# Grand Rapids Catfishing Below the Dam



## nw1 (May 8, 2014)

Hey guys, might be hitting GR right below the dam for cats next monday... anybody been coin any good there for cats. I normally use chicken liver, but other suggestions would be appreciated. Which side of the river is usually more productive? Lookin for some good action, hopefully the bite will be on!!


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## Jmsteele187 (Dec 22, 2011)

Which type of catfish will you be targeting? Chicken livers are fine for channel cats, but if you're looking to get into the flat heads, you'll need live bait.


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## Sumsickfisher (Jul 28, 2013)

IM no expert but i usually fish the mary jane thurston side of the river below the dam, i usually drift a nigt crawler under a bobber. Simple and will keep u out of snags. Will catch your fair share of small to medium size catfish and sheepshead.


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## fisherboy (Sep 17, 2012)

If you mean next Monday things can change a lot in 1 week. I was there yesterday evening using a small jig for a while. Only 1 WB so I switched to a bobber & worm. Not really a big improvment except for a lot of sheephead. Only 4 cats of which only 2 could be considered decent.


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## Nightcrawler666 (Apr 17, 2014)

Minnows or night crawlers drifted under a slip bobber are just fine for cats. I've caught a couple 8-10 lb channels this year and 3 flatheads usin night crawlers. Hit the holes and slack water near the rocks and you should run into some. Count on wading, unless we get a crazy amount of rain by then. 


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## Sumsickfisher (Jul 28, 2013)

Nightcrawler666 said:


> Minnows or night crawlers drifted under a slip bobber are just fine for cats. I've caught a couple 8-10 lb channels this year and 3 flatheads usin night crawlers. Hit the holes and slack water near the rocks and you should run into some. Count on wading, unless we get a crazy amount of rain by then.
> 
> 
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Hey whenever I float night crawlers, I usually catch 10 dink catfish before I catch one nice size one. Do u do anything special to keep the smaller ones at bay?


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## Recneck (Mar 30, 2014)

Maybe minnows or cut bait would work better for weeding out the small cats?


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## Nightcrawler666 (Apr 17, 2014)

Sumsickfisher said:


> Hey whenever I float night crawlers, I usually catch 10 dink catfish before I catch one nice size one. Do u do anything special to keep the smaller ones at bay?



Haha that kind of comes with the territory. Cut bait does help if you want to go that route. I just use a larger hook and I noodle the crawler all the way up, over the eyelet and on the line...it can be frustrating when you get the small ones, but I feel like relocating to a different spot may be needed if you just keep getting dinks outta one hole. 


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## Flathead76 (May 2, 2010)

If you want larger channel cat try twisting off the head of a small sheephead and drift that under a bobber.


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## HatersGonnaHate (Jun 4, 2013)

The river by the dam has slowed down a lot. Part of it I think is the sheer amount of people keeping all the fish they catch this year. I go down there 2-3 times a week and I see huge stringers full of even little cats leave everyday. The holed are not that bit to sustain harvesting every fish you catch like some people are doing. I think a good rain to flush out the system will help but seems to be a lot of harvesting going on this year compared to other years.


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## Sumsickfisher (Jul 28, 2013)

HatersGonnaHate said:


> The river by the dam has slowed down a lot. Part of it I think is the sheer amount of people keeping all the fish they catch this year. I go down there 2-3 times a week and I see huge stringers full of even little cats leave everyday. The holed are not that bit to sustain harvesting every fish you catch like some people are doing. I think a good rain to flush out the system will help but seems to be a lot of harvesting going on this year compared to other years.


That's funny I have noticed the same thing.


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## nw1 (May 8, 2014)

I'll be targeting channels and yes i am planning on wading. btw, whats the river level at now?


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## Nightcrawler666 (Apr 17, 2014)

579.60 (low) 


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## mike1987 (Feb 27, 2014)

a little over a week ago i saw a guy walk out with 10 cats and two good sized smallies. take all the cats you want but release the smallies. especially 1 to 2 pounders. i know its legal and all but it just hurts our numbers of good sized fish. we should try to get the regs changed for the maumee concerning smallies. just a thought


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## Nightcrawler666 (Apr 17, 2014)

mike1987 said:


> a little over a week ago i saw a guy walk out with 10 cats and two good sized smallies. take all the cats you want but release the smallies. especially 1 to 2 pounders. i know its legal and all but it just hurts our numbers of good sized fish. we should try to get the regs changed for the maumee concerning smallies. just a thought



There is already a 5 day limit with a minimum of 12". Not attempting to argue, and I completely agree with the fact that over-harvesting CAN be a problem. When the river is so low it's impact is seen immediately because of geographical isolation. Additionally, let us remember that this has been a strange year concerning our weather patterns. I feel like this contributes to the smallmouth being slightly more elusive this year, not necessarily because of over-harvesting. And to say, "take all the cats you want, but release the smallies" is a bit insensitive to people targeting catfish, but, to each his own. 

Again, not looking to start an argument here because internet fighting is juvenile and pointless. But, attempting to "change a regulation" for one species in one body of water (of which has a limit currently in place) could prove to be very arduous and yield no results. My point is, there is miles of red-tape and thousands of nay-sayers who would be just as passionate about blocking such proposals from being passed. That, plus getting bureaucrats to get off their butts and do something for a change is unlikely to ever happen. 

Ok, rant over, sorry for the long-windedness and if I said anything to offend you or anyone else... 



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## Fishguy777 (Jul 8, 2012)

The internet + big mouths = less fish


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## Bassthumb (Aug 22, 2008)

I was down yesterday to fish the dam (my first time there) and struck out fishing a jig and gulp. Only 1 gar. Im sure things will improve when I get more experience there, but I go to sidecut and can't keep the cats off (fishing for smallies). Also, as a 100 percent catch and release angler focusing on bass..... I don't think it hurts a bit that people are keeping some smallmouth. As a side topic, does anyone find largemouth consistently anywhere in the river?


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## Nightcrawler666 (Apr 17, 2014)

I've heard largemouth are more concentrated up above the dam. My friend's dad takes his bass boat up there from time to time. 


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## Fishguy777 (Jul 8, 2012)

I like to use a small 2" twister tail or a chatterbait. Can catch anything that swims with those two baits. Shallow diving cranks work well too but I always lose them a lot quicker. I've caught largemouth from pburg to all the way up above the dam. One was a behemoth and that was well down stream from the dam and I did not land him. I don't really target them specifically. Usually catch them smallie fishing but only a few and usually not much size.


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## Bassthumb (Aug 22, 2008)

Night crawler, do you know if they have more success with shoreline lay down structure, boat docks or something else? Above dam looked very large and my first thought was that as fish tend to stack up more in rivers it would be tough to find them in such a large area.

Fishguy, I think you mean....Internet + big mouths = less fish for yourself. It also means more fish for more people. It's not just over harvesters that use this site for info on fishing, it is a regular joe that just wants to catch some fish. I am happy to share any of my info with anyone else looking to catch fish, regardless if they are filling a bucket. I also don't think it is possible to hurt the river by harvesting with line and rod, no matter how much it's done. True specific spots can be overfished for a time, but they will reload and the overall health of that river is not going to decline if your odd angler is pulling out some smallies, or cats or anything else. Grand rapids, weirs, buttonwood, sidecut, farnsworth are all hit hard and the fish never disappear. There are always some to be caught. These spots are not super secret, everyone knows but it seems like when anyone posts a river report you want to jump on them and beat this dead horse. I have no problem sharing my reports, spots, and species caught on the web and I will continue to being happy if the info is a help to anyone.


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## ohiobuck (Apr 8, 2006)

My son fished the damn area all weekend . Get there early and take a dip net with you . The shad are in there thick right now and that's what everything in the river is feeding on even the seagulls are going crazy up there . But like I said you need to beat everyone else to the shad 


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## Nightcrawler666 (Apr 17, 2014)

Bassthumb said:


> Night crawler, do you know if they have more success with shoreline lay down structure, boat docks or something else? Above dam looked very large and my first thought was that as fish tend to stack up more in rivers it would be tough to find them in such a large area.



They fish mostly trolling along shoreline cover. Weed beds and downed trees and the occasional dock. But mostly natural cover. Use a mix of tubes and shallow cranks from what I can tell. Some top water in low light. 



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## Recneck (Mar 30, 2014)

I keep some cats and release some and i keep some bass and release most.


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## Fishguy777 (Jul 8, 2012)

HatersGonnaHate said:


> The river by the dam has slowed down a lot. Part of it I think is the sheer amount of people keeping all the fish they catch this year. I go down there 2-3 times a week and I see huge stringers full of even little cats leave everyday. The holed are not that bit to sustain harvesting every fish you catch like some people are doing. I think a good rain to flush out the system will help but seems to be a lot of harvesting going on this year compared to other years.


Bass thumb, this is what I was referring to. I do quite well for myself fishing the river. Lmk when u need some walleye. Still eating my catch from April.


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## fisherboy (Sep 17, 2012)

Was at dam both Monday & Tuesday. Monday used shad & caught 5 sheephead & 3 cats. Tuesday bought minnows & managed 17 sheephead, 1 WB & 11 cats. All the cats except 1 were decent size. Largest was a 25" or so flathead which gave me quite a battle on my 5 ft rod. Also managed to land a possible FO channel cat. Wish I had a measuring tape with me. All in all quite enjoyable.


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## Recneck (Mar 30, 2014)

fisherboy said:


> Was at dam both Monday & Tuesday. Monday used shad & caught 5 sheephead & 3 cats. Tuesday bought minnows & managed 17 sheephead, 1 WB & 11 cats. All the cats except 1 were decent size. Largest was a 25" or so flathead which gave me quite a battle on my 5 ft rod. Also managed to land a possible FO channel cat. Wish I had a measuring tape with me. All in all quite enjoyable.


If ya dont mind me asking...did you wade or is there bank access? And is it bottin fishibg or slup bobber territory?


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## nw1 (May 8, 2014)

Recneck said:


> If ya dont mind me asking...did you wade or is there bank access? And is it bottin fishibg or slup bobber territory?


I think he's trying to say "is it bottom fishing or slip bobber territory?"


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## fisherboy (Sep 17, 2012)

It has been bobber fishing. & I do wade out. There is very limited fishing from shore. & to be truthful I usually sit my butt on a bucket while fishing.
Getting old, lol... 
Was there last night & fishing was slower. Only 16 sheephead & 5 catfish. Too bad noone keeps sheephead or they could walk away happy. No fish kept. But fun.
Have not been using a slip bobber. Not that deep to need) & yes I have lost some fish (& bobbers) due to breakage of line. (Not necassy because of fish size).


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## Nightcrawler666 (Apr 17, 2014)

Lots of shad in the water right below the dam. Take your dipnet and minnow bucket for easy bait. Can't beat the price. But, the rocks are slick so watch your step. I went down pretty hard walking back to empty my net. Haha 

On a different note, landed this yesterday evening on said shad...










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## Recneck (Mar 30, 2014)

Sounds like i need to give it a shot while they are hitting well! how long of aa dipnet wouæd i need?


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## Nightcrawler666 (Apr 17, 2014)

Not very long at all. Saw a few kids with a net maybe 2 feet long pulling a dozen out at a time. If you just walk up to the wall where the water flows down and churns, they were hugging up against it. 


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## sopo716 (Mar 25, 2013)

Nightcrawler666 said:


> There is already a 5 day limit with a minimum of 12". Not attempting to argue, and I completely agree with the fact that over-harvesting CAN be a problem. When the river is so low it's impact is seen immediately because of geographical isolation. Additionally, let us remember that this has been a strange year concerning our weather patterns. I feel like this contributes to the smallmouth being slightly more elusive this year, not necessarily because of over-harvesting. And to say, "take all the cats you want, but release the smallies" is a bit insensitive to people targeting catfish, but, to each his own.
> 
> Again, not looking to start an argument here because internet fighting is juvenile and pointless. But, attempting to "change a regulation" for one species in one body of water (of which has a limit currently in place) could prove to be very arduous and yield no results. My point is, there is miles of red-tape and thousands of nay-sayers who would be just as passionate about blocking such proposals from being passed. That, plus getting bureaucrats to get off their butts and do something for a change is unlikely to ever happen.
> 
> ...


Below the dam is *14"* not 12"


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## Nightcrawler666 (Apr 17, 2014)

sopo716 said:


> Below the dam is *14"* not 12"



I stand corrected...thanks for the clarification. Of which strengthens my argument. Haha


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## Recneck (Mar 30, 2014)

Ah maybe we will make it up tjere next week! I appreciate the info!


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## Recneck (Mar 30, 2014)

Whats the average size range of the drum?


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## fisherboy (Sep 17, 2012)

Not many huge ones. Guessing 11". The drums. Largest was about 16" if I remember correctly.


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## Recneck (Mar 30, 2014)

Sounds good anyway!!! The fiance and i just love to sport fish anything tjats biting.


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## zet (Aug 17, 2014)

I have been fishing near old Vollmars Park and near the old stone bridge with creek minnows and crawlers. All of my time spent on the river is during the day. Best I have done is a 10 pound flat. Since I am not able to fish at night, and I am new to this type of fishing I am looking for some help. I have heard I should stay close to shore and fish where the water is deep. I have read on this site about "seams" but not sure what they are. Can some of you offer some sound advice to help me get to the bigger ones! Thanks.


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## zet (Aug 17, 2014)

What are some good catfish lures to troll with?


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## Dana.Birrell (Apr 23, 2012)

zet said:


> What are some good catfish lures to troll with?


Cut bait


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## adamaj (Jun 29, 2014)

Look for areas with deeper water. 6' plus during summer low flows. Fish in and around this area with cut or live bait. Sooner or later if you put the time in you will get into a big flatty.


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