Lake Allatoona Fishing Report January 2012

Allatoona: Level: 16.9 feet below full pool. Temp: 53 degrees. Clarity: Clear.

Bass: Good. Matt Driver reports, “January in the past has been the worst time of the year on Allatoona because of the super cold temps. Historically, when temps get into the low 40s, we begin to see a shad kill. Due to the mild winter so far, we may not see the temps reach those extreme lows. January is time for three baits for me on Allatoona: drop shots, jerkbaits and the float-n-fly. All three of these baits are used to target suspended bass. My favorite on the cold days is the float-n-fly. I fish this rig on an 8 1/2-foot St. Croix FnF rod with the three-way swivel system. I use light-weight braid as my main line that goes to a three-way swivel and a top-weighted float. Then for the final line I use Sunline Shooter 6-lb. test flourocarbon tipped with a purple-and-white Red Rooster fly and fly dope. Fish this rig on bluff walls on the main lake and river. Fish the Spro McStick jerkbait in the same areas. Fish it parallel to the shore, and use a 4- to 5-second pause between jerks. As for the drop shot, fish vertically in the middle of the mouths of the creeks. Fish the Big Bite Baits Shaking Squirrel drop-shot worm in you favorite colors.”

Linesides: Excellent. Robert Eidson said the bite has been as good as he could ask for in late December. He said hybrids and stripers are concentrated mid-lake from the “S” turns to Bartow Carver and to concentrate on the river channel between Kellogg Creek and Victoria. Early in the morning, flatlines and planer boards are getting hammered. Trout and shad seem to be working equally well, said Robert. The downline bite should also produce, and the fish are at about 18 feet. The best bite right now is on U-rigs once the sun gets up, though. Robert said he has been catching very good numbers on a U-rig pulled 80 to 100 feet behind the boat with chartreuse jigs and trailers. He said to pull the edges of the river and creek channels and to expect bites when you start marking the huge clouds of baitfish. Also, be sure to keep something tied on for the schooling fish. When you see gulls diving, you’ll find hybrids and stripers pushing bait up. Robert likes to fish this schooling action with a white Rooster Tail, fluke or Spook.