Lake Allatoona Fishing Report – May 2020

Allatoona: Level: Full pool. Temp: 72 degrees. Clarity: 4 feet.

Bass: Tournament angler Matt Driver reports, “The month of May brings closure to the bass spawn and the beginning of a topwater smash fest! Shad have already started spawning, and the bass are feeding like crazy. The white bass and hybrid join in, as well. Shad spawn on hard surfaces, like rock, and will end that ritual just after daybreak. The best baits are shad-imitation baits, like the Picasso Suijin tipped with a Big Bite Baits Jerk Minnow. Also, topwater is on fire. Any walking bait will do, but I prefer a Zara Spook, a Spro Hydro Pop and a Pop-R. The bass can be targeted with jig-head worms, drop shots and finesse jigs. The best areas to catch fish right now are Cooper’s Branch, Illinois Creek and the mouth of Little River. The best shad spawn times are on the full moon.”

Guide Bill Payne reports, “We’ve been catching lots of fish on Picasso Suijins tipped with Zoom Flukes in white. Also, dragging plastics, like the Softy Lures finesse worm on a Picasso Rhino head in 3/16-oz., has put quite a few fish in the boat. An emerging topwater bite has come on pretty good, too. Key on shallow, rocky areas and flatter points with stumps or other shallow cover, like brush. Walking baits like the One Knocker Spook or the Whopper Plopper are my favorites. May is also when the fluke bite is the best of the year. As we get later into May, the 3/16-oz. Picasso Rhino head with a Softy Lures green-pumpkin finesse worm in brush 15 to 24 feet deep on long points will produce lots of bites.”

Linesides: Guide Robert Eidson reports, “Linesides fishing is great! The fish are coming back down out of the rivers and are feeding. Most mornings our boats are averaging 30-plus fish. Threadfins and shiners are working well on both freelines and downlines. All the major creeks are holding fish right now.”

Read archived fishing articles on GON’s Lake Allatoona page.