Lake Allatoona Fishing Report – December 2021

Allatoona: Level: 3.3 feet low. Temp: 60 degrees. Clarity: Clear.

Bass: Tournament angler Matt Driver reports, “December looks to be great! Good numbers were caught in November, even though fish were scattered. In December, as temperatures cool, the bass tend to concentrate and be a bit more predictable. Water temps are starting to drop into the upper 50s and will be in the low 50s to upper 40s by the end of the month. There are two patterns I follow in December. Suspended bass and deeper, bottom-hugging bass. For suspended fish, I tend to stay in the main lake around point and bluff walls. The bass tend to key in on the 10- to 14-foot range. My favorite techniques are the jerkbait and A-rig. I tend to slow down quite a bit. I use several jerkbaits that run at different depths. The Mega Bass 110, the Pointer 100 and the Strike King KVD in the 200 and 300. I like to fish it as fast as the fish will let me. I start off fast and slow down until I start getting bit. A lot of time the hit comes during the pause. Let the fish key you in on the proper cadence. Lighter line allows you to get the bait deeper. I use 5- to 10-lb. Sunline fluorocarbon. The A-rig I use is the Picasso bait ball. I like to downsize my baits in the winter. I use a 3-inch paddle tail. I make long casts, count it down to 10 and slow-roll it back. For the bass holding tight to the bottom, I like to throw the 3/8-oz. Little Spotty by Picasso. The green-pumpkin amber is my go-to color. The key is a slow retrieve. You need to feel every rock on the bottom. I like a medium-heavy Shimano Expride 7-foot jig rod and 12-lb. Sunline fluorocarbon line. I fish main-lake points and parallel bluff walls. Concentrate on areas north of Bethany Bridge. Fish the mouth of Stamp and McKaskey and up to the mouth of Illinois Creek.”

Linesides: Guide Robert Eidson, of First Bite Guide Service, reports, “Very good! The fall bite is in full swing. Flatlines, planer boards, downlines, umbrella rigs and spoons are all working well. The northern end of the lake is fishing best. The bigger fish are coming from Victoria up to Fields Landing. I’ve been fishing big shad and trout fished on planer boards and flatlines early in the morning and then again late in the evening. The bigger number of hybrids and white bass are coming mid-lake from Victoria to Stamp Creek. Downlining threadfin shad and shiners is your best bet for quantity. All the flats mid-lake are holding fish at sunup. Once the sun gets up, swap over to Mini Mack rigs and spoons. This November is probably the best I’ve seen in the last three to four years. We’re looking for big things going into December. Hopefully the big fish will show up in better numbers this year.”