Bank Fishing Below The Dam

[WestCentralFisher]

Hello all. I'll say right off, I'm a lifelong creek/small river/small lake type fisherman. I know how to fish them, can read them, and even on a new body of water I can usually do ok. But the Truman Tailwater is a challenge I'm trying to take on with let's say mixed success. 

I'll say right off I'm pretty much limited to bank fishing. Massive disadvantage, I know. With that said, I've figured out how to catch catfish pretty well. Drift fishing close in for pansized channel catfish, casting way further out for fish that will break me off way too often (I've since bought heavier duty gear. To me, a medium action with 12 pound test WAS heavy gear, but it became clear that I was out of my league here by orders of magnitude.)

Anyway, it's the other stuff I can't figure out. At all. I'll see white bass, wipers, etc busting the shad plain as day, often in casting distance, cast every shad imitating crankbait/jig/soft plastic/ spoon I've got, and it's just absolutely nothing, not even really stray missed strikes. This time of year, is chasing anything other than cats up there a fool's errand, or am I just massively underthinking it, or what?

I'm willing to admit when I'm beaten or just don't have access to the watercraft I need, but it isn't all that often I've seen fish actively feeding within range, have what would seem to be the right lures for what they're seemingly feeding on, and have just absolutely zero success.

[fishinwrench]

1/4oz. Redeye Shad in THIS color, and a rod with 10-12# line that can sling it a country mile.    That's all you need.    

 

[WestCentralFisher]

2 minutes ago, fishinwrench said:

1/4oz. Redeye Shad in THIS color, and a rod with 10-12# line that can sling it a country mile.    That's all you need.    

 

Copy that, thank you!

[jdmidwest]

4 hours ago, fishinwrench said:

1/4oz. Redeye Shad in THIS color, and a rod with 10-12# line that can sling it a country mile.    That's all you need.    

 

You really like that thing.  I think I still have the one eyed one that I was using the day we fished together.  Lucky Strike?

[fishinwrench]

1 hour ago, jdmidwest said:

You really like that thing.  I think I still have the one eyed one that I was using the day we fished together.  Lucky Strike?

Strike King. 

 Yeah they do something on the fall (and during pauses) that no other lipless crankbait does.  

[navery]

You need to first confirm that you are actually seeing feeding activity. There are a lot of carp, gar, etc that will break the surface that people confuse as feeding. When hybrids blitz on the surface it is usually for small windows of time. If they are whites and hybrids they will hit almost anything that moves. They will be looking up so don't use diving crankbaits. Use a rattle trap or paddle tail on a 1/2-3/4oz jighead and retrieve fast as soon as it hits the water. Most people use Zara super spooks in bone color when they are busting on top. The perfect set up down there is a 10ft medium heavy spinning rod with 20lb braid. You can use a 18-24in of 20lb mono for a leader to tie your lure to. The 10ft rod is strictly for casting distance. Best times for hybrids are sunrise and sunset and I would just throw the spook even if you don't see them surfacing. 

[kjackson]

On 6/24/2024 at 3:13 PM, fishinwrench said:

1/4oz. Redeye Shad in THIS color, and a rod with 10-12# line that can sling it a country mile.    That's all you need.    

 

Yeah, it's the fall.  If you head south to chase redfish, you want to have that RES in ¾ ounce.  It is killer.

[Dutch]

When we fished down there the spook junior was hard to beat for those whites and hybrids.

[fisheye]

All,

Sent the picture provided by 'Wrench to Strike King, cause I could not find the model number on the Strike King Web site.  Wanted to pick up a few of those bad boys.

Strike King reply.

The color # is 514 Chrome Sexy Shad, if it isn't available on the Strike King website it should be at one of the major retailers. Good fishing!

 

[Johnsfolly]

I used to have good luck on baby bass or pearl colored Rapala x-raps at the dam.