Wing dam fishing

For a couple years I have had great success sitting on the back side of the wing dams, casting cranks up over the top, and fishing them back up the face of the dam. This includes yesterday afternoon which was one of the best bites I’ve ever had on the river! If you retrieve the bait perpendicular over the dam the cranks are pretty snag resistant, but I still loose quite a few which gets expensive. My primary bait has been a #7 jointed shadrap since it casts a long ways being one of the heavier cranks of that style. This has been important so I can get down and contact the face of the dam at the base.

Does anyone have any ideas for baits that can hit atleast 10 feet on a long cast, but is a little easier on the wallet? I was considering a jig and swim bait, but I’m not sure if they will deflect off the rocks or just get lodged between them? If anyone has any ideas I’d love to hear them before I go stock up on cranks again!

I used to fish cranks a lot for bass for me the crank had to be making contact with something for it to be effective-not sure if walter is the same, but making contact w/o snagging with a swimbait would be a tricky deal (some can probably do it though)
Good Luck

I’ve casted cranks on wingdams with success…but lost a small fortune. Maybe I was doing it wrong, but it was enough to stear me clear of it. I prefer blade baits, much cheaper.

I used the Bomber model A and fat free shads. The fat free shads dive down fast and get to about 12-14’ or so. Model A is less, I think they max around 8-10’?

Try sitting on the top side and cast down over them. Might have a better chance getting your lures back??

I’ve never casted cranks over wing dams like this, so I don’t know for sure, but wouldn’t a square-bill crank do the trick? I was told by my bass buddy that they do a pretty good job of staying out of snags. Chunkier baits like the square bills do a pretty good job of hiding the trebles. Also a bit more buoyant.

i suggest a carolina rig or a dork rig basically the same damn thing
its a egg sinkeer to a barrel swivel with a leader and a hook your choice of bait
maybe try a spinner bait with a cast and retrieve motion i know they are cheap and can cast a ways

BUT
my best advice is you half to get used to loosing tackle on the river and on the dams its just fishing for ya

You could certainly try a three-way rig or drop shot rig. Typically you’d only lose a sinker if hung up.

hillhiker wrote:

For a couple years I have had great success sitting on the back side of the wing dams, casting cranks up over the top, and fishing them back up the face of the dam. This includes yesterday afternoon which was one of the best bites I’ve ever had on the river! If you retrieve the bait perpendicular over the dam the cranks are pretty snag resistant, but I still loose quite a few which gets expensive. My primary bait has been a #7 jointed shadrap since it casts a long ways being one of the heavier cranks of that style. This has been important so I can get down and contact the face of the dam at the base.

Does anyone have any ideas for baits that can hit atleast 10 feet on a long cast, but is a little easier on the wallet? I was considering a jig and swim bait, but I’m not sure if they will deflect off the rocks or just get lodged between them? If anyone has any ideas I’d love to hear them before I go stock up on cranks again!

So you are on the downstream side pitching upstream? I’ve never tried it that way but sounds like a good tactic.

I’m a big believer that river fish are opportunistic feeders. They see something swim by and grab it versus being totally dialed in on a color/profile. That’s not always the case but is generally true for me.

I’d look for inexpensive cranks in the bargain bins like you find and Dick’s or scheels. Doesn’t hurt so bad to lose those. Swim baits a jig are also less expensive and would also do the trick.

The hooks aren’t great on these but they work well for me as cheap options to throw at wingdams.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/wLure-4-inch-Deep-Diver-Crankbait-Fishing-Lures-For-Bass-2X-Strong-Hooks-C55/191038347435?epid=1555477140&hash=item2c7ac5d8ab:m:mCw3xpzav8kh_ubQonwTzjA

Yes Matt, put your boat on the down river side and cast over the dam. That way your bait is running the same way the food would be.

I’m cranking rather fast, and making as much contact with the rock as possible. These two things seem to be the key, and the fish react violently. There is nothing finesse about the tactic and that’s why I like it! I’m thinking experimenting with some cheap cranks might be the best bet. I guess I’ll get good at tuning crankbaits again!

Do people use blade baits on the wing dams? I’m new to this and hadn’t heard of that.

Flicker Shads, 1/2 the price of shad raps. Not jointed though. Do rattle.

I like to anchor (Xi5) on the upstream side and cast at 45s to the top of the wingdam and adjust speed so that I follow the contour down (hitting a rock or two when I first start cranking, then it is just off bottom to the boat) while the bait is swept along the front face of the wingdam due to current flow. Sometimes I stop out at the end and make long casts above it to “troll” the face. I jog back and forth with the Xi5. After covering it, I switch to a jig, or another crank and repeat until I move to the next one.

I lose very cranks this way. Sometimes I break off because I didn’t retie often enough. Zebras will chew up the braid fast. Using floaters will aid in getting it back. If a fish takes it, it’s gone.

I used to always sit on the upriver side, and still do when working dams with jigs, but I seem to catch a lot more fish when casting over the top from the down river side with moving baits. I assumed it’s because the bait is being presented more natural(with the current).

You are right about retieing often Tim! It’s amazing how fast your line gets chewed up!

Used to cast my bass cranks into some nasty submerged trees. I would back off if it hit a tree-the bouyancy of these cranks raised it out of trouble-boyancy also helps on rocks if you have to go straight over and snap it out-power line and flouro are a good combo for this. Oh and is it tricky to tell the difference between a tree and a strike? Yep. Does all this trouble keep a lot of fishermen out of those areas with cranks and thus make the fishing better? Yep

I used to crank trees a lot for bass with square bills as well but the current makes things a bit more complicated since it seems to pin the bait in the rocks even if you’re using a floating bait. 90% of the time you can simply get up river of the bait and it will pop free, but not always and that gets old. Maybe an expensive fish fry every once in a while is just the reality if the technique! I will give flicker shads a shot. I just thought they felt pretty light to really bomb out there.

The flicker shads are good and I use them a lot trolling on the river. They are light and won’t cast very well, though.

Here you go @hillhiker

https://www.in-depthoutdoors.com/community/forums/topic/crank-baits/

Thanks Matt, but the last thing I need is more trays of random cranks, ha! I worked at a couple different bait shops at different times in my life, and needless to say I stocked up while I could. The problem is I didn’t buy enough of the baits I want now… young and dumb I guess!

if you cast downstream with a floating crank you just open the bail if you your reel, let the current pull about 50′ of line, it will make a loop in the water and pull the crank out of the rocks 99% of the time

If you want to fish the wing dam from the downstream side try floating a jig under a bobber – you’d be surprised how well it works if they’re hold to the top of the dam

Keep an eye out for cranks on sale and when you find a good deal buy the heck out of them. I dont get to worked up over cranks that only cost $2 or $3 bucks.

Smash shads fit the bill, but I can’t find them anymore at FF, did they stop making them?

Found this site that still has some in stock at $1.97!

https://north40.com/storm-smash-shad-lure?utm_source=google_shopping&176=16899&554=14025&aid=68993&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIxIemoY-Y3AIViMDACh0Uvg5tEAQYAiABEgIs6_D_BwE

These things cast a mile, I think they used them on Fox River episode of IDO once.

i do both based on current situations and with the ipilot, its made it way more possible.

i’ll anchor upstream, but sometimes i spot lock 2 or 3 feet downstream of the wing dam so that when i cast out and bring it back up the natural progression is right over the top of the wingdam.

if i know its a good wingdam i’ll do all sorts of stuff.

i use bass cranks a lot too and catch alot of walleye on them. and then yes, i just find all the ones i can whenever i go to swap means, clearance sales, etc etc.

but i also use ALOT of flicker #6 and 7’s. they are lighter but i can still cast them well.

Micah

philtickelson wrote:

Smash shads fit the bill, but I can’t find them anymore at FF, did they stop making them?

Found this site that still has some in stock at $1.97!

https://north40.com/storm-smash-shad-lure?utm_source=google_shopping&176=16899&554=14025&aid=68993&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIxIemoY-Y3AIViMDACh0Uvg5tEAQYAiABEgIs6_D_BwE

These things cast a mile, I think they used them on Fox River episode of IDO once.

That’s be a crazy good price if they had 7’s.