Lake Allatoona Fishing Report – May 2007

Allatoona: Level: Down 3.2 feet below full pool. Temp: 61 degrees, but expect it to rise quickly. Clarity: Clear.

Bass: The cold snap made things a bit difficult in mid April, but it’ll straighten out quickly. “When that water temp reaches mid 60s, watch out the fishing is going to be bust wide open,” said guide Mike Bucca. Look for a good topwater bite to emerge by the first of May that will get better and more consistent as the month progresses. First thing in the morning, watch for surface activity on flats inside the smaller pockets off the main lake and off main-lake points. Schools of nice-sized spotted bass can be found. If you see multiple fish breaking, throw a Sammy, Pop-R or other topwater plug, or try a Fluke or hard jerkbait. You can catch fish on a Carolina-rigged Trick Worm between spurts of topwater action.

Linesides: Good. The river run is in full swing, but guide Robert Eidson is catching plenty of fish down in the lake on the Allatoona Creek arm. “The water is low because of the drought. Big boats are a problem up the rivers, so I’m staying away from it. I’m making a living from Iron Hill to Tanyard Creek. Last week we had 17 stripers in one morning,” Robert said. He recommends flatlines and planer boards in the morning, and then at 9:30 a.m. start switching over to downlines, or start trolling an umbrella rig. “The u-rig bite has been off the charts,” Roberts said. The mid-section of the lake from Clear Creek to Bartow-Carver has good numbers of hybrids, but the the size hasn’t been as good as up the river and in Allatoona Creek.