Lake Allatoona Fishing Report – May 2008

Allatoona: Level: Up 0.2 feet above full pool. Temp: 70-72 degrees. Clarity: Mostly clear.

Bass: Good for numbers. The bite for quality bass has been fair, said guide Mike Bucca. “The spots are being finicky. Some days they are busting shad from the backs to the mouths of coves, some days they aren’t. Just keep the trolling motor on high. You can get a fairly easy limit on blue-pearl Senkos. I am getting a few bites on the Hampton Shad swimbait, but you have to grind that bite out to make it work. Drop-shotting is working well on the bluffs, as is the Flashminnow 95MR. Expect the spots to go on the bed the last week of April to the first week or so of May. The Flashminnow 95MR is a great spot-spawn bait. Also have a Sammy 100 tied on. Once you get through the spotted-bass spawn after the first half of May, look for the schooling bite to intensify on the flats,” Mike said.

Linesides: Excellent, said guide Robert Eidson. “The river bite is on fire this year. It’s at its peak, and it should stay good for the next two weeks. Personally, I don’t go up the river because of all the boats, so I’m fishing the Allatoona Creek arm, and it’s almost as good as the river bite,” Robert said. Flatlines and planer boards are producing. Use threadfin or gizzard shad, and bass minnows will work, too. “You aren’t going to mark these fish. You’ll see them roll. Fish the sandy points, and all the reef markers have hybrids on them. Put the baits out at least 50 feet behind the planer boards and put the flatlines out at least 100 feet,” Robert said.

Shellcrackers: Excellent, Mike Bucca reports. “They are just loving the newly flooded grass.”