there with crappies.That's where my boat will be spot locked.


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## ripalipman (Dec 4, 2015)

Go vannguyen!


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## fishinganimal (Mar 30, 2006)

Bruce that is a similar rig to what they drift in the fast current in Alaska for big Rainbows. 
But they use the surgical tubing that's on a swivel then you cut a piece of rolled lead to the weight needed. http://www.fishermanswarehouse.com/shop/macks-lure-lead-cinch/


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## Beaux (Oct 11, 2012)

I occasionally use a duck decoy weight, the flat strap kind, and trim them to length for whatever weight im looking for. Rigged in the same style set up with a 3-way swivel. I've only used them in the open lake though and not in the river. What bait are you using rigged on this set up. Live? Cut-bait? Soft Plastic?


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## Bankin' On It (Feb 14, 2013)

Thanks for the tips Bruce!


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## brucevannguyen (Oct 21, 2012)

Beaux said:


> I occasionally use a duck decoy weight, the flat strap kind, and trim them to length for whatever weight im looking for. Rigged in the same style set up with a 3-way swivel. I've only used them in the open lake though and not in the river. What bait are you using rigged on this set up. Live? Cut-bait? Soft Plastic?


I use a variety of bait for this rig. My go to right now for whites. Little jig head and curly tails in chartreuse been doing very well for me especially chunking toward the cable and working it back. Once them stripers starts hitting my little curly tails I switch over to 1/16oz jig head with larger hooks with screw locks and screw me on one of them Gulps chartreuse swimming mullets with the curly tails. Whites gulps for clearer water. Cat fish and stripers love them when they are actively feeding. Also a verity of smaller swim bait with strong hooks does just as well for stripers. The sole purpose of using this rig is being able to toss it very far covering lots of ground. Traditional rattle traps,jigs,swim baits,pet spoons, cannot be cast as far as this rig. That's why I like this rig so very much. It covers. It produce. For cats i just hook on a piece of cut baits. Another recommendation I recommend is to have your main line and your sinker line slightly larger then your hook leaders. So if your hook catches snags you rather loose the hooks then the sinkers. I use 30lb power pro braided line with with a spinning reel. Works great together. 20lb would probably be better. I'm also gonna be testing out weedless hooks and jig heads next time I'm down there. See if I can reduce the chance of loosing hooks.


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## goodable (Feb 27, 2015)

Bruce - where is that?


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## robalo (May 18, 2006)

Yea where is that? :headknock


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## brucevannguyen (Oct 21, 2012)

It's Wright Patman Dam. That river is loaded with crappies. They've just close the release down to 4000cfs. Crappies should be stacked up. Going this weekend to check it out. Gonna get on the Lake and explore too. I think that Lake is full of fish and barely any fishing pressures. Not a highly populated area.
My guess is once water recede there's no more trees for them to hide. They all gonna retrieve down to deep holes and drop off.


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## Sunbeam (Feb 24, 2009)

That is a real fishy looking spillway. Grew up in west Texas where all the small lakes had similar area where you could do some quality fishing from the shore or in a small boat.
Livingston is just too a big dam to allow such a close encounter.
Hope you tear them up but I know that boy will get his share if you get him on the water.


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## brucevannguyen (Oct 21, 2012)

Sun beam they been releasing water at that Dam since last year. Same scenario. A lot of crappies fell through the dam. I think that lake got so many of them and no one to keep the numbers down. You never heard any one talk about this lake. You tube it and you can hear crickets.


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## goodable (Feb 27, 2015)

Dang...four hour drive from Houston. Respect!


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## brucevannguyen (Oct 21, 2012)

More like 5hrs. Leaving today evening. Gonna spend two days up there dissecting the lake and dam.


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## Chadgreen (Apr 11, 2014)

Give us a report. I'm out of Fairfield Tx. Never herd of that lake till now. Will be going the next weekend I have off. 3hr drive


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## texcajun (Feb 22, 2009)

I fished Wright Patman dam years ago and it was my first ever experience in catching tail race whites. I did fantastic while I was there. I only fished it because at the time I was having to spend every 4th week up there and it was a great way to pass the time. Definately a haul to get up there, but as Bruce said, a very underutilized fishery.


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## brucevannguyen (Oct 21, 2012)

Leaving Houston now
Will bring back a report with pics


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## brucevannguyen (Oct 21, 2012)

Made it to Carthage. It is now 2:00am. Munching on sun flower seeds and drinking coffee. Getting high on caffeine and playing the 80's music's. I think I can drive another 5hrs no problems.:laughing:


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## Ducktracker (Aug 1, 2011)

Go get em!


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## brucevannguyen (Oct 21, 2012)

Arrive yeah!! Getting live minnows by the pounds. Yippy!!


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