Lake Allatoona Fishing Report – July 2018

Allatoona: Level: 0.2 feet low. Temp: 83-85 degrees. Clarity: Clear.

Bass: Tournament angler Matt Driver reports, “Fishing on Lake Allatoona in July is fair to good. The bass are mostly out deep during the daylight hours. July is known as a busy time on the lake with skiers and pleasure boaters, but the fishing can be real good. When temperatures are in the high 80s and the majority of bass are in the 15- to 25-foot range, main-lake points and channel swings are the ticket for good schools of fish. I have been doing well with deep crankbaits, like the Spro Little John DD and the Strike King 6XD and 8XD in blue gizzard. I crank with a 5:2:1 Shimano Curado and a 7-11 fiberglass rod with Sunline Sniper fluorocarbon. The lighter line allows the bait get to the desired depth easier. Bass are still holding on brushpiles and rocks. I am mixing up how I’m targeting these fish. I start off with a Big Bite 4-inch Cane Thumper and a Picasso double weed guard tungsten swimbait head while searching for active fish. Then, I’ll switch to a drop shot to catch those suspended fish that are a little more finicky. I use 6-lb. Sunline Sniper fluorocarbon, a No. 4 Gamakatsu drop-shot hook and a 3/8-oz. Picasso tungsten tear-drop weight. These fish are sometimes scattered on points and must be located with sonar. The key is not to spend time on fish that show up on sonar but don’t bite. Fish the area, and move to find active fish. I am still catching quite a few fish on the Picasso Suijin tipped with a 3.75 Big Bite Jointed Jerk Minnow. This bait works year-round on Allatoona. If all else fails, fish bluff walls.”

Linesides: Guide Robert Eidson reports, “Downlining shad is still the ticket to catching big numbers. Downlines fished in the mouth of any creek, creek channel or river channel will get you bit. The water temperature is rising, and the dissolved oxygen levels are falling. Bait isn’t living very long on a hook fished deeper than 24 feet. So, make sure you carry plenty of bait with you. There are two bites going on right now. The first one is from the dam to Holiday Marina. The other one is from the mouth of Kellogg to Bartow Carver. Dowlining threadfins and small gizzard shad is working extremely well fished 18 to 24 deep. Any deeper and the bait just doesn’t live very long. Trolling is good. The u-rig bite is finally taking off. We are starting to see multiple hook-ups on our trips. I am fishing my rigs 120 to 150 feet behind the boat at speeds of 2.4 to 3.3 mph. The rig bite should be on fire by the end of next week.”