Let your New Year resolution be something that is attainable if you are a fisher - FISH MORE! Lake Allatoona is on a slow rise but is only at 822.70' through today and at 17 feet below full pool , this is the average winter pool that we can expect through spring . Water temperatures are holding in the 50° range and have risen just a tad after the warm weather we enjoyed last week .
The Linesides are cooperating nicely aboard our boat and 25-30 fish trips are not uncommon right now. Downlines have been producing well overall in the channels and edges with most fish being caught anywhere between 25 to 40 feet down this past week. Freelines are still producing some nice fish. Sometimes it's on the .5 mph troll and just a few feet down and sometimes the bite trigger has been as the bait starts to drop as we stop the boat .
Threadfin shad and especially gizzard shad and larger shiners and even trout are the best Livebait tickets to a tightline, with a small Flexi-spoon, Kastmaster or similar shiny object wiggled just right producing well if you are willing to work for that spoon bite.
We see a lot of planers being pulled on several fellow fishers boats, and while we ourselves sometimes spend the first hour or so going after a big one and looking for that bite, it can be a lonely wait with 0-2 opportunities being enjoyed the past 2 weeks with few 10lb.+ fish even being hooked. As for us, that's just not the most productive technique thorough today, but if that's what you have the most confidence in , keep on keeping on - the big boys and girls are on the prowl.
Trolling the U-rigs and Minis haven't been as productive this past week. In all fairness, after going through a sizeable pod of Linesides that are feeding/ breaking up the bait and not receiving more than a lick on the bucktails and other rig candy, we've been switching it up quickly and finding other techniques more productive. We all want to troll artificials and have them be productive. Let's face it, no tossing a net for bait or making special trips to the Bait Shack or Joe's Mart and keeping so much drier and warmer just pulling a rig is ideal when it's producing. When it's not, plan B,C and D should be implemented.
We have seen some good catches of Crappie lately and that bite is still available even while the fish are scattered. Longline trolling small jigs, both naked and tipped with a small minner, have been the most productive for numbers but some of the slabzillas are being hunted in the marinas around the boat transoms and the cables.
The spotted bass bite has been OK. While we are mostly picking up some smaller schoolies mainly on the livebait and then moving off of them, this is the time of year that BIG BASS can be had with a slowed down swim-bait presentation in my experience. I can shift gears when that Bass bug bites me and I have a personal day but I like to reserve that for when it gets so cold that even the loons are wearing sweaters.
I spent some time scouting and fishing another lake this past weekend and found fewer fish in the 100 of 50,000+ acres that actually had any bait or fish than one can find in most Any given 15-20 acres of Lake Allatoona - and that's being generous. While I have always had a great appreciation of the wonderful resources that our lake provides , my fondness for Allatoona has since grown exponentially. Wherever your passion takes you, enjoy where you are. As for me, you'll find me out here on Lake Allatoona most days of the year enjoying the bountiful resources of our backyard.
Whether you are desiring a first time Striper/Hybrid Adventure or are a seasoned and advanced angler looking to further hone your skills and expand your tool belt, I truly believe we have something to offer you that can be found useful on your personal excursions for years to come. We even have a couple of techniques that are tried and true aboard our boat that have yet to let us down even when the Linesides have the Lockjaw. Don't take my word for it - check out the smiles on our clients' faces and the catches we bring to the boat on any given day of the week. We are happy to share our 2020 vision, so let's go fishing! Call for availability: 404-919-4918 any time.
Happy New Year, friends!