You are much better off launching at Rockland and locking down. That ramp below the dam sucks and there are some sketchy characters there sometimes. Otherwise I would drive around and launch at the ramp on the Stones River at Heartland at McGavock Pike. Plenty of good fishing from there back up to the dam. Don't use any other ramp below the dam, unless you are prepared to potentially lose anything in your truck, the truck itself, or your trailer.

Stripes?


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USACE dredged the channel on the lock side and just deposited the spoils in the middle of the river, mostly below the green buoy, but some is above the green buoy too.
Stay way to either side of the green buoy and you'll be ok.

Now you tell him.

I know someone posted on here the other day not to go past the OHB bridge but there is some good fishing right now past the stones river. Make that big right hand turn and down on the left there we caught quite a few smallmouth last week. If you start at the cornfield on the left and work down stream you should get bit.

That was me Tex. I was referring to that specific trip. We didnt do much past a certain point, which seemed odd. There are great spots all up and down the river.

Fun fact about that hard right turn....I caught my personal best sauger (downstream of OHD) just past the tip of that turn 4 years ago. When they are churning out big water below the dam, the fish stack up there as a current break/ambush point when conditions are just right.
Little winter tip for any winter jiggers on here.

Yes one was a stripper (I think)
2nd was a drum, Both weight just at 2 lbs and caught on a rattle trap

Are you serious :confused: Whatever I hit I saw on my depth finder and it was straight up and straight down, also a there is a hell of a bolder that sits just under the surface about about 200' just below the dam dead center of the generators and the flood gates . In fact I saw a guy hit it with his motor and the currents pushed me sideways on it.. all that did was scratch the bottom but not to the metal.



Also I'm hear to tell you that there is a hell of a water rush when they drain the lock... Yea that was ugly. Fortunately I was above that when they released.


There were 2 different barges that was going up river loaded with coal. To be honest I don't know how the hell they wedged that big thing in the locks. I know the second barge had to wait for the dam to release water to get the water level up.

People talk about how shallow JPP is... I'm telling you I feel safer there than below this dam.

Caution
 

Yes ohd demands respect and fear

There is a reason you need to wear life jackets. I go up the lock side to catch bait. Then I scoot across and drift the far bank. I’m in a 14ft Jon boat so I’m very weary of the lock. I don’t hit bottom but I can be swamped easily.

My boat sank on Percy about a month ago because some jack wagon didn’t understand they are responsible for their wake. I wish I had a picture of there boat so I could get at them. Luckily we saved the boat and the engine never went underwater.

Anyone on the water understand YOU are responsible for your wake and if you sink a boy YOU are responsible for that.


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I fish down there now and then. I have the patches in my fiberglass as proof. When there is 1 generator don't go down directly below the spill gates for around 100 yards as there are rocks that will get you. I've never hit anything on the generator side. On the stuff placed around the green buoy, are you guys talking about the first green buoy down from the dam? Thanks for the heads up on that!

Yes, my experience was above and below the first green buoy.

I got fairly close to that yesterday, what a dumbazz place to dump dredge rubble. Now we have another needless obstacle to dodge. FWIW I saw a bird yesterday standing on one of the rocks that got me a few years ago down from the spill gates.

That’s the only way I knew it was there as well! Thank god for herons


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