Lake Allatoona Fishing Report April 2017

Allatoona: Level: 6.2 feet below full pool. Temp: 58-59 degrees. Clarity: The south is clear; stained up north.

Bass: Tournament angler and radio host Matt Driver reports, “Fishing is great! The month of April is an awesome time to catch big numbers of bass on Allatoona. This month you can catch fish on just about any bait in your box. Fish are prespawn and spawning this month. Most bass have made their way shallow. Pockets and secondary points are best to target for better size right now. Scroungers, jerkbaits and ChattersBaits are working great. Windy and sunny days have been the most productive. There has been a good jig-head bite, as well. There has been a good bite on 6- and 8-inch finesse worms fished on rocky outcrops leading into spawning pockets. The water temps at the end of March were 58-59 and should reach spawning temps the first week of the month. Largemouth will spawn first, and spotted bass will follow shortly after. April is known for awesome schooling activity before the spots go on bed. Make sure you keep a Spro Dog, a Spy Bait or a soft plastic jerkbait if the bass surface. Have fun. This is the best month on Allatoona in my opinion.”

Linesides: Good. Guide Robert Eidson reports, “Spring is here, and it’s spawning time. The white bass are already staging for the spawn run. The hybrids and stripers will be shortly behind them. With the unseasonable warm winter, I am looking for a strong run up both the Etowah and Liver rivers this year. Since the whites run first, be sure to carry your light spinning gear spooled with 8-lb. fluorocarbon. Cast a Rooster Tail, crappie jig or a tiny fluke. Once the stripers start showing up, you better break out your bigger gear. Live and cut shad fished on the bottom are the ways to go. Fish sandy bottoms, bends in the rivers and deep holes. If you’re like me and the river isn’t your thing, the main lake can and does give up good numbers and big fish, even when the river run is at its peak. Springtime is shad time on the big water. Threadfin shad fished on freelines, planer boards and downlines can produces big numbers. But if you’re after a big girl, then you need to be patient and pull big gizzards on freelines and planer boards. The Little River area along with the Allatoona Creek arm would be good starting points. For both numbers of hybrids and big stripers, the topwater bite is also starting to pick up. The flats at Little River and the Delta are starting to heat up at sun-up and sun-down. White Rooster Tails are hard to beat when these fish are busting topwater. Spring is my favorite time of the year on Allatoona. Time to dust off the gear, grab a kid and hit the lake. April is one of the best months for stripers and hybrids on Lake Allatoona.”