Lake Allatoona Fishing Report May 2010

Allatoona: Level: 2.6 feet above full pool. Temp: 67 degrees. Clarity: Clear.

Bass: Excellent. Mike Bucca said, “Fishing for numbers now is outstanding. We are averaging 30 to 50 fish a trip now with some size mixed in. Pointer 78s and Flashminnow 95MRs are great for numbers. So is wacky-rigging or shaky-heading. Topwater is starting to turn on some as well. I’m not so sure there is a pattern other than just being on the water throwing at the shoreline, as the fish are everywhere right now. For the bigger fish, I’m doing best on a 6- or 7-inch Bull Shad swimbait. Weightless Senkos and Fat Ikas in blue pearl are dynamite right now, as well. The topwater bite should continue into the early parts of May. Once the topwater window gets shorter and shorter, you will have to go down deeper to get them. May is the best drop-shot month of the entire year on Allatoona. Anything resembling small fry as bait will work. GYCB Yamaminnows and Tiny Flukes are great choices for numbers. For the bigger fish, the swimbait will reign supreme. Swimbait fishing in May is not an easy bite, but those who stick with it can be rewarded with several nice fish. Work your way around boat houses and the thousands of cut shoreline trees along the lake. The best ones are near deeper water.” Matt Driver said May is topwater time on Allatoona. “Topwater is one of the most productive ways of producing numbers and size on Allatoona this month. Fish baits like the Spro Dawg 100 and the Zara Spook Jr. fast in a walk-the-dog motion. Early morning between 5 a.m. and 10 a.m. is the best time to catch fish with this method,” Matt said. “After the sun gets high, try a 1/8-oz. jig head with a green-pumpkin Big Bite Baits Squirrel Tail worm.” Craig Miller at the Dugout said, “The best way to catch bass this month is with topwaters in the morning. Cast walking baits such as a Sammy 100 in shad colors to points and steep rock banks. As the days warm up, switch gears and move to the creeks and coves and cast flukes and Trick Worms to any cover. If all else fails, go to a Carolina-rigged worm or lizard and move to points and flats on the main lake. Any small worm or lizard in green pumpkin will do the job.”

Linesides: Excellent. Robert Eidson said the lineside bite is on fire right now. The white-bass bite is dying off, but both the Little River and Etowah River runs are great for hybrids and stripers. Cut shad seems to be working best, but live shad and chicken liver will also work well. If you want to stay out and catch deeper fish, the Allatoona arm is producing tons of stripers and hybrids. Robert said Tanyard, Clark Creek, Iron Hill and from the 75 bridge to the spillway are all good places to look. Every hump and point should have some fish on them. Robert is having his best luck pulling hand-sized gizzard shad on flatlines and planer boards early, and then he’s switching to downlines once that bite slows. After about 10 a.m., start pulling a U-rig. Chartreuse has been the best color for bucktails on the U-rig, and Robert is pulling them 120 feet behind the boat at 3.1 mph. With the way they’re biting at Allatoona right now, even bank fishermen can catch fish. The spillway where Lake Acworth flows into the main lake is full of fish that can be caught from the bank right now. Also, Little River Landing is good. Cut shad and chicken liver are good baits. Night fishing under Hydro Glows has been good from Bethany Bridge to Park Marina. Shad or shiners fished down to about 18 feet should be good for the night bite.

Bream: Very good. “May is often a great month for bream on Allatoona,” said Craig. Look for beds in the creeks in pockets or fish around docks. Use pink worms or crickets.