Lake Allatoona Fishing Report May 2018

Allatoona: Level: 1.1 feet low. Temp: 66 degrees. Clarity: Clear.

Bass: Tournament angler Matt Driver reports, “Fishing is good. The month of May brings the end to the spawn and the beginning of a great topwater bite. This month, you will see postspawn fish begin to move to areas where they can recover from this spawn, rest and feed. May is time to think shad. Shad begin to spawn and invoke a feeding frenzy for bass, white bass and hybrids. Shad will spawn along hard surfaces/rock and will end that ritual just after daybreak. Try a shad imitation bait like the Picasso Suijin with a Big Bite Jerk Minnow.  Also, topwater is on fire. Any walking bait will do, but I prefer a Zara Spook or Spro Hydro Pop. The big females are moving to areas of refuge after coming off the bed. Bass will slowly be moving out toward summer areas and mid-depth brush. The fish can be targeted with jig-head worms, drop shots and finesse jigs. Watch your sonar for signs of bait and active fish.”

Linesides: Guide Robert Eidson reports, “Good! The lake and river bites are going strong. The fish up the river are eating just about everything; threadfins, gizzard shad, bream and cut bait. The fish on the main lake are feeding like it’s a summer pattern. The downrod bite is the most productive bite going on the lake right now. Fishing live shad at depths from 20 to 30 feet is producing for our boats from one end of the lake to the other. Big schools of hybrids can be found anywhere from the S-turns to as far south as Tanyard Creek. Our bait of choice has been big threadfins and small gizzard shad. Bait can be a little tough to catch right now, but the guys at Striper Soup have plenty in stock. These fish can be found on your Lowrance on or around most points, humps and flats. Good electronics can be a big help during the spring. Springtime is awesome for numbers on Lake Allatoona. Most days we are catching between 20 to 50 fish.”