# Devols Dam Wednesday



## thedon255 (May 4, 2008)

Had my best day at Devols Dam for the year but that's not saying much. It's been a pretty disappointing year for me on the river. I ended up with 1 drum, 2 sauger, and 11 hybrids. I caught them in two separate bunches, with five fish in a row, 8 in 9 casts, by the dam, and then 6 fish, all hybrids, in about 20 minutes near the island downstream. The first bunch were on a 4 inch chartreuse curly tail jig and the second bunch was on an original floating Rapala minnow.
All the hybrids were 12-15 inches, except for one that was 21 inches, a new PB. That was a fantastic fight. But the most notable catch of the day was the drum, caught on the cast just before the 21 inch hybrid. It was an enormous drum, 27 inches long, my biggest fish of any species ever (I feel a bit ashamed admitting that.) The picture below doesn't really do it justice, especially its girth. Remember that drum have small mouths and I could nearly stick my fist into the mouth of this one.


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## ErieAngler (Apr 15, 2006)

Its a nice place to fish, Ive been down there several times but havent caught much more than some small bass. My friends dad fishes down there a few times a week and catches all kinds of big walleye, saugeye, sauger, stripers, white bass, bass, you never know what you are going to catch! Congrats on the big fish


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## Fishman (Apr 5, 2004)

Thanks for sharing. Use to fish there a lot back in the college days. Can't beat that place in the spring for wading for saugers and hybrids.


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## JLeephoto (Apr 12, 2008)

I was out there for about an hour on Tuesday but the water level & flow had risen since my previous Sunday trip and I didn't do anything. Felt like I could do no wrong on Sunday, then nothing right on Tuesday. Funny how the bite can turn on a dime. 
Sounds like you adapted well. Congrats on a great day. 
If you enjoyed that drum, look me up before you head on your next vacation to the Carolina coast. The red fish (aka red drum, channel bass, puppy drum, spottail) that size can be a lot of fun. Real sluggers. 
Here's my wife with one this year:


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## thedon255 (May 4, 2008)

That fish is definitely larger than mine was. Although I never target drum specifically, if a fish is willing to hit my lure, I'm willing to fight it, no matter how ugly it is. I've heard plenty about redfish fishing and I definitely hope I get to go after them some time. But that's no where close to being in the near future.

BTW, I went back to Devol's Dam the next day and in less than 24 hours, the water had dropped close to a foot. Caught 1 hybrid in about 2 hours. Then today, I went to Lowell Dam just before the next line of t-storms and caught 1 largemouth bass, about 13 inches. It's hit or miss in the fall. I don't know what the colder temps will do to them this weekend. But I won't find out if I don't try.


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## JLeephoto (Apr 12, 2008)

I don't know why anyone would turn their nose up at a fight like that! Good catch. I rarely keep a fish anyway, so drum, hybrid, bass, I'll take them all. The first freshwater drum I caught up here reminded me of SC reds & black drum and I was surprised to find they weren't as prized as their saltwater cousins. Guess that's what made me mention them.
Maybe I'll see you out there sometime this week. I've been trying to get an hour in here and there. I'm a balding guy, with a beer belly & a gottee driving a red Toyota taco. If you see me, wave me down.


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## thedon255 (May 4, 2008)

Were you there Saturday morning? Because I think there was a red Toyota leaving when I pulled into Devol's Dam at about 9 am. I'm a really young looking guy (I'm 22 but I still get carded sometimes for R movies), with blond hair, glasses, and green waders. I drive a dark Audi that's usually a bit dirty.


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