Bouncing the Boils with Nathan Trammel, Blessed Outdoors
Dams attract fish for many reasons and I love to fish them. Especially on the Tennessee and Coosa Rivers that I fish a lot.
I have been very successful with the simple rig I tie to walk my bait downstream. Start by tying a three-way swivel to my 30-pound Slimeline mainline. Add about 18 to 24 inches of 50-pound Trilene Big Game mono to the middle eye for the hook drop. I normally use a circle hook. Next, I run about 6 inches of 20 to 30 pound Big Game mono off of the bottom eye and add the weight.
Usually, I will be using a 2-ounce sinker, but that depends on how much water is being released. The more current the more weight. You want a weight that will allow you to keep in contact with the bottom on each drop.
Once rigged I bait up and start bouncing it on the bottom from the boils on downstream. In the warmer months, these fish like to gather around the boils where the water is a couple of degrees cooler and there’s more oxygen. You can use this rig on a boat or from the bank. It’s a simple rig but it has worked great for me. Good luck, I hope you try it and catch a pig!
