# Man O Man - that's what I said at Wheeler Dam



## FishWalton (Jul 22, 2010)

"

Man O Man....this is something else."

That's what I said as we approached turbulent waters at Wheeler Dam. Old hat to many fishermen I'm sure, but for my first time up close to a big dam this was a memorable experience. We were looking for bait but none up near the dam. Ended up using the wrap fishin system with a shrimp/menhaden oil cocktail.

Fished Wednesday afternoon and all three of us caught fish. Thursday it was another story. More water was being released plus we fished in the rain until mid-afternoon. Not only was just being here an experience our Thursday fishing was another memorable occasion. I caught one small blue, Another friend caught none, and the ships captain caught one after another all day long. Two of us simply could not get a bite. Reminded me of mullet fishing when one guy is pulling them in and the other is twiddling their thumbs.

We ended up with 41 catfish...a few small channels, one drum which I kept and will eat today to see what it's like, and one small striper. If Juan and I had been able to help do the catching on Thursday there is no telling what the total could have been. Still, we brought home plenty for our families and friends. The largest was a 15 pounder on the scales. 

Trip I will never forget. Wish I had done it decades ago so I could have had many years of fishing this way.










Having video issues so here are a few photos


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## JoeyWelch (Sep 25, 2009)

I’ll pass on that one.


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## Yellow River Cat (May 3, 2008)

Thanks for the video 


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## FishWalton (Jul 22, 2010)

jlw1972 said:


> I’ll pass on that one.


No place for a novice, but we had an experienced hand in charge. Although we fished calm waters at the base of the dam there was no bite. Where we caught the fish was several hundred yards below the dam.


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## JoeyWelch (Sep 25, 2009)

fishwalton said:


> No place for a novice, but we had an experienced hand in charge. Although we fished calm waters at the base of the dam there was no bite. Where we caught the fish was several hundred yards below the dam.


Buddy I posted before you had all the pics up. All I saw was the video of y’all up next to the dam. Looked dangerous.

That’s a very nice catfish spread. I want to go up there one day and fish for big fish. 

Congratulations and thanks for sharing.


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## Try'n Hard (Oct 23, 2008)

I guess the bait dipper drew the short straw? That looked dangerous! 
Congrats on the fish


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## FishWalton (Jul 22, 2010)

Try'n Hard said:


> I guess the bait dipper drew the short straw? That looked dangerous!
> Congrats on the fish


I saw other boats go up in that corner looking for bait so it must be one of places the locals look. The bait dipper is 20 years younger than me so he got the assignment. LOL He has done it before too. 
Don't mind admitting it was sort of un-nerving for me. A couple of whirl pools got my attention as well. Too close for comfort!!! 
At least I have been christened and know what to expect next time.
The boat owner is interested in trying the Millers Ferry tail water so that may be next.


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## FishWalton (Jul 22, 2010)

*post updated*

Updated post #1 with another video


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## Bodupp (Oct 3, 2007)

JB, I was conceived in a cabin at Wheeler Dam in March of 1949. It is one of my favorite places to fish. My Pop said he was caught on the edge of one of those whirlpools (said it "just opened up all of a sudden") and he saw rocks on the bottom with no water covering them. Thought he was going to die, but he said it closed up just as fast as it opened up. Took a week for his sphincter to relax.

I have personally seen a boat go down up there. We saved the victim's tackle box after another boat saved the victim.

The tower closest to the ramp has rocks around it, and you can usually find threadfin shad around the rocks. It's also one of the better places to catch skipjack, which will be your best catfish bait. You can usually pull your boat under the tower and out of the current.

The spoil island in your video usually has more bream, and big ones, than you can eat, and they're usually hungry. Sometimes you will find massive willow fly hatches, and that chums up nearly every kind of fish in the river.

I'm betting you'll be disappointed with the drum. My Pop would keep them and freeze the fillets in chunks to feed his dogs. "Fish popsicles" he called them.

OH NO! You got me started and I'm blathering on! SOMEBODY STOP ME!


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## Stoker1 (Feb 17, 2014)

Used to fish the Columbia dam on the Chattahoochee. It would get pretty narly even with the 'don't cross buoys' set 500' from the spillway. We'd anchor up and it was almost comical to watch my sister get seasick.


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## FishWalton (Jul 22, 2010)

Thanks Bodupp for the info. We checked around those two power structure islands a few times for bait. There was plenty of bait here and there popping on the surface but we didn't have the right gear to catch them. One boat was getting them pretty well trolling and casting. He had a fully rigged catfish boat and a big chest he kept throwing the skipjack in.

In the last video I postedl look closely about 3:02 on the slider bar you can see a couple of whirl pools to the right of the boat as we were going downstream not far from the dam. To me it looked like the water was about 2 ft. below the surface water. 

Ate the drum this evening. Tasted fine to me,but it could have been that good Louisiana breader.


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## FishWalton (Jul 22, 2010)

Stoker1 said:


> Used to fish the Columbia dam on the Chattahoochee. It would get pretty narly even with the 'don't cross buoys' set 500' from the spillway. We'd anchor up and it was almost comical to watch my sister get seasick.


Have fished above that dam, but not below. Will be up at Ashford for a couple of weeks in July and taking the boat. That steep ramp at Columbia gives me the willies. Don't let your foot slip off the break on this one, and jam the parking break just in case.


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## Try'n Hard (Oct 23, 2008)

That video made me think of the one attached below. Have heard about good fishing below Claiborne dam but not much about Millers Ferry.


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## Stoker1 (Feb 17, 2014)

fishwalton said:


> Have fished above that dam, but not below. Will be up at Ashford for a couple of weeks in July and taking the boat. That steep ramp at Columbia gives me the willies. Don't let your foot slip off the break on this one, and jam the parking break just in case.


Grew up in the area and hung around till the early 90's. Used to walk on the damn side and catch hybrids after work or take the boat and do our thing.


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## Dustinf16 (Apr 23, 2015)

My dad was a rescue diver up there for years. Pulled a lot of bodies from that dam doing what y'all were doing....Glad you made it back.


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## FishWalton (Jul 22, 2010)

Dustinf16 said:


> My dad was a rescue diver up there for years. Pulled a lot of bodies from that dam doing what y'all were doing....Glad you made it back.



I don't doubt it at all. From what I saw if you stay back from the dam a few hundred yards you should be safe. All the fish we caught were downstream from the two big power line structures in the river


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## 4hooks (Jul 15, 2009)

Needed you some Foley spoons and you good have caught Skipjack for bait. You would have also caught all the hybrid strips you wanted. 

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## FishWalton (Jul 22, 2010)

4hooks said:


> Needed you some Foley spoons and you good have caught Skipjack for bait. You would have also caught all the hybrid strips you wanted.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk


Yes, found out about that too late.


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