Lake Allatoona Fishing Report – April 2007

Allatoona: Level: Down 5.4 feet below full pool. Temp: 58-63 degrees. Clarity: Clear.

Bass: Very good as water temperatures have risen quickly. “It looks like the next full moon (April 2) will be our first big wave of spawning largemouth in the shallows, and about two weeks after that our spots will start to spawn,” said guide Mike Bucca. The spots have been in a prespawn staging mode at the mouths of spawning pockets all over the lake, and they’re gorging on threadfin shad. It’s a great time for numbers — 30-plus fish a day, and last week Mike caught a 5.5-lb. spot off a mid-lake point on a Mattlures Bluegill swimbait. “With the fish being so active, a lot of different baits are working,” he said. Mike recommends jerkbaits like a Sammy 100, a Pointer 78 or a Flashminnow 95MR, or a 4-inch Gary Yamamoto Senko. “There is a decent big-swimbait bite going on as well, but that bite needs a little wind for it to work. Mini Me spinnerbaits are also working good on those windy days as well. For April be looking for some shallow spawning fish at the very beginning to about week two of April. If you’re into bed fishing, the backs of shallow pockets is where you need to be. By far the best two baits to throw at spawning fish are a drop-shot rig and a Mattlures Bluegill. Once the spawn is over and our main-lake temps are in the early 70s, look for our big postspawn topwater bite to go into full tilt. Concentrate on points and flats at the mouth of spawning pockets at first light. April is going to be literally on fire as far as numbers and quality of fish on Allatoona,” Mike said.

Linesides: Very good with a lot of fish making the run up the Etowah River. Guide Robert Eidson said you can catch them from the mouth of Little River to up the Etowah above Knox Bridge as far as you can go. Robert, however, prefers to catch fish down the lake (see article on page 154). “There are a lot of big hybrids on the south end. All these major creeks with current have fish — Allatoona Creek up to the spillway, Clarks Creek, there are fish in Stamp and McKaskey,” Robert said. He said to use flatlines and planer boards until 9:30 a.m., then drop down with downlines and umbrella rigs. There hasn’t been a good bite in the middle of the day, but it really picks up again at about 6 p.m. Use small threadfin or gizzard shad or medium-sized shiners, and use a No. 2 Octopus hook with the smaller baits.