Lake Allatoona Fishing Report March 2016

Allatoona: Level: 11.2 feet below full pool of 840. Temp: Low 50s. Clarity: Some stain.

Bass: Tournament angler Matt Driver reports, “Fishing on Lake Allatoona this month is going to be great. Even though the month will start off a little slow, it will pick up big time as we near the month of April. March is a month of transition. Transition is not based on water temperature alone. Right now bass are heading toward shallower water. The spawn will begin as early as the end of March. Fish will begin to feed up before the spawn occurs. March is by far the best month for big fish catches. The crankbait bite is king this month. The Spro Rock Crawler has been a great bait while the water has been in the low 50s. Fish points and rock outcropping in the mouths of the creeks. The lake has some stained areas, and the crankbait bite is effected less than baits that are more visual, like jerkbaits. Fish the Crawler on 10-lb. Sniper fluorocarbon on a Cashion cranking rod. If the water is clear, the jerkbait bite will be good most of the month. I am fishing the Spro McStick in both sizes. Shad patterns are working best. Start the month with a slow retrieve, and speed it up as temps get above 55 degrees. I fish the McStick on a medium Cashion jerkbait rod with 8- to 10-lb. fluorocarbon line. At the end of the month, a football head in the ditches in pockets and creeks will get good as big females move their way to bedding areas. Green pumpkin brown with a Big Bite Bait twin-tail grub works best. Locate ditches on your sonar, with 10- to 12-foot depths the most productive. I use a 7-6 medium/heavy Cashion jig and worm rod with 15-lb. Sniper or Shooter fluorocarbon line.”

Linesides: Very good. Guide Robert Eidson reports, “This has been the best February fishing we have seen in years. The water temps are are still in the high 40s, and there isn’t any sign of a shad kill. The fish are very aggressive and are crunching live bait. The south end of the lake is fishing better for numbers, but the north end of the lake is producing bigger fish. Flatlines and planner boards with with small baits—trout, shiners, gizzard shad and threadfin shad—is the ticket on the south end. But on the north end of the lake, a big gizzard shad is your best bet to catch a trophy. As we head into March, look for these fish to start to migrate north for the spawn run. The white bass will move up first, followed by the hybrids and stripers. I look for this to happen sometime around the March full moon.”