# Fishing at the cable restriction



## brucevannguyen (Oct 21, 2012)

Seen the pipes sticking out for the first time on the east side this weekend at the dam. Its a side by side triple pipe. Looks like it can dump 30000cfs. If so the future of cable fishing is doom. Y'all better find another dam to fish just in case. I've already found mine. It ain't any where near like LL dam but I got close access to the cable for whites. If the closure does happen.I'm outta here. Many memories here at this dam and so close to home.
I'm thinking new cable gonna be some where next to the bridge. Better start signing people up for a petition to keep the new cable as close as possible or not at all.


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## brucevannguyen (Oct 21, 2012)

Pipe discharge looks like its gonna come out some where very close to the cable on the east side. Bank beaters can kiss their stripers days good bye.


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## Whitebassfisher (May 4, 2007)

Has there been any official announcement about access after the generation plant is built? Surely it is already known, but I haven't heard it. It is probably true that it will be moved back considerably. It seems that something will have to be built to prevent erosion on the east side.


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## brucevannguyen (Oct 21, 2012)

We probably won't get a public hearing about any new restriction till like a week or a few months before the first discharge release. I would think. TRA don't have to tell us nothing. Only if its a security or a safety hazards would they need to tell the public I would think. And they are in no hurry to tell us for sure or else we would of heard about it already. Its just an educational guess. Anyone's can look at those pipes and say there ain't no way in heck they gonna let us fish any where near the original cable is right now. They gonna move it back another 600 yards.
Enjoy this year Dam fishing while y'all can. Completion of the new discharge is a for sure thing sooner or later. There will be no more dam fishing only river fishing.


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## brucevannguyen (Oct 21, 2012)

Move back onther 600 feet.


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## saved (Feb 1, 2014)

Just a guess but I don't think much will change. The openings are back a ways from the shore. It is not much different than the tube except there are three openings instead of one. If the turbines are running, and that will not be all that often due to lake levels, the far side and perhaps the middle should still be open to fish if not the same side as the outlets.


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## brucevannguyen (Oct 21, 2012)

I know its a stupid question but are you guys for sure they are siphoning water from the top level ? I would think since they invested money building that turbine station they would want it to run 24/7 for some good money in electricity generated by those turbines. So I say just maybe they are siphoning water at a much lower level ?


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## Whitebassfisher (May 4, 2007)

brucevannguyen said:


> I know its a stupid question but are you guys for sure they are siphoning water from the top level ? I would think since they invested money building that turbine station they would want it to run 24/7 for some good money in electricity generated by those turbines. So I say just maybe they are siphoning water at a much lower level ?


I don't know what level it will draw from, but heard it will be from a level to use the 'head pressure' of the water. And yes Bruce, with the money invested it will be used all the time. However, the total amount of flow is not supposed to change. The TRA will still try to maintain 131.0'. My guess is that engineers seriously considered the average flow over the years since the lake was impounded to determine what size to make the generating station. They are simply trying to use energy that has been wasted in the past.

Not until today that I found the old article stating that the turbines used at LL will be the type that oxygenate the water. I wondered about it a couple months ago, but found it today.


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## Gofish2day (May 9, 2006)

The new Tubes will be great catching. It will grind up all those LL stripers on the way thru and chum up all the cats we want


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## saved (Feb 1, 2014)

brucevannguyen said:


> I know its a stupid question but are you guys for sure they are siphoning water from the top level ? I would think since they invested money building that turbine station they would want it to run 24/7 for some good money in electricity generated by those turbines. So I say just maybe they are siphoning water at a much lower level ?


I cannot tell you what level they are drawing from, but I can tell you that they will not be able to run the system when the lake is below a certain level. 
You mentioned money spent. From the information I received they knew they could not run the system 24/7 and did not really put the system in because of the electric power generated. I was told that this was done under a federal grant and once in it allows them to get more money from the feds. In other words get fed dollars to get more fed dollars. It has something to do with getting money because of the zero emissions, but I am not sure of all the details on how that works.

So if the water is too high the system will not flow and if it is too low it will not flow through the turbines. Others may be better informed on this.

Right now they are looking at a 2018 completion date.


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## brucevannguyen (Oct 21, 2012)

Ooh O!! so that's what's it's all about. I kinda wonder why they would even bother wasting time investing in this Dam. Most of the time other than the great flood of last year and this year the Dam was dry all the time. Just hope for some Grant money they don't mess it up for the fisherman's. Many generation of fisherman had enjoy this Dam. Hope many more to come.


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## fishinganimal (Mar 30, 2006)

This has been said many times on this site. LL and the LL Dam were not built for fisherman that is the last thing on their mind. Although it does provide for Striper reproduction.


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## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

For a long stretch in the late 70s to early 90s the average flow was around 3 to 4 thousand and just having one of two gates open was unusual.
Fishing was fantastic then but the drought ended that and one gate open became the usual until the last two years.
Now it's been way over what any anyone imagined.
The weather cycle next will he interesting to see along with the hydro plant's influence on the tail race.


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## SeaOx 230C (Aug 12, 2005)

Yep I remember when there was almost always at least three gates open.


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## tbone2374 (Feb 27, 2010)

TRA probably doesn't even know what the ending project, will entail. Agencies of this governmental sort, keep projects, secretive, for many reasons, IMO. Sounds like a bit of overreaction. Bruce.No real reason, to holler "the sky is falling" with knowing as little as we do...Relax.


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## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

SeaOx 230C said:


> Yep I remember when there was almost always at least three gates open.


Sure was fantastic fishing too. All day everyday there were fish to be caught. From twilight to just when the sun hit the water white/striped bass would bust the top all across the river above the cable, late evening was just as good as good if not better.
Full moon days about 11:00 to 3:00 the water above the cable would explode with striped bass and it was a fish every cast.
This was during the warm months, but great striped bass could be caught in November and into April, the biggest usually.


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## SeaOx 230C (Aug 12, 2005)

Loy, don't forget seeing what looked like dark shadows in the water above the cable by the rocks. Then you realize that's no cloud passing over that's a huge school of blues rising up. Catfish On!!!!!


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## Sunbeam (Feb 24, 2009)

Those are the pen-stock tubes that will feed the turbines in the power house. The water will pass through the turbines then exit the power house parallel to the river flow about half way between the house and the east Baker ramp.
Each pen-stock will handle more that 5000 cfs each since that is the max flow of each turbine.
When the power generation begins there will be no flow through the dam gates until the flow discharge reaches 16,000 cfs.
Yes, the fishing below the dam will change drastically. With 15,000 cfs flowing into the basin 1000 feet below the gates and another large flow through the gates you will see one of the largest man made whirl pools imaginable.
The construction on the power house has been long delayed do to the high flow through the dam the last 12 months. Assuming there is a normal summer rain fall the contractor will be doubled up to get back on schedule. That means lots of coffer dam building on the east shore in what you call the "cable". That coffer dam will extend will out into the stream. When that happens I would expect the insurance company providing the liability coverage will insist in closing the area to fishermen. Maybe not but that is normal in most construction sites. No "side walk superintendents" in boats on this job.


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## Sunbeam (Feb 24, 2009)

shadslinger said:


> For a long stretch in the late 70s to early 90s the average flow was around 3 to 4 thousand and just having one of two gates open was unusual.
> Fishing was fantastic then but the drought ended that and one gate open became the usual until the last two years.
> Now it's been way over what any anyone imagined.
> The weather cycle next will he interesting to see along with the hydro plant's influence on the tail race.


Yep, Loy. Before the Wallisville salt water barrier it took a minimum of three gates to hold back Trinity bay at high tide. After the barrier TRA reverted to only flowing their required 900 cfs contact water. That flows down river to the pump station south of Liberty then by canal to the treatment plant near the ship channel. Never seen it so not sure where it is located.


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