Lake Allatoona Fishing Report April 2014

Allatoona: Level: 4.4 feet below full pool. Temp: 57 degrees. Clarity: 3 feet visibility on south end, stained on north end.

Bass: Fair. Matt Driver, host of Pro Angler Radio, said, “April is the best month to catch bass on Allatoona. When targeting bass pulling up to spawn, look for protected coves with a hard bottom or pea gravel, and work a shaky head tipped with a Big Bite 6-inch Shaky Squirrel, 8-inch finesse worm or jig. Work it slow. For those fish that are prespawn, the soft plastic jerkbait like the Big Bite Jerk Minnow worked quickly is a great way to catch good numbers. For windy days, run mid-lake points with a white spinnerbait with white blades, A-rig and a Carolina-rigged Fighting Frog. Remember to keep an eye out for schooling fish. A Spro McStick or Spro Dawg are two good baits to have on the deck ready for when the bass come to the surface to feed.”

Linesides: Good. Guide Robert Eidson reports, “With the weather that we are having right now, start looking for the fish to move north to stage for the spring spawn run. The flats from Kellogg up to the Delta should be loaded with fish in the upcoming weeks. The river run is just a couple of weeks away, if not days. I expect both the Etowah and Little rivers to have very good spawn runs this year. Fish live shad, both threadfins and gizzard shad, on the bottom up the river. Cut bait will also work when the water is a little dirty. If the river isn’t your thing, then remember to be universal in your techniques on the main lake. This is the time of the year you can catch fish on flatlines, planner boards, downlines and u-rigs. So make sure you try all four ways when you find fish. Some days one way will out produce the others four to one. The fish on the main lake are scattered from Allatoona Creek all the way north to Bartow Carver. These fish are holding close to both main-lake points and secondary points right now. Trolling is slow but should get better as the water warms.”