Lake Allatoona Fishing Report – February 2008

Allatoona: Level: 15.9 feet below full pool. One lane at Red Top Mountain is now open. Reports are that Gaults Ferry, Gatewood and Blockhouse are also open. Temp: 44-45 degrees. Clarity: Mostly clear except for light stain north.

Bass: Excellent. “Even with the cold weather, the fishing has been great,” said guide Mike Bucca. He reports that spoons and drop-shot rigs have been producing good numbers of quality bass in the 2- to 3-lb. range. “There are very big schools of fish all over the lake. Most are in the mouths of the major creek arms, toward the last deep hole. Use your graph to find these schools of fish. I’m alternating between a drop shot tipped with a 5-inch Robo Worm and a 1-oz. spoon. The magic depth has been between 30 and 40 feet,” Mike said.

Linesides: Fair. “The fish are still deep for the most part,” said guide Robert Eidson. “I went this morning (Jan. 25), and I caught one on a planer board and the rest on downlines and u-rigs.” The fish should move up in the water column with the water now at 45 degrees and dropping. “A shad kill is right around the corner,” Robert said. “It usually begins when the water temperature hits 44 degrees and stays below that for a couple of weeks.” While the striper and hybrid bite has been only fair the past week, the white bass are tearing it up, Robert said. “They’re very nice white bass — a pound to a pound and a half. You can catch them on small threadfin shad, jigs and spoons. A spoon will catch a lot of fish right now. Use a 1-oz. white Flex-it.” If you fish the morning, use flatlines and planer boards with live shad until about 9:30 a.m., then switch to downlines and umbrella rigs, he said. “The mid-lake is the key. There’s no water on the north end, and fish haven’t gotten down to the south end yet. I’d start at Gaults, and there’s no need to go father south than Clear Creek. The mouth of Kellogg Creek is loaded with fish, and so is Victoria Landing.”