Lake Allatoona Fishing Report – April 2009

Allatoona: Level: 1.4 feet below full pool. Temp: 52-60 degrees. Clarity: Clear in the dam area; stained up the lake.

Bass: Good. Mike Bucca reports, “Due to the rains last week we have a good bit of debris on the water from one end of the lake to the other. Like clockwork the big-bait bite is just cranking up. I know of one 6-lb. spot caught this week on a swimbait, and one of my previous clients got a 6-lb. largemouth on the Bull Shad swimbait, and I also got a few good fish this week. Concentrate on the short pockets just off the main lake for the largemouths and main-lake points for the spots. I have seen a few males up shallow but nothing on the bed yet, but as the week goes on there should be more going shallow. I am throwing an 8-inch Triple Trout, modified to 10 1/2 inches and the 7-inch Bull Shad on 25-lb. Triple Fish Camo Line and using a Dobyns Rods 795ML. In the stained water the Triple Trout is the deal. In the clearer stuff, I’m going to a more natural swimbait and using the 7- and 8-inch prototype Bull Shad. With the big baits you’re fishing for one or two bites. There are some schooling fish around mid-day in these same pockets. I am throwing G Splash Pop-Rs and Pointer 78s as most of these shad are under 3 inches. Sometimes you can throw a big swimbait through the schoolers to get a bigger fish to react. April is a spawning month on Allatoona and probably the best fishing month of the year. I would expect the largemouths to be in the middle of their spawning mode by the beginning of April with the spotted bass to follow shortly after. Concentrate on long main-lake, red-clay points and also short crevices in the bluff walls for the bigger spawning spots. They are very aggressive when protecting their beds. A big swimbait like a Triple Trout or Bull Shad in gizzard color or a Pointer 128 in MS MJ Herring are my baits of choice for catching spots in April.” Matt Driver reports, “Fish are transitioning from a prespawn pattern to the actual spawn. There will be many waves of spawning females that start late in March when the water reaches the 60s. Most of your larger mature fish will be back in the creeks and backs of pockets. Now is the time to throw the floating worm and flukes. I use Zoom Super Flukes and Gambler Studs and wide variety of floating worms. Target all visible cover like trees, rocks, stumps etc., and pause the bait for a second near the cover.”

Linesides: Excellent. Guide Robert Eidson said the river run has started. He’s optimistic this year will be one of the strongest river runs in several years because of the good water flow. The run up the Etowah is best right now upstream of Knox Bridge and through the first few sets of shoals. The run up Allatoona Creek has been pretty strong, also. Fish cut bait for these river fish. Cut shad is best, but the fish will also take chicken livers. Bank anglers have been catching fish from the Allatoona/Acworth spillway. Robert said the best bite on the lake right now is for hybrids schooling late and early at the mouths of Kellogg, Illinois and Clear creeks. Fish threadfins or jumbo shiners on flatlines, freelines and planer boards. Also, when they come to the surface, the topwater bite has been good on a 7-inch Redfin or a 4-inch X-Rap.

Crappie: Excellent. Robert said the crappie bite is on fire. The fish are right up on the banks in Little River, Sweetwater, Noon Day and Sixes creeks. The trolling bite on black/chartreuse curly-tail jigs or minnow-tipped Hal-Flys has been very good.