Lake Allatoona Fishing Report July 2011

Allatoona: Level: 0.1 feet below full pool. Temp: Upper 80s. Clarity: Clear.

Bass: Fair. Matt Driver reports, “July is still good for numbers, but size is hard to come by with 10- to 14-inch fish the norm. This month things get tough during the day but get a lot more predictable at night. In July all fish that are going deep have made their way to brushpiles, bluffs and boulders on the main lake. For bigger fish, the Little John DD crankbait in the cellmate color fished around deep cover in the 14- to 21-foot range will produce big spots and an occasional largemouth. Also, small jigs and Texas-rigged Kriet Tail worms in green pumpkin also work in these areas. In the summer months, electronics are a must for finding fish that are suspended deep around cover. If fish are found in the middle of the water column, a drop shot rigged with the new Big Bite drop-shot worm or a Robo Worm works great for finicky bites. Fish the main-lake area from Red Top to Little River where you find channel swings with steep changes in water depth.”

Linesides: Very good. The summer bite is in full swing, according to guide Robert Eidson, and folks are catching a ton of fish downlining and pulling umbrella rigs on the south end of the lake. Robert said dissolved oxygen levels have plummeted up north, and the fish have all moved south to between Bartow-Carver and the dam. Check Clear, Stamp, McKaskey creeks and Cooper Branch on up to the Bethany Bridge area. Robert said the thermocline is starting to set up at about 28 feet, and he’s catching all of his fish either downlining or trolling u-rigs at 28 feet. “Downlining a threadfin shad is absolutely the best bite on the lake,” Robert said, “but the shad will die quickly on the line, so take a lot of bait or keep a bucket of shiners as a back-up.” He said they’re biting shiners about 75 percent as well as they’re hitting the threadfins, but you’ll need to match the size of your hook to the size of your bait or the fish won’t hit. For example, Robert said a size 6 Gamakatsu octopus on a medium shiner is a good match. When using smaller hooks, be sure to use quality hooks so the fish don’t straighten them out.