Dam Fishing For Catfish

I remember the first time I had the opportunity as a child to go and watch dam fishing for catfish. It was amazing watching the big guys muscling those big monster sized catfish on their huge snag hooks. It looked like a lot of work, but something I literally dreamed about trying until I was big enough to find out for myself what a thrill it really was.

One thing about dam fishing for catfish...it really does not matter what kind of dam it is. Big dams, low head dams, or little dams all hold big catfish. When the locks on the dams are opened, the small bait fish are caught in the current and wash through the overflow, and provide the easy feeding that big, monster cats live for.

Some people think the only times the dam pools are packed with big catfish is in the spring, when they are getting ready to spawn. Fortunately for you as a catfish angler, there are big catfish present in dam pools all year round.

If you are not lucky enough to be able to fish near a dam, you might want to consider things like natural dams such as log jams in creeks, streams, or rivers. These natural dams provide great fishing opportunities as well.

Just try to put your bait near anything that obstructs the current. If you concentrate on areas behind abutments or eddies, you will have good luck catching blue and channel cats. Just use enough weight to get your bait down near the bottom and keep it there long enough for the catfish to take your offering. Sometimes you need to look downstream at the bottom of the scour hole made by the current to target flatheads.

There are also ample opportunities for bank fishermen when it comes to dam fishing for catfish. Especially if you like snag fishing right up next to the dam.

Another area you are not going to want to overlook when it comes to dam fishing is the isolated cover. This is especially true if your dam is heavily fished.

Often the dams cause some pretty nasty looking snags and wood tangles. If you just take a chance and fish these areas, you will most certainly have a heck of a time keeping from getting hung up, but you will also most certainly catch some catfish.

Early spring is a good time to fish both natural and man made dams for catfish. The catfish start to move upstream when they feel the water warming up. Once they reach an obstruction they can't get across (usually a dam) and they usually stay in that vicinity until the water gets up to around seventy degrees or so, when they go back downstream looking for their spawning grounds.

Now, if you are fishing these areas for really big catfish, use the right size bait. Cut bait chunks really work well, because they closely mimic natural bait that has been chewed up by the current and the dam as they pass through. Be sure to use gear that will hold up to these big brutes.