# Muskingum Tailwaters: How To?



## JLeephoto (Apr 12, 2008)

Hey guys, I went on a little scouting trip in the Beverly pool of the Muskingum river today. I know I'm going to want to fish some of the tailwaters this year for Suags & Hybrids and am hoping some of you can give me advice on how to safely do so? I've got a 14' War Eagle jon boat with a 25hp & a bow mount trolling motor. I've fished salt water inlet mouths and jetties with this boat fairly comfortably. I don't know why, but the idea of anchoring under these dams makes me a little uneasy. So is it doable, and if so, what do I need to be aware of and what precautions should I take? Thanks. JLee


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## Hatchetman (Apr 13, 2004)

These dams are low head dams, that is the water above stays at a constant level as well as the flow over the dam. The only thing that will cahnge the flow is rain. I like to anchor just below the point where the current pulls you toward the dam. This way if something goes wrong motor wise you go downstream not up into the dam. I've had allot of good luck doing this at the firstdam above Marietta.. Hope this helps....Pete


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## Hatchetman (Apr 13, 2004)

I ment to say the first dam above Zanesville....Sorry....Pete


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## JLeephoto (Apr 12, 2008)

Thanks Hatchet, one of my big concerns is finding that point, and the other, is swamping the boat when the anchor catches. Any way to determine what size anchor and line length for my size boat? Heard a horror story recently where a guy anchored his bass boat and it swamped immediately, though I suspect he may have not anchored off the bow. Still sobering. My 14' jon is pretty heavy duty and has a semi-v bow, but it's still a jon boat. Should I be concerned?


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## gobie (Jul 17, 2009)

when i fish below the dams i allways anchor where the current will draw my boat towards the dam. then you can stop letting rope out when you get as close as you dare. the best fishing is to cast right up on the apron. and let the current put your bait under the apron. you have to experiment with sinkers. normal pool about 1 ounce works for me. i use a 25 pound river ancor.
and leave my motor run till im sure it is goin gto hold. be very carefull till you get used to it. the water at beverly is about 20 ft. deep below the dam on the left side. but it is shallow going up to the dam. good luck


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## JLeephoto (Apr 12, 2008)

That's good info, but I'm beginning to think I need to find someone to go with the first time out to see how it's done in person. I really DON'T want to learn the hard way.


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## PJF (Mar 25, 2009)

You might think about taking 2 anchors with you and using them til you get the handle on it. Anchor the front and the rear which will keep you from swinging upstream. Another idea that will work for you is to hold downstream and watch 1 or 2 boats go up and see how they do it. Works pretty well and you do need to pay attention as well as have a life jacket on. Enjoy.


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## saugeyesam (Apr 20, 2004)

There's no need to use a boat if fishing the dams if you ask me. We have fished all the dams from Rockeby on down to Devola (which is the best one for Hybrids and Saugers) We fish from the shore on the opposite side from the locks and cast up onto the spillway and let our jigs flow with the current down stream. We really hammer the hybrids and Sauger down at Devola dam with this tactic. We never really seen a reason to risk taking the boat up that close. Not only do you have the current to deal with you have the rocks too.


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## RiverWader (Apr 1, 2006)

SaugeyeSam , Do you have any luck fishing at Devolas in late fall?


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## Buckeye1955 (Jan 30, 2007)

There probably is a list of things not to do about a mile long, but the dumbest thing I've ever seen while anchoring below the dams is use a chain bolted to the front of the boat! Anchor caught in the rocks and they ended up with both of them up in the front of the boat yanking on it. Went bad quickly. Boat stood straight up and they went for a swim. Always use something you can unfasten or cut loose. The advice about staying back a ways until you feel comfortable is good. The variable is the current and how much water is coming over the dam. The 2nd issue is the rocks and the route you need to take to get to where you want to fish. Figure you'll eventually ding a prop if you are in there many times. I like to fish there as much as the next guy, but I'll leave the Triton in the garage and fish from the bank at the dams. The Lowell dam is a great one to wade out on from the east side. Saw 4 guys out there tonight.


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## saugeyesam (Apr 20, 2004)

Sorry it took so long to get back to your question Riverwader. Yes we do pretty good down there in the fall mostly for the Sauger and crappies with the odd Hybrid mixed in we use white twister tails and some yellow or chart. as well. If that doesn't work then we switch to a 3 or 4 inch zoom fluke or shad body on a 1/8 ounce unpainted jig head. Honestly fellas I wouldn't recommend using anything else. because the rocks down there eat jigs like a fat kid eats birthday cake. We spent a couple bucks and bought a jighead mold and started pouring our own jigs its a lot cheaper we have already paid for our molds and hooks tenfold in what we save by buying them. we can make a jig from 1/64oz on up to 5/8 oz. If your going to fish down there with any regularity i seriously recommend it. in the late spring and early summer you can get away with using topwater plugs for the Hybrids but I would shy away from anything that dives down because there are tons of snags in those rocks. Good luck!


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## saugeyesam (Apr 20, 2004)

We caught these back in June! And haven't been able to get back down since then. We turned both of these fish back to get bigger


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## RiverWader (Apr 1, 2006)

Thanks, Im wanting to get down there and give it a try , Saugeye and Crappie sounds like a good combo of fish


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## saugeyesam (Apr 20, 2004)

There are alot of Suager in there @ Devola the majority will only run 11 to 13 inches but they done usually get much bigger than that anyway. we keep anything twelve and above. I have yet to catch a Saugeye and have only ever caught one Walleye down there but it was way up a Mconnelsville's dam when I caught the Walleye. But either way its a blast. those Sauger hammer a white twistertail and they like the pink and orange too and lets not forget the chartruese, they seem to like the white the best though.


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## saugeyesam (Apr 20, 2004)

Here's the Walleye I caught at Mconnellsville


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## Buckeye1955 (Jan 30, 2007)

The one buddy of mine uses chicken livers and just nails the white bass and hybrids one after another. And the usual suspects - whiskered critters. I have another buddy that takes a bucket of shiners and hammers the hybrids at Devola and Lowell. There usually are less bodies at Lowell. I swear they have the dang things trained at Devola to hit on nothing but white twister tails and chicken livers. I've tried about everything else and not much luck. Had one buddy even land a small muskie at Devola. They are right about the snags. If you don't keep things up and moving, you'll snag about every other cast. Must be 100 miles of line and lead headed jigs on the bottom of the river there. My dad a few years back used a secret dough ball recipe and used to land monster carp at lowell. Don't see many people doing that anymore. They put up a heck of a fight in that moving water.


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## saugeyesam (Apr 20, 2004)

Buckeye, we catch the whole spectrum of fish species down there @ Devola.
We catch Gar, Buffalo, Sheephead or as the locals call them Perch??? White bass, Hybrids, Flatheads, Channels, Smallmouth, Spotted, and Largemouth bass. Saugers, Walleyes. We have cast netted shiners and shad and used them as bait when the Hybrids were pushing them to the surface. We have yet to get skunked down there.


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## RiverWader (Apr 1, 2006)

About when do the Saugerand Crappie start bitin in the fall , And is there a better side of the river to fish on??


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## youngunner (Jun 21, 2009)

RiverWader...The best side to fish on at devola is the west side that way you are right up against the dam where the fish are but i should warn you it can get pretty packed over their sometimes so you might try on the east side you still catch plenty of fish. The fish should be getting pretty active now I caught crappie and big ones all summer on the west side. Never had much luck on saugers in the summer though did last fall should be starting around the end of september.Good luck.


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## saugeyesam (Apr 20, 2004)

We picked up a few back in june when we were last down there. But the end of september on up until it really gets cold you can pick them up from the east side. Just Look and you'll see where the current eddies fish the break and back side of the eddie and you'll pick them up.


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