Lake Allatoona Fishing Report December 2017

Allatoona: Level: 5.2 feet low. Temp: 61 degrees. Clarity: Clear.

Bass: Tournament angler Matt Driver reports, “Fishing in the month of December can be really good but challenging at times. This month bass are moving out deeper and continuing to follow migrating shad patterns. December is a good month to catch suspended bass. The Float-n-Fly and jerkbait bites are getting good. As water temps drop into the low 50s and sometimes into the high 40s by the end of the month, fish activity tends to slow, but the bite is still good. I am targeting main-lake bluff walls and secondary points near channel swings. This time of year, the bite can be hit or miss, especially after a strong cold front where we have bluebirds skies. Many times when the bite gets tough, I rely on my sonar and fish a drop shot. I use 6-lb. Sunline Sniper Fluorocarbon with a 3/16- or 1/2-oz. weight with  a Gamakatsu drop-shot hook and a Big Bite Limit Maker in silver/blue. The bite can be light, so be on guard. During the month of December and January, target areas from Stamp Creek north to Little River. Have fun, and never fish alone this time of year because hypothermia can be a killer.”

Linesides: Guide Robert Eidson reports, “Fishing is good and getting better. The fall bite is starting to heat up. The north end of the lake is still producing some nice stripers, along with good numbers of white bass. The bigger stripers are eating gizzard shad fished on planer boards and freelines right at sunup and again at sundown. Look for these fish from Little River up to Fields Landing and as far south as Kelloggs. The hybrids and white bass are really starting to school and blowing up all over the lake right now. We have seen some big schools breaking the surface from the dam to the S-turns. These busting fish will eat almost anything you throw at them. When these fish go down, they will still bite threadfins and small gizzards fished on downlines, as well as spoons. Bait is starting to get really hard to net, so be sure to take some with you. Striper Soup has plenty of fresh shad of all sizes in stock. The seagulls are starting to show up and will make finding the fish a little easier for us over the upcoming holiday break. Remember, Allatoona has very few loons. If you see birds diving on Allatoona, this normally means there are linesides nearby. If you troll, keep pulling your Mack Farr u-rigs 60 to 120 feet behind the boat at speeds between 2.4-3.1 mph.”