Lake Allatoona Fishing Report April 2012

Allatoona: Level: 2.7 feet below full pool. Temp: Mid 60s to low 70s. Clarity: Clear to light stain.

Bass: Great. Matt Driver reports, “Spring started early this year, and usually April is the spawn month, but fish began to spawn in early to mid March. There are still many waves to go, but there will be many more postspawn fish than in past years. Right now, there is still a good schooling fish bite. I am fishing a Big Bite Jerk Minnow in pearl white in pockets where you find shad stacked up. Make long casts, and work the bait back just under the surface with an erratic retrieve. The spinnerbait bite is still good, but to catch those big spots that are ready to spawn, the shaky head with a 6-inch Big Bite Shaky Squirrel fished on 8-lb. Sunline flourocarbon is a sure bet. Fish this bait in the backs of pockets with a good solid bottom. Bites may feel like you’re getting pine straw on your bait, but this is a fish just biting and swimming off with the bait. The bite is good pretty much over the whole lake. This is the time to take your kids. It’s a great time to learn how to fish soft plastic.”

Linesides: Excellent. Robert Eidson said the river run is on, and the fish are also biting on the south end of the lake. On the Etowah, fish have made it as high as the ballpark in Canton, and on Little River they are stacked up around Rope Mill. Fish on the bottom with either live or cut shad or even chicken liver, and keep a freelined shad ready on a spinning reel in case you see any blow-ups. The main-lake bite is also very good on the south end. Robert said there are fish in Kellogg, Stamp, Iron Hill, Clark and Tanyard creeks. He’s been catching a mixed bag of stripers and hybrids on flatlines and planer boards with live shad.