Damfishing

When I returned to freshwater fishing this year one of the lessons my instructor (JP) taught me in his Friday evening classes was the use of soft plastic craw-worms on a rip-rap dam. The idea is that rip rap dams provide an ideal habitat for colonies of crawdads. Apparently they can exploit the small space and mud between the stones to successfully feed and reproduce at a rate that will support their population as well as a strong population of healthy bass. The crawdad is largely a nocturnal creature, and so was my instructors approach to fishing rip-rap dams.

As the sun was setting on our class JP prepared several of his rods with soft plastic crawdads rigged either Texas, Carolina, or unweighted while enthusiastically stating we were going to "fish the dam". Having never participated in such an activity, and JP preferring to model the correct practices rather than directing his pupil, I was not expecting the dam to present any drastic departure from bait or techniques that worked in the rest of the lake. So I left my favored white twirly tail grub jig on my ultralight rod and spinning reel. (I had also as yet not come to embrace the wacky worm as a suitable bait for any self-respecting angler.)

As had happened so often in this Friday evening school, I was shown a lesson by the maestro. As we drifted along the dam JP caught and released one big bass after another. Meanwhile, I lost jigs in the rocks. It was clear that I would have to learn to fish a soft plastic crawdad rigged with a bullet weight if I wanted to participate in the exercise of the dam. Before the next class, I had supplied my tackle tray with weights, 1/0 worm hooks, and some lovely blue-black Zoom crawdads.

Having given up fresh-water fishing since the early 1970's, and never been reservoir fishing for bass, I had never caught a fish on a weighted soft plastic bait. I was apprehensive about trying it and especially on my ultralight spinning tackle so I planned to fish a bait caster on a medium action rod. Next Friday after additional classes in wacky worm and as the sun set we again prepared for the dam. This time I was intent on emulating the the tools and techniques of my professor. All was in readiness as we began our drift. I watched, as best I could in the dark, JP's rod tip, when and how he cranked the reel handle. He had already instructed me that we would cast over each other's line as we drifted, and with three in the boat it required some delicate synchronicity to successfully pull that off in the dark. About my third cast of the blue-black crawdad it happened. The bass hit the bait with force like snagging a rock, and immediately began taking line, moving parallel to the dam away from the boat to my left. The rewarding sing of the drag renewed my joy. It was a nice 20 inch fish that was returned to the lake. I caught a few other bass along the dam that night, and under JP's tutelage have caught several others along rip rap dams since. Even the ultralight rig with 6# test has dragged a couple of those "footballs" into the boat on the crawdad at night.

There remains yet another predator of dam that I want to settle scores with. About half way down the dam every time we fish it something(s) strikes with vigor bump!-bump!-bump!! as we drift through the area. Our considered opinion is some perch have staked out that spot, and defend it from all comers. My guess is that being perch they lack the jaws to fully suck in the large hook and 4" crawdads we target the bass with. I am now ready to remedy that. I have found some nice 2" crawdads and have bent some small hooks into an offset eye to rig the little plastics with. It is my hope we will have some pictures of those dam perch after our next outing. I'll post 'em if so (and if it ever quits raining).

God bless you all.