Lake Allatoona Fishing Report March 2018

Allatoona: Level: 10.4 feet low. Temp: 57-59 degrees. Clarity: Clear to stained.

Bass: Tournament angler Matt Driver reports, “Fishing on Lake Allatoona is on fire. March is definitely one of the best months of the year to catch a quality bass. March madness truly fits Lake Allatoona this month. Fish are on the move and heading shallow quick since we had such a warm February. Even though I believe we will have some cold days in the month of March, I do not think it will slow the bite at all. This month is all about covering water. Fish spinnerbaits, Scroungers, A-rigs and jerkbaits. My weapon of choice is a white skirt with white willowleaf blades for the spinnerbait. Points with laydown trees are the best areas to target. Next is the Scrounger. I throw a 1/4-oz. tipped with a Big Bite alewife 4-inch Jerk Minnow fished on 10-lb. Sunline Sniper Fluorocarbon and a glass composite medium-cranking rod. Make a long cast, and just slowly reel it back. The A-rig has 1/8-oz. heads and white Big Bite Cane Thumpers. I actually fish this very similar to the Scrounger with a cast and retrieve. Both the A-rig and Scrounger are open-water baits. As far as the jerkbait, I am using a Spro McStick, and on fish that are slightly deeper, I’ll use the Spro McRip. I keep both baits tied on, and switch back and forth until the fish show me which ones are performing best that day. I throw all jerkbaits on Sunline Sniper 8-lb. test.  Fish areas around Illinois Creek, the mouth of the Little River and the Sweetwater Creek area. Get out and take a kid fishing with you. Thirty-fish days are not out of the question.”

Linesides: Guide Robert Eidson reports, “Fishing is getting good. The fish are starting to move both north and south. On the north end, from Little River, the mouth of S turns, Sweetwater and up to Fields Landing has been good. Look for early river run this year. It should start by first or second week of March. On the south end, there’s clearer water in the Allatoona Creek arm. The numbers are better on the south end, but the fish aren’t as big. Flatlines and planer board are good early, and then fish downlines 18 to 22 feet deep after sun comes way up. Umbrella rigs are also good later in the mornings. There’s just as strong a spring run up the Allatoona arm as the rivers. We had a monster shad kill this year. That’s good for fishing but makes it harder to catch bait. The fish shouldn’t be as picky.”