Lake Allatoona Fishing Report – June 2007

Allatoona: Level: Down 2.6 feet below full pool. Temp: 75 degrees. Clarity: Mostly clear.

Bass: Fair, and improving. “We had some nasty winds all throughout May which made main-lake fishing for postspawn fish somewhat difficult,” said guide Mike Bucca. “Mini Me spinnerbaits were the hot item as were Pointer 78 jerkbaits and 4-inch blue-pearl Yamamoto weightless Senkos. There was some decent schooling on the calmer days in May, but during the wind it was a tough bite on the schoolers. Currently there is still some schooling going on right at first light if you’re on the right main-lake flat,” Mike said. Once the sun gets up, he recommends fishing Senkos, drop-shot rigs and jig-head worms for numbers of spotted bass, and for a bigger bite try a 10-inch swimbait. In June, it’s time for finesse. “Concentrate on the bluff walls with a 3/16- to 1/4-oz. jig-head worm like the Spot Stalker with a green-pumpkin Kut-Tail worm, and also the drop-shot rig,” Mike said. “Vary your bait size with the drop shot to find out what size shad the spots are feeding on. The magic depth in the beginning of June will be around 10 feet, and it will slowly fall down toward the 20-foot mark toward the end of June as the water temps continue to rise toward the 80s.”

Stripers: Excellent. Guide Robert Eidson said the fishing is so good you don’t need him right now. “Huge schools of fish are coming out of the river right now, and they’re setting up already for the summer patterns. The other day we had 35 in two hours, stripers and hybrids,” Robert said. “They’re not big fish, most are between 5 to 9 pounds, with the occasional 18-pounder every third or fourth day.” He’s fishing the Victoria Landing area, but he said there are fish from the mid-lake section all the way up to the dam. Fish downlines with live threadfin shad about 18 feet deep over 25 to 35 feet of water, concentrating on main-lake points and humps. “Every point or hump with a reef marker right now has fish on it,” Robert said. Umbrella-rigs are also very good right now over 15 to 30 feet of water over the long points and humps. The good fishing on these patterns will last through June, but with an added bonus. “Look for surfacing fish very early and late,” Robert said. “That should be getting started any day. I like a Super Fluke, they’re just easier to work and cast, and they’ll hit the fluke just fine. For kids, have them cast a popping cork with a Junior Fluke behind it.”