COAF Field Team Vlog #10 "Fishing Denison Dam with the Switch Rod"

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Has been a busy work week but we did make it to Denison Dam Saturday for another round of fishing. Brought the 6-weight Switch Rod, lots of Clouser Minnows, and the dip net to catch Shad. Last time we were here, the fish were only taking Shad and did not want our Clouser Minnows. So, just in case, brought the dip net!

As it turned out, this round was another tough go. Caught one little Striped Bass on an Olive Near Deere and had something really nice strike the Clouser Minnow but it threw the hook without us getting a glimpse of it. All we had was video of something putting a nice bend in the rod.

Switching to Shad was tough as well. After several unsuccessful attempts, finally figured out how to catch Shad with the dip net:

  • Toss the dip net out about 6 feet from us.
  • Then, scrape the algae off the rock we are standing on.
  • Shortly after, the Shad would start feeding on the algae as it drifted in the current.
  • Soon as they hover over the net, we pull up and catch 2 to 4 Shad.
  • Note: Lesson learned… bring the cast net; just be careful about snagging rocks.

Live bait was the key in getting bites but did not guarantee a catch. Lost count of the number of times we tried to set the hook and missed.

Overall, had a great time. Even tried fishing while they were generating power with the Switch Rod. Did not hook up but was nice to get long casts with less effort than a traditional fly rod.


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