We welcome the first weekend of Spring and look forward to a fantastic season of fishing on Lake Allatoona this year. Allatoona is currently at 834 feet - around 6' below full pool. Starting today the USACE has adjusted it's generation schedule with limited generation starting today and tomorrow. Current water temperatures are in the low 60's and the spawn for many species is imminent. There have been a few hard days for catching and there have been some great ones these past two weeks. Every time, we were simply happy to be fishing.
The Striper and Hybrid bite has not been stellar for numbers this past week. Maybe for two weeks. Sure, we can pound the water for 10 white fish but many fish are still singled out or in small pods. What we are finding is that the bigger fish are starting to come out and play. Within the next few weeks it will be a bonanza for numbers and size, but for today don't hesitate to just put lines out in a fishy area and start fishing. There are a lot of good singles out there and perseverance will help you run across some hungry ones. Freelines and Downlines are both producing with a favor to the freelines on our boat. Sending a bigger bait out on the side planers or float will likely land you a big fish strike. We had one stellar day with 5 fish from 24-30" in one hour and everyone of those went for a big bait swimming the surface. Another day we caught 30+ total Linesides that would only eat a 3-4" minnow or Threadfin. The initial pattern may be diversity until you hone in on what they want. Running the umbrella and mini macks as well as some Rapala DT6's and 10's can definitely give you an edge on covering a lot of water. Finding a decent school of fish right now is not impossible, but they are roaming a lot in our opinion . While we are just starting to see some better activity on the north end, many of our catches have been made from Galts to the Dam though today. Within a couple of weeks we could likely pick most any creek and fish the mouth for a limit or two.
The Crappie bite is just about to explode! Many of us have already gotten on some nice fish earlier in the season, and while they may be a little 'confused' with the ups and downs of the water, a little rain and the new moon should send them into a full on start to spawn. They will hopefully come back into the brush piles, other structure and cove backs and stay there for you and your family to catch a bunch. There were some great shore catches I saw just this afternoon on both Allatoona and Acworth.
The Spotted bass has been sighted all over the lake. They have taken every offering we have provided and we have not been targeting them. Now a man or woman on a mission for spotted bass could likely crush them with a pumpkin seed or other color Ned rig or other artificial. They have been a little easier to spot in schools off the ledges and points these past two weeks and we surely take advantage of that tight line they will provide, especially when other species are uncooperative.
We are in a unique season in our lives. Many of us off or even out of work and we are all asked to practice social distancing. There are real concerns. Maybe a little fishing will help clear out the cobwebs and place life in proper perspective for you and your family. It's a great week to take your kids or the neighbor's kids fishing for a few hours. There are plenty of great bait and tackle shops around the lake to pick up everything you need ranging from minnows and worms to rods and reels. We understand some may prefer full service so they might just maximize their time on the water together. Let us know if we can help facilitate that for you. Whatever you do, have fun and be safe, friends !
