# Above the dam dead zone?



## Stampede (Apr 11, 2004)

Been catfishing the river above Meldahl dam. Seems like closer to the dam I get, the less fish I catch or even mark on finder. I mark more fish from say Augusta to ripley than I do from augusta to chilo. And some good looking deep water at chilo. Someone mentioned to me a week or so ago that they never have luck above the dam and have much better luck below the dam catfishing. Is there like a dead zone above the dam or just the area or just me. Anyone else see this?


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## Salmonid (Apr 14, 2004)

agreed a lack of current and the water gets shallower from the silt back up, its usually a good place to drag baits covering water, if your after bigger cats, lock through or put in at Neville and fish around the tailwaters and lower, I can tell you a few decent spots to try, giveme a call tomorrow
Salmonid


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## Stampede (Apr 11, 2004)

Wanted to bring this back. I posted this in 2017. Sold my boat little after this post and went 2018 without one. Got another pontoon last year and back to fishing the area from Augusta to past chilo, mostly from utopia to chilo ,and again this year. I've fished the ohio on and off since being a kid. Have caught some big fish. Mostly from the bank up manchester , aberdeen way and occasionally in a boat around the islands. Never had this hard of a time catching cats. I have dragged , bounced or as we called it walked my bait, deadline and any other way to present bait, and catch very few nice cats in this stretch of river. Saturday evening i anchored by the mouth of locust creek. Cast from shallow to deep using cut skipjack. Sat till about 10:30pm , nothing. Pulled anchor and let the creek current take me out and drifted for a bit. Nothing. I have figured out why i don't see any other boats drifting or catfishing this stretch of river so i'm giving up on it. I have thought there are some good deep water there around chilo and good looking water. Was convinced this was a great area to catfish. And of the creeks in the area, locust is the only one clear enough to get up in. The rest are silted up so much ain't but a few feet deep. So I'm going to start locking through the dam and trying my luck down there. And if i fish below the dam and don't do any good then i'll know it's me. lol.


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## fishdealer04 (Aug 27, 2006)

Fishing has been hit or miss all along the river I feel like. I have been catching good numbers of fish but not the size I am after. I know there was a tournament out of Aberdeen last Saturday and there were some nice fish weighed in including a blue over 60 pounds.


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## Stampede (Apr 11, 2004)

I drifted up Maysville area to Ripley with Shannon a few years back and didnt put my best foot forward that day but still caught fish. 25 miles to Aberdeen from our camp but just a few to chilo. long run in a pontoon but might drive it up there one day. I'm curious to see which ways the boats head for the upcoming SWOCC tournament and if any hang in my area.


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