Lake Allatoona Fishing Report – January 2020

Allatoona: Level: 12.4 feet low. Temp: 54 degrees. Clarity: 6 feet.

Bass: Guide Bill Payne reports, “Recently, the bite has been very active in the lower part of the lake. Small jigs like a Picasso Tungsten Little Spotty finesse jig, as well as their Rhino shaky head, have all been catching lots of spotted bass. The most productive depth range falls between 15 to 30 feet. In January, many of the spotted bass are out deeper and continue to key on baitfish and move as they move. We expect the spoon bite to be pretty good in the creeks and out on the ends of deeper points. For January, I expect the jig bite to continue to be good. For me, rocky areas and big boulders located offshore are a favorite target. If you don’t know where these type places are located, use your side and down imaging. Key on the 15- to 30-foot depths, especially around breaklines and drop-offs. I fish a very sensitive rod for bottom-contact baits, and the GLoomis NRX or GLX 853 or 893 models are the best. If the fish are reluctant to bite the jig, switch up with a shaky head or a Ned rig. You may not catch as many, but the better size will be shallow. And one of the keys to this bite is finding stained water, and normally January brings more rain, and the lake get stained and shallow fishing gets interesting. Moving baits like a small crankbait (Rapala DT6 and DT10) and a Shad Rap catches lots of bigger fish. Don’t forget about rattle baits, like the Rat-L-Trap, and even a spinnerbait or ChatterBait during mild days. Key on the 4- to 10-foot areas that have rocks or stumps and scattered brush. Many times you can find this cover on long, flat points or edges right before the bottom drops off.”

Linesides: Guide Robert Eidson reports, “Great! The birds showed up at Thanksgiving and are a big help finding busting fish. The north end of the lake is the hotspot right now. The most consistent bite right now is on a Flex-it spoon, followed by live bait fished one turn off the bottom, as well as a weighted freeline. Mid lake (Duck Hole to Clear Creek) is also holding fish, but these fish are up in the water column and are easier to catch on a weighted freeline and boards. These fish will also take a Mini Mack, as well as a full-size rig. The south end of the lake is also producing. There isn’t as much activity as the north end, but that goes for anglers, as well. Trolling has been working extremely well on the south end. A full-sized umbrella rig has been my go-to technique on the south end to start my day. Once I locate a good school of fish, I’ll switch over to live bait and put out a complete spread. The bite right now is one of the most consistent bites I have seen in winter in years.”