# Dam Questions



## HawgTied (Oct 8, 2012)

I want to learn to fish below the dam at LL. I know this is the right place with all of this useful info you guys have. I have a couple of questions though. I want to get my boat rigged so I can safely fish the area.

Where is the best place to launch with the current water conditions? Browders?

What type of anchor is most commonly used? I have heard of homemade jobs with concrete and rebar. Is this because the expensive fluke style anchors get snagged and must be cut off?

What about a trolling motor? are they more or less useless with the water in the current (constant LOL) state of flood?

I have a 17' CC Alumacraft. 

My son and I would like to get in on this white bass activity while its hot! any information y'all can spare is greatly appreciated!


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## SeaOx 230C (Aug 12, 2005)

HawgTied said:


> I want to learn to fish below the dam at LL. I know this is the right place with all of this useful info you guys have. I have a couple of questions though. I want to get my boat rigged so I can safely fish the area.
> 
> Where is the best place to launch with the current water conditions? Browder's? *Browder's, the middle ramp of the three ramps on East side of the river is the easiest one to use. The west ramp is usable but it is very steep.*
> 
> ...


Have fun be careful. You might not want to try anchoring at the cable until you have watched it done a few times it can be quite tricky and very crowded. Right now you don't need to be at the cable to catch white anyway.


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## Whitetrash_Kalob (Apr 11, 2016)

I agree with exactly what SeaOx said... The East side is the easiest and safest for the most part, although we seen someone beach there boat yesterday and couldnt get it back out.

When i was fishing out of a john boat i used a 5 gallon bucket with rebar going threw it with concrete and that worked really good. Now that I got a pontoon I had to make me one heavier and just built it at work with carbon steel scrap.

I only had a 12v trolling motor on my john boat and it would get me up to the wire no problem even with all the gates open, I mean it wasn't fast but it did the job for sure.

Just be safe out there man I have had to rescue numerous amounts of people trying to wade out there.. I never recommend it!


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## brucevannguyen (Oct 21, 2012)

Y'all DO NOT BEACH THE BOAT!! If they shut those gates down considerably and you're busy fishing and dont take notice. You will get stranded like a beached whale. Water will recede quick.


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## Gofish2day (May 9, 2006)

Keep in mind, the cable is a good place to fish but there is more to fish besides the cable where a regular anchor will work. The west side (Browders side) from the canal all the way to the cable is an excellent place to fish. Its a large sandy area with somewhat of a beach. Most fish are caught there. You can fish that area and observe what others are doing at the cable. Wear you life vest. Once you see the current you will know what I mean. There are obstructions on the East side at about a flow of 7k or less. They are directly across from the canal on the west side. Go to google map and check under low flow and you will see them.


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## HawgTied (Oct 8, 2012)

Thank you for all the replies! Keep them coming! I hope to get out there soon!


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## HawgTied (Oct 8, 2012)

And for the ramp, do I pay at the store on the lake and then drive down to the river launch? Or is there a place to pay down at the river? How much?


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## brucevannguyen (Oct 21, 2012)

You pay at Browders Marina. The tag cost $9 plus $2 for every additional person. Tag give access both to the Lakes and river. They have a web site if you Google it.
They have one dirty restroom just above the ramp to the left as you are driving up the ramp on the west side. Beats doing,a number 2 in the bushes. There is also one dirty dirty dirty fish cleaning table on the west side. Take your fish else where to clean. Flies will eat you up alive there. Before you go home. Make sure you tell Browders about your first time experience there and what they may do with all the money they collected from people fishing there. Best to bring your own portable fillet table. They have electric and water hose connection at that fillet table and electric and water connection at several camping spots around that area on the west side.


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## saved (Feb 1, 2014)

HawgTied said:


> I want to learn to fish below the dam at LL. I know this is the right place with all of this useful info you guys have. I have a couple of questions though. I want to get my boat rigged so I can safely fish the area.
> 
> Where is the best place to launch with the current water conditions? Browders?
> 
> ...


 For launching Browder's is the only place to launch unless you own property or know someone on the river or launch at HWY 59 bridge on the trinity which is free. By the way that launch is 10 mile away upstream.

As for an anchor I assume that you have some sort already. As long as you stay out of the heavy current you will be fine. For up front I use 25LBGrabber / Spike Anchors, two of them and even then with heavy flow it is a problem sometimes.​ ​ You mentioned fluke style. They work but yes most everyone has lost anchors at some time on the river so you just have to decide.​ ​ As for a trolling motor some use them but when the fishing gets going strong it is just about impossible to move with all the boats. Just anchor and fish.​ ​ This morning the fishing was good, but they opened the gates wider this afternoon so I do not know what it will be like tomorrow. You just have to show up and give it a try. The longer you wait the more crowded it is going to be as people will be within a few feet of each others boats.​ ​ As for fishing the cable that takes some practice and heavy anchors. Best of fishing, God bless.​


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

I know one guy who lost his anchor...because he didn't tie it to the dang boat! LOLOLOLOL!


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## Gofish2day (May 9, 2006)

Yea, Dan I heard about that guy last weekend. He didn't tie the rope.....
I thought at one point I was going to loose my rebar anchor but it came loose at the cable.

Easy anchor - Home depot - buy - 4" PVC, concrete, 12" rebar already cut, 30" chain. drill holes in PVC pipe for rebar in a cross pattern. connect chain to one and pull thru to other end of pipe. Pipe should be about 25-30" long. Pour concrete in and let dry. Tie rope to the chain and toss in river - weight about 30lbs each - suggest 2.


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

Gofish2day said:


> Yea, Dan I heard about that guy last weekend. He didn't tie the rope.....
> I thought at one point I was going to loose my rebar anchor but it came loose at the cable.
> 
> Easy anchor - Home depot - buy - 4" PVC, concrete, 12" rebar already cut, 30" chain. drill holes in PVC pipe for rebar in a cross pattern. connect chain to one and pull thru to other end of pipe. Pipe should be about 25-30" long. Pour concrete in and let dry. Tie rope to the chain and toss in river - weight about 30lbs each - suggest 2.


Thanks. I need to build me a couple of those. I'd like to go all steel but I don't have access to the scrap metal like I used to.


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## Gofish2day (May 9, 2006)

Go to Google maps and check out the sat view. It shows the dam with 1 gate open. You can see all ramps clear. The canal with the shoot gate at the back. Across from this canal on the east side you will see this island. There is a big stump or rock which barely stick out at 5k flow. Just always stay to the west side by the canal and you will avoid this area. I do it out of habit in 20K flow. Your 17ft boat is perfect for down there.


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## HawgTied (Oct 8, 2012)

Thanks again for all the info. I hope I see yall out there! Tight lines


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## Snookered (Jun 16, 2009)

just a comment/question here, I've been reading these threads and I may or may not ever make it up there, LOL, but I'm wondering why you guys don't rig your regular Danforth anchors backwards using zipties? clip on to the bottom of the anchor, and then ziptie the chain onto the top eyelet or sliding ring....might take two or three zip ties...

then if it gets stuck, you just use the motor and pop the zipties, and the anchor comes up backwards...

out offshore down here we do the same thing in deep water, which makes it so much easier, but we're also known to use a clip-on float (carabineer and a crab trap float works great) that slides down towards the anchor after you pop the zipties....you back down away from the anchor and the float slides down the line towards the anchor and brings it to the surface

just throwing a couple .02 in the convo....carry on....
snookered


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## Chunknwind (Jul 28, 2015)

I have tried to use my anchor in the same way you described it will not hold in the stronger current. I built a couple of the concrete /rebar anchors they work the best IMHO.


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## Gofish2day (May 9, 2006)

I have the Danforth and works great but not well at the cable. Too much current and gets down right rough at times. The bow bouncing pulls the anchor up. The best steel ones I have seen look like a rake made of rebar and 3" steel tubing.
The concrete ones I can make 4 for $20.


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## BKT (Sep 27, 2013)

What length anchor rope y'all using?


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## gemba (May 19, 2010)

I just got a picture text of a double so the whites are still thick. Apparently he's had about ten doubles already.


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## Mattsfishin (Aug 23, 2009)

HA HA HA, So funny about the anchor. Yeh you pot lickers have enjoyed catching fish with that anchor. I have another one just like it. I took back from a potlicker. Had that anchor since 2000 or 2001. Gonna look for it when the level drops.

Look for me down at the dam and I can give you some pointers and what to be aware of. When the level drops you really need to know where you are going. As mentioned before you can look on google earth.Also DO NOT venture down river when the level drops unless you are with someone that has been there before.


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## SeaOx 230C (Aug 12, 2005)

BKT said:


> What length anchor rope y'all using?


That's why a traditional anchor doesn't work. You can't cross the line so you need an anchor that is heavy enough to drop over e r the side and hold in fast current.


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