3/8/2011: Lake Allatoona Fishing Report
I finally had a chance to hit Allatoona for the first time in a LONG time and it was finally nice to be on a familiar body of water. Unfortunately the weather was not nearly as nice as it has been but I was thankful to have an opportunity on the water. I put in at Blockhouse around 11 and only fished until 3:30. The winds were horrible out of the SE blowing at 10 MPH with gust to 20 MPH with overcast skies. No matter where I fished I could not seem to get out of the winds. The lake was slightly stained and even clear in some areas in the main lake with moderate stain in the backs of the creeks. The warmest water I could find was located in pockets off of the main lake in the Allatoona Creek side (52.6 deg) with most of the smaller creeks such as Clark and Tanyard in the 50 to 51 deg range. I threw an assortment of small, shallow diving crank baits, jigs and Tackle Doctors Spinner Baits. The only successful bait of the day was the Tackle Doctors Spinner Bait. I threw the white/chartreuse color scheme on wind blown points and in the channels of shallow creek beds. I landed a pair of 17" spots and one 16" spot. I had two swing and misses with the jig which were very light bites and hard to detect with the intense winds. When the water temps rise a few more degrees the spinner bait bite will be on fire! I was hoping to hit the lake today as well but mother nature had the upper hand. Good luck on the water and be safe.
11/20/2010: Lake Allatoona Fishing Report
Today was the November American Fishing Tour Division 125 Tournament on Lake Allatoona and yet another beautiful Fall day with excellent fishing. I shifted gears from the last tournament (previous report) and focused on the spotted bass bite. I found an excellent point just off of the main lake near the dam that was loaded with some decent sized fish (14 to 17 inch range) and within the first hour of the tournament I had a limit using a Red Eye Shad crank bait. As the sun rose the crank bait bite setteled down and I changed my bait selection to a finesse jig and paca trailer on the same main lake points. As I came across any laydown structure I would hit every square inch of it using a Zoom lizard rigged Texas style. By the day's end I boated over thirty fish with only a handful of these being undersized. I weighed in a healthy limit that went eight pounds on the scales. It was a beautiful day on the lake with temps in the low 30s early and pushing 70 by weigh-in. The water was clear, 61 degrees and down nearly eight feet. All the equiptment and tackle that I used today was purchased at Natures Tackle Box. The store is carrying new tackle everyday and now has the best supply of lures, plastics and accessories that I have ever seen. Good luck on the water and be careful!
10/30/2010: Lake Allatoona Fishing Report
I competed in the American Fishing Tour Division 125 Tournament today and it was actually the first time on the "Dead Sea" in over a month. Fortunately, the day did not live up to the lake's slang name. I began the day at the mouth of Clark Creek area with a Tackle Doctors Spinner Bait. On my third cast I landed a healthy 15" spot. I spent over an hour in the mouth of the creek and had a small limit plus three of spots. As the sun rose higher I traveled further back into the creek and hit the laydowns on the eastern shoreline of Clark just past the Glade Road bridge. It was on! Every laydown in Clark Creek had fish in it. I threw a green pumpkin lizard all day there and put over thirty fish in the boat (all but three were largemouth). Unfortunately the size was not there but the numbers were. I didn't boat a single largemouth under 13" but I didn't catch one over 16". I still had a great day on the lake and boated more fish than I have in a long time. The weather was clear skies with cool temps in the morning (38 degrees) and warmer in the afternoon (74 degrees). The water was clear in the main lake and slightly stained in the creeks with a water temperature of 68 degrees. The water level was also down six feet below full pool. Good luck and be safe on the water.
8/29/2010: Lake Allatoona Fishing Report
I made it out for a few hours yesterday evening. I spent the first two hours up Allatoona Creek checking some things out for this Fall. Despite not getting a single bite, I was at least able to see what I needed to see. Eventually I moved to the main lake to fish some points that have been producing fish all summer long and BINGO! Within thirty minutes on the first point that I fished I had a limit in the boat. Most of my fish came off of a small crank bait in 12 to 20 beet of water but I did manage one jig fish and one spinner bait fish. Of course, my largest fish of the day was off the the Tackle Doctors Spinner Bait (15.5"). The crank bait worked well due to the intense boat traffic until around 7PM when things finally died down; that was when the spinner bait bite started to crank-up (that was also when I had to go in). By days end, I ended up with eight spots that ranged from 13.5 to 15.5 inches. The water up Allatoona creek was heavily stained (vis 6" to 1') and water in the main lake was clear. The water temps were the same in both areas of the lake holding steady at 85.5 degrees. It was great being able to take advantage of an early "Fall like" weather day. Good luck to everyone that is able to hit the lake this week and be safe.
8/8/2010: Lake Allatoona Fishing Report
I started just after safe-light out of Blockhouse and focused on main lake points in Allatoona Creek with Tackle Doctor Spinner Baits and Sebile Magic Swimmers. I observed that the spots are beginning to school in numbers ranging from three or four to as many as twelve to a school and size ranging from dinks to three pounds. This is hopefully a good sign of things to come this fall.
The larger numbers of shad are being found in pockets off of the main lake as well as the mouths of creeks. I ran across a school of shad in Allatoona Creek that stretched at least fifty feet by fifty feet and extended from the surface to fifteen feet deep. All the fish I caught in the main lake had decent sized bellies and regurgitated shad all over my boat. The bite right now is still slower than normal due to the heat but I found a top water bite that worked all morning long! The spinner bait worked well early and the Magic Swimmer worked well later in the morning and early afternoon. My largest fish of the day (only 16") was caught mid-day on the surface in 80 ft of water. I did not catch a single fish on a soft plastic. By the time I had to get ready for work I boated thirteen spots of which only two were under 12". The water was clear in the main lake and averaged 89 degrees everywhere I fished. The weather was HOT and sunny.
Best of luck to everyone on the water and be safe!
7/30/2010: Lake Allatoona Fishing Report
I was able to take a young angler out for a few hours on Friday. Frankie is sixteen and loves fishing and wants to get more involved with the sport. He told me it had been years since he caught his last spotted bass and wanted to catch some spots. He knew that summer fishing was tough so I tried the best I could to get him on some summertime spots on Allatoona.
We started the day hitting main lake points with the Tackle Doctors Spinner Bait and it paid off! The hybrids were non existent in the area we were fishing and all surface action, although short and sweet, was spots. We took four decent spots in the first hour using the Toona Special. They were hitting the bait hard so it was some nice action! As the temperatures and sun rose the bite slowed down. This is when we moved to deep water humps and deep water creek channels. We focused on two main areas at the mouth of Stamp Creek and in an area in Clear Creek. The bites were slow to occur averaging one fish every fifteen to twenty minutes but the bites were consistent all day long- you just had to be patient. We were slowly dragging Shaky heads with trick worms off of the sides of the humps and along the deep creek channels. The majority of the bites came in 20 to 30 feet of water. By days end (actually when the heat became unbearable) we boated fifteen spots and one largemouth all of which were between 13 to 18 inches. We did not have the best quality but the numbers were there at least for summer standards. The most important thing is that Frankie had an awesome time and learned how to catch some fish in the "dog days" of summer on Allatoona. The water conditions were typical for a hot summer with temps ranging from 87 early to 90 by mid afternoon. The clarity in the main lake was greater than 5ft. Good luck to everyone out on the water and be safe.
4/9/2010: Lake Allatoona Fishing Report
I made it out to the lake yesterday to try my luck for some "post-frontal" bass. I put in at Blockhouse at 7:30 and fished until 5. The morning temps were in the lower 40s but it warmed up nicely to the upper 60s by the afternoon. I focused on two different patterns in Allatoona Creek. I spent some time in the back of creeks looking for a largemouth bite and I spent some time on rocky points looking for spots. The back of the creeks proved to hold some fish but mostly bucks with little success for "big mamas". I did manage to briefly hook into one female that was at least five or more pounds but she came unbuttoned after her first turn. Unfortunately I had a poor hook set. After several hours of shallow water creek fishing I decided to hit some main lake rocky points. The bite was on! I cleaned house in a short period of time and all the spots were very healthy looking and ranged from the 13.5" to 17" range. Nothing huge but some non-stop action from some decent sized fish. I used three baits all day and caught over 20 fish. All the largemouth in the creeks came off of an 8" Zoom lizard rigged Texas style and all of my spots came off of two different Tackle Doctors spinner baits. I used the Allatoona Special color scheme in the stained water and along mud-lines that paralleled the shore and a new prototype Spot Candy colored spinnerbait in the clear water. This new Spot Candy spinner bait by Tackle Doctors is an awesome bait. On my very first cast I caught a 16" spot and proceeded to catch seven more of his buddies using this bait. I still managed to catch my largest spot and largest of the day with the Allatoona Special. The water conditions were just perfect with temps generally hanging around 67 to 68 in all areas of the lake. The back of creeks were fairly stained with the water in the main lake to be generally clear with some mud-lined shores due to some wind and boat traffic. Good luck to everyone hitting the lake this weekend and be safe!!
3/25/2010: Lake Allatoona Fishing Report
I finally hit Allatoona for the first time since December of last year! The water temps are finally on the rise which means the spinnerbait bite is on. I put in at Blockhouse around 8:45 and fished until about 1 and stayed in the Allatoona Creek area the entire time. The water between the Hwy 41 bridge and I-75 bridge was heavily stained but averaged around 57 degrees. The water around the Allatoona Landing area was slightly stained and averaged 55.5 degrees. I caught 12 fish ALL on the Tackle Doctors Allatoona Special, eight of which were over 12". All fish were caught on wind-blown, shallow points and rocky shorelines. On one point I bagged three keepers in less than five minutes! I must have missed at least 15 fish due to the typical "spotted bass slapping" on the blades of my spinnerbait. Once I added a trailer hook, my catch ratio rose dramatically, therefore a trailer hook is a MUST unless you are fishing in "thick stuff". Overall for the short amount of time on the water it was a fairly good day. The quality was not there but the numbers were. My best five would have only gone 6 to 6.5 lbs. As everyone knows, I always post pics with my reports but my camera just bit-the-dust! Just another fun expense this month. Take care and be careful on the water!
10/4/2009 Lake Allatoona Fishing Report
I hit Allatoona for a couple to hours last evening to take advantage of the the high water before it goes down to normal levels. I put in at Blockhouse at 4 PM and fished until 6:30. The water level was roughly 9.5 ft above full and had a slight stain (at least in Allatoona Creek). I was able to catch a limit of Allatoona specials plus two short fish. All of my fish were caught on a jig around submerged trees and pine trees in 3 to 8ft of water. I had a short but sweet time. It is good to be back on Toona!
9/27 - 10/2/2009 Lake Pickwick National Championship Recap
Well the Pickwick adventure is finally over. Weather and boat issues made for a very exciting tournament. I finished 190th out of nearly 400 anglers. This was NOT the finish that I was looking for but that is just part of fishing. On day one of the tournament around 9:30 my boater's engine started running rough and would not go above 1500 RPM. This was not good since we were 20 miles down the river! After working on the issue for almost two hours with no resolve we decided to head back toward the ramp. It was a VERY exciting 5 hour ride!! At least my spot that we hit first had fish on it and I managed three keepers and my boater caught his limit. The bad thing was that our day was over after only fishing for an hour and a half. On day two and three of the tournament I drew two non-boaters and finally able to use my own boat. I caught a limit on both days but day one ruined any chances of getting into the money. I ended the tournament with just under 16 lbs (lost .50 lbs after loosing 2 fish in the livewell). Despite the frustration during the tournament and the crazy weather and waves during the practice days I still had an awesome time. I caught a ton of fish and definitely lived up to my name of "Mr. Prefish". Almost all of my fish were caught off of a Tackle Doctor's Spinner Bait with a white skirt and silver and gold willow leaf blades. The spinner bait bite was very consistent every morning the entire week. In the late morning and afternoon most of my fish were caught off of a finesse jig with a Tiny Paca Craw trailer.
I was very impressed with how the ABA ran the tournament and can't wait until the National Championship next year at Kentucky Lake.
9/18/2009 Lake Allatoona Fishing Report
I made it out to the lake for a few hours this afternoon. I put in at Blockhouse at 3 and fished until 6. Today I focused on shallow lay-downs in the Clark Creek area. This paid off! Almost every lay down in the creek was holding fish with some trees holding several nice keepers. The water was murky and I really had to work over the trees but the results were rewarding. I used an 8" Zoom Green Pumpkin Lizard the entire time. I caught a reputable limit an lost two good fish that drove me into thick cover. The water temp was a steady 78 deg and the water was down about 3.5 ft below full pool.
9/15/2009 Lake Allatoona Fishing Report
Well, I set the alarm clock for 4:30 with the intent to get an early start to hit Guntersville. Unfortunately I set the alarm for 4:30 PM and did not roll out of bed until 10. Needless to say I got a late start to the day. So I decided to hit Allatoona for a few hours.
I launched out of Blockhouse around 1 and fished until 5. This seemed to be the peak time for the rain. At one time I had about 2 inches of water in the bottom of the boat and the bilge was definitely working overtime. The good thing was that the weather did not stop the fish from biting. I focused on the creeks today and thew the Tackle Doctor's Allatoona Special Spinner Bait most of the day. The fish were inhaling the Allatoona Special and I ended up with 15 fish with the best five weighing over 8lbs. All fish were caught in less than 4ft of water. The water temp was a steady 78.9 everywhere I fished.
I also got a chance to use my new Skeet Reese Tessera Rod that I purchased at Nature's Tackle Box. This rod is awesome. I also can't wait to get my hands on the new Colmic rods for my jig and shaky head fishing. Stop by Nature's Tackle Box and take a look at their product. You will be impressed.
Overall it was a great four hours on the water despite the weather. Good luck and be safe!!
9/03 and 9/04/2009 Lake Allatoona Fishing Report
I made it out for a few hours the past two days to get an idea of what is going on in the lake since I have not hit Allatoona in several weeks. I fished from 1 PM to 4 PM on Thursday and 7 AM to 11 AM on Friday. On both days I was able to catch a healthy limit in just a short period of time. The bite was fairly predictable and the bait choice was dependent on the sun and cloud cover relationship. I cant give many details but the fish are getting active............hint, hint, hint! The water was clear in the main lake and slightly stained in the creeks and temp was a steady 80 degrees in most areas of the lake. Best of luck on the water and be safe, especially this weekend over Labor Day!
8/17 and 8/18/2009 Pickwick Lake Report
I made it over to Pickwick Lake for a couple of days to get familiar with the lake and do some early prefishing for the ABA National Championship at the end of next month.
Monday (8/17) was my best day with 15 keepers all of which were between 13" to 18". I caught a healthy mix of largemouth, spots and smallmouth. The greatest numbers being largemouth. All fish were caught on the jig and Tackle Doctor's Spinning bait in water ranging from 2' to 15'.
Tuesday (8/18) was a little slower day and I had to work harder to catch a limit. All 7 green fish caught on day two of my Pickwick adventure were largemouth. However, I did venture up a deep water creek and found some 70 degree water and hooked up with a nice striper.
The river fishing experience was awesome and I was very impressed with Pickwick Lake. I realize things will completely change by tournament time but it still gave me a great excuse to get away for a couple days.
Weather: Mostly cloudy on both days with some periodic rain showers. Winds on Monday were from the SE at 10 to 15 kts and on Tuesday the winds were light and variable. Temps both days were around 88.
Water: Slightly stained and 85 deg in most parts of the lake.
7/21/2009 Lake Allatoona Fishing Report
I FINALLY made it out to Toona to do some fishing. It was my first time out on the lake in almost a month. I put in at Blockhouse at 7PM and fished only two hours. I had to stay close to the ramp because my gas was sitting on EMPTY. I headed Southwest under the I-75 bridge and fished some brush piles and points. My first stop was a brush pile in 15' of water. I tossed a finesse jig and paca craw combo and had the "classic" largemouth bite. I hooked up with something BIG. What a fight. After fighting what I thought was a monster largemouth for several minutes, I finally caught a glimpse of what was on the end of the line.............Mr. Stinky! I landed a catfish that went almost 8 lbs and was one of the longest catfish that I have ever caught. I was a little disappointed but sure had a fun, cheap thrill. I did manage to catch two 12" spots and one 13" largemouth. All fish were caught off of brush-piles in 12 to 15' of water using the same finesse jig and paca craw combo. It was not a real good night for the green fish but for only two hours on the water I had a great time. It was a beautiful, clear night with light and variable winds. The temps were in the low 80's and the water ranged from 85.5 to 86.2 deg. There was a slight stain in Allatoona creek (2-3 ft of vis).
5/30 - 6/11/2009 Lake Allatoona Fishing Report
I apologize for not posting any reports in awhile. I was trying to keep my mouth shut and not reveal too much information before the ABA Division 125 Two Day Tournament. I finished in 6th place last weekend but lost several fish that would have definitely boosted my final ranking. That is just all part of fishing!!
Anyways, as for June......... At least for me it seems to be a very crazy month. As usual, what seems to be working one day does not seem to work the next day. The morning bite seems to be the most inconsistent of all the patterns that I have come up with lately. On day one of our tournament, I did not get the first fish into the boat until 11 AM. On day two, I had three fish in the boat before 7:30 AM. At the end of last month I seemed to be nailing fish in the morning bite with the Sammy and Spook in pockets off of the main lake. This past week that bite totally turned off and the fish only wanted the Tackle Doctor's Toona Special Spinning Bait around rocky points and shoreline. I have found that to currently be the most productive "morning bite" weapon out of the arsenal. (You need to go pick some up at Nature's Tackle Box!!!) The key to the afternoon bite is SLOW DOWN! The fish are definitely getting into the summer mode and I have caught most of my afternoon fish in 12 to 20 feet of water near some shade, lay down cover or rocky points and drop-offs. My favorite afternoon selections have included the Shaky Head with Grande Bass finesse Baits and the Tackle Doctor's Finesse Jigs with a Paca Craw. It may be easier to explain what I was using to catch each fish with a little caption on top the the pictures posted below.
The weather lately has been beautiful with an occasional thunderstorm in the afternoon. Highs have been around 85. The moon phase from 5/30 was a waxing gibbous to 6/11 being a wanning gibbous. The water temps have been holding steady the last week with mid to upper 70's in the morning to around 82 in the afternoon. The water has been clear in the main lake (except on the weekends around the shore due to to boat traffic) and 3 to 4 ft of visibility in the creeks.
Sorry for the long-winded report but I had some catching up to do! June has always been a tough month for me but it is shaping up to be on of my new favorite times on Allatoona. Good luck and be safe on the water!!
5/30: Fishing with Sean (Alvin). All fish were caught in 12 to 16 ft of water using a Tackle Doctor's Jig and Paca Craw Combo around some brush and rocky points.
6/6: Spots were caught with Tackle Doctor's Jig and Paca Combo and the LM was caught near some boat docks with the Jackall Flick Shake
6/7: All fish were caught in the morning off of rocky shoreline using the Tackle Doctor's Allatoona Special Spinning Bait. I also lost about a 5 lb LM fishing near some docks with the Jackall Flick Shake
6/10: Today I caught my NEW Allatoona personal best. She weighed exactly 9 lbs. I caught her on Mike Bucca's favorite bait.......The Shaky Head. I was using a finesse worm that Bob"Porko" Smith gave me to try from Grande Bass (Trophy Hunter Baits). These baits are AWESOME!!! Later that same night, my Uncle, Dad and I boated about a dozen more nice spots. Thanks Bob!!!
6/11: My dad and I made it out for a few hours and caught all of our fish (spots) on a single rocky point in 12 ft of water using a shaky head and Grande Bass Finesse Worm
05/16/2009 West Point Lake Fishing Report
Today was the last Division 99 AFT tournament. The weather was one of the most challenging factors of the day with heavy rain falling most of the day. The good news was the bite was HOT. I boated over 50 fish on the day. Most of the fish were spots with just a handful of small largemouth. I had my limit by 9:00 AM and began going after the "Big Bite" for the rest of the tournament. My quick limit of spots came off of a small Norman crank bait and the Shaky head off of a shallow hump in Turkey Creek. The same shallow hump produced over 20 spots within about an hour time span. Most of the fish were in the 11 to 12" range but I did manage a few 13 and 14" spots. Through the remainder of the day I fished my largemouth spots but came up short. I did manage to cull four times and picked up maybe a 1/2 pound. The action was exciting and nearly constant despite the weather but the quality fish were no where to be found. The water was slightly rain-cooled with temps at 77.8. The water was clear in the main lake and slightly stained in the creeks and pockets. Despite the NASTY weather it sure was a fun day. Sorry I have no pictures to post but I did not want to ruin my camera.
05/09/2009 Lake Allatoona Fishing Report
Today was the last one day divisional tournament of Georgia North Division 125. The bite on especially if you want to catch a little smaller fish. I boated nearly 25 spots but most were in the 11 to 12" range. I stuck with the Tackle Doctors Spinning bait from first light until around 2 PM when the sun began to really warm things up. My biggest spot (3.32lbs.) came off of a small pocket off of the main lake at first light with the Toona Special Spinning bait. I found most of the fish holding around rocky points and small pockets that were harboring bait fish. I did manage to catch a few nice fish just before weigh-in on the Shaky head in 15' of water along some rocky shoreline. The numbers have been excellent but the quality has not been the best. The water temps ranged from 73 early to 77.3 late. The water in the main lake is clear and water in the creeks and pockets is slightly stained. The weather was partly to mostly cloudy and warm with temps in the mid 80's. All the fish in the picture were caught off of the Toona Special Tackle Doctors Spinning Bait. (Total Sack weight: 6.23 lbs.)
4/05/2009 Lake Allatoona Fishing Report
I was able to make it up to Toona today with Rick Tilson after our Royal Purple Promotion at O'Reilly Auto Parts. We put in at Blockhouse around 2:30 and fished until 7:30. The key today was fishing SLOW. We could not buy a bite on spinning, crank or jerk baits. We finally started catching fish on shaky heads and jigs don't forget a little splash of JJ's Magic! Most fish were in 3 to 18 feet of water around cover and rocks. We boated around 13 fish with our best five going around 11 pounds. The water in the pockets were stained and the water in the main lake was clear except for the pollen layer on the top. Water temps ranged from 62 to 64.5 degrees. This will be the last report for the week due to work and an upcoming tournament. Best of luck on the water and be safe!!
3/28/2009 Lake Allatoona Fishing Report
I finally hit the lake with a friend around 1 (after most of the rain pushed through) and fished until 4:30. Once again it was another excellent day on the lake. The fish would only bite two baits today opposed to yesterday; the shaky head/trick worm combo dipped in J.J.'s Magic and the jerk-bait. When the shad would surface, we would throw the jerk-bait and when things died down, we would throw the shaky head. The fish are still holding in pockets off the main lake in 4 to 20 feet of water. I found a deep, narrow pocket that was LOADED with fish and we even had a few double hook-ups. The water temps are still 58.7 degrees and the water in the main lake is clear and in the pockets it is slightly stained. By the time we got off the water we boated 20 quality spots and one 5# hybrid. Our best five fish would have easily been over eight pounds. Today was a short trip but certainly rewarding. Best of luck on the water and be safe!
3/27/2009 Lake Allatoona Fishing Report
What a day on the lake! Despite getting SOAKED it was well worth the wet trip. I beat my old personal best day on the lake by numbers of fish set two weeks ago by eight fish. By days end I boated 37 spots, 1 largemouth and 1 white bass and an incredibly sore thumb! I did not catch a single fish under 12". My smallest fish was the largemouth at 12.5" and the largest fish was a 17" chunky spot. I did lose one spot that would have been a wall hanger. I got him to the boat and was speechless when I first saw it. I know that it had to be at least 6 pounds and when it made one last run toward the bottom it broke my newly spooled 14# line. I may have accidentally said a few choice words after that!!
The fish were the most active that I have seen since last fall. During the heavy rain, I used a shaky head and trick worm combination around docks and within the first 10 min I had my limit plus one. I would say that I caught around 18 or 19 fish on the shaky head around docks, shallow inlets off the main lake and rocky points. In one particular inlet I boated 7 fish in 7 cast and two while I was on the phone (catching fish while on the cell phone has to account for some type of talent!!). The rest of my fish were caught using Tackle Doctors Spinning Baits, small crank baits and jerk-baits in the same shallow inlets. I would change the baits selection based on water depth, clarity and structure. After the rain ended, it was awesome to see the fish feeding HEAVILY on shad. You could see fish busting on top in almost every inlet off of the main lake. This was when the jerk-bait and Dr. Spot Spinning bait was the most exciting. Even though it was a wet, rainy day it was an awesome Toona experience.
All of my fish were caught in 2 to 15 ft of water. The water clarity was 3-4 ft. The water temp was 58.7 almost everywhere on the lake. The weather..........Horrible. At least the lake is now almost at full pool. Good luck on the water and be safe!!
3/26/2009 Lake Allatoona Fishing Report
Well....Mr. Prefish is back at it again. I think I enjoy sore-mouthing fish before tournaments. I finally got on the water yesterday afternoon around 5:30 and fished until 7:30. The first spot I wanted to check out for the upcoming tournament I accidently caught a three pound LM. I caught it in 2ft. of water next to cover using a Tackle Doctors Spinning Bait (Dr. Spot). Needless to say I put the rods down after that! The creeks are heavily stained and getting worse but the main lake areas are still clear (as of last night). Water temps ranged from 58.5 to 61.5 depending on location. It looks like I may get a little WET today fishing but I need to take advantage of my days off work. Best of luck and be safe on the water!
3/19/2009 Lake Allatoona Fishing Report
I went out yesterday with my uncle to do some crappie fishing and it turned out to be a very interesting day. I hit about six of my favorite crappie holes and did not get a single bite.......at least from a crappie. However, we did manage to catch our limit of spots and two really nice catfish. The biggest cat weighed a little over five pounds and my uncle sure did have fun reeling it in on a crappie rod with light line. The water is clearing up fast from last week's rain but the debris still litters the top so be careful if you are running fast. Temps ranged anywhere from 54 to 58 degrees and the water level is 838 ft (only down two feet). All our fish were caught on crappie and bass minnows in 2 to 10 feet of water around submerged Christmas trees and timber. The spots ranged between 12.5" to 14" and the catfish were 5# and 3.2#s. We had a great day enjoying some NICE spring weather and fishing. Good luck and be safe on the water!!
3/12/2009 Lake Allatoona Fishing Report
I got a very late start and was finally on the water around 1 and fished until 6. In just five hours I boated 31 spots. I focused on pockets and small creeks off of the main lake in Allatoona Creek. Every pocket I stopped at had fish. Unfortunately I didn't get into any real big fish but the toona specials sure kept the day exciting with non-stop action. My largest fish was just over two pounds with my best five going around six to seven pounds. All my fish were caught on TACKLE DOCTORS SPINNER BAITS (DannyP's Allatoona Special) and small crank baits. The larger spots were caught on the blades and the smaller spots on the crankbaits. I changed the front treble hook on the crankbait with a #4 Gamakatsu treble and didn't lose a single fish (unlike Saturday's ABA tournament!!). The water temps in the main lake averaged 56 and temps in the pockets and creeks were as high as 59 degrees. I would highly recommend going to Nature's Tackle Box and stocking up on some Tackle Doctors spinning baits; Spring is right around the corner!!! Good luck on the water and be safe.
3/6 and 3/7/2009 Lake Allatoona Fishing Report
Friday and Saturday has been absolutely beautiful and the fishing is really picking up. Unfortunately yesterday for the ABA tournament I only weighed in three fish but I lost six fish (four at the boat) and it was all my fault. The current pattern that is working for me is using small crank baits and blades in shallow water (five feet or less). When you use these small crank-baits such as shallow diving Bandit or Norman lures MAKE SURE TO REPLACE THE FORWARD TREBLE HOOK TO AT LEAST A SIZE #4. All four of the fish lost at the boat were at least 14" with one I know was well over 2#. They came unbuttoned due to the small hooks on the lure I was using. The bigger fish I am catching are off of blades (DannyP Toona Special found at Nature's Tackle Box) in the same shallow water areas. The good thing is the coldest water I found yesterday was 50.8 with the warmest being 54 in a muddy, sunny protected pocket. Good luck on the water and be safe.
2/12/2009 Lake Allatoona Fishing Report
A wise angler once told me when I am pre-fishing for a tournament and come across an area that looks really good, don't mess with it until the day of the tournament. Well, I found just that and on the third cast I landed a 3.8lb spot. The moral of the story is: when pre-fishing, don't fish!
Once again I got a late start and put in at Blockhouse around noon. The water is gradually warming up with temps in the upper 40s in the main lake and low 50s in the creeks. I didn't do much fishing mostly looking so I don't have much information to share. I did manage to catch two other fish before I decided to lock up the rods so I didn't give any more fish a sore mouth before Saturday. I caught today's fish off of Tackle Doctor's Spinner Baits and Xcaliber crank baits. I am sorry that I can't get into too many details but things are beginning to pick-up. I just hope this pattern holds until Saturday! Best of luck to all on the water and be safe!
2/10/2009 Lake Allatoona Fishing Report
I wish I could do this in a tournament!
I got a very late start today and put in at Blockhouse at 2:15. With the warm weather that we have been having lately, I had an idea of where and what type of water I wanted to try fishing and it paid off. I only caught one fish today but it was a 20" bucket mouth that weighed slightly over 6lbs. Once again, I was using the DannyP Toona Special Spinning Bait that I got from Christie at Nature's Tackle Box. If you don't have any of Danny's blades, you need to go get some. They are awesome! Unfortunately due to an upcoming ABA tournament this Saturday I can't give too many details. I was off the water by 4:15 but had a great two hours of fishing. Good luck and be safe on the water!
2/09/2009 Lake Allatoona Fishing Report
WOW!! It was yet another tough day on Toona yesterday. I thought the fish would be much more active with the warm weather we have been experiencing but I was wrong! I put in at Blockhouse around noon. I stumbled upon a HUGE school of shad (20' x 50' wide and surface to 20' deep) in Allatoona Creek and spent the first two hours casting everything in the boat through it, around it and under it with NO takers. About ten feet from the boat, I saw about a 15 to 20lb striper feed on the school and even ran a rattle bait in front of his nose and nothing. I could not believe there was not more action on the school. I finally left the school in search for green fish. I ran up the Clear Creek in search for warmer water and found some 52 deg water in the very back of the creek. I hooked up with a nice largemouth on a spinner bait in 2ft of water that came unbuttoned. I spent the rest of the afternoon in the back of muddy, protected creeks where the water was warmer but didn't get another bite. On my way back in, I decided to hit the rocks by the train tracks in Allatoona Creek and was finally able to land one 13.5" keeper. I caught it in 27ft of water on a DD22. I thought I was going to get skunked but was lucky at the last minute. If I don't have to work, I am going to try it again this week to try to put something together before Saturday's ABA tournament.
Weather: Beautiful for February! Partly cloudy, 68 deg and winds SE @ 5-10.
Water: stained, 47deg in main lake and 52 in shallow, muddy creeks and lake down almost 10ft.
1/26/2009 Lake Allatoona Fishing Report
This report is a little late due to the flu. I have been under the weather the last couple of days and just started feeling well enough to get on the computer.
I was able to make it out on Monday for a few hours. I had the initial idea of only working on the drop shot but I was a little side-tracked by the stripers. It was a nice change to finally catch some fish! I came across a large school of shad in the middle of Allatoona creek and noticed a "spaghetti" looking pattern under and beside the school. I threw a pearl colored River 2 Sea crank bait around the school and stared to hook up with some nice stripers. It was a fun change from the lock-jawed green fish. I did manage to catch one 13" spot using a DD22 in blue and chartreuse around some rocks by the train tracks in Allatoona Creek.
I will be out of town this weekend but will return to the water for some more Allatoona fishing and reports next week. Good luck to everyone fishing this weekend.
Water: 45.2 deg, slight stain in Allatoona Creek (2-3ft vis) and water level down 10 ft.
Weather: Overcast early and partly sunny later, 55 deg and winds light and variable.
All the stripers caught were about this same exact size and a lot of fun!
01/06/2009 Lake Allatoona Fishing Report
I had to take advantage of some of this warm January weather so I headed to the lake for a few hours. The day took on about a two hour delay due to a car that was in the lake about 50ft from the bottom of the ramp in 10ft of water. I am not sure if it was a stolen car or an insurance write-off but it made for a little excitement.
Anyways, I got started around noon and fished until 3:30. The shallow water bite was on today with the water temps nearing 55 degrees. I caught my limit of keepers (12.5 to 16") plus one undersized spot in 3ft of water or less. I never left Allatoona creek due to time restraints but the fish were there. Once again, I used the DannyP Allatoona Special Spin bait. Even with heavily stained water and a bunch of floating debris, the fish were enjoying some spring-time water temps and so was I. I am sure things will change with the coming cold front. Good luck on the water!!
Weather: Rain early then partly cloudy, 63 deg and winds WSW 5-10kts
Water: NASTY! Heavy stain, 52-55deg and water level: down 13.8ft
01/04/2009 Lake Weiss Fishing Report
Alvin, Simon and Theodore (Sean Odell, Myself and Warren Barnes) FINALLY hit the lake together for the first time ever. I thought for sure someone would either end up in the lake or the emergency room but I was actually surprised how smooth things ran.
We fished our neighboring lake (Lake Weiss) and put in at Bushy Branches Ramp at eight. We focused fishing smaller creeks off of the main river. Most of the fish we caught were found holding close to shallow lay-down cover and along rocky shoreline. We caught a variety of fish including some nice spots and largemouth. By the day's end we must have caught at least 25 Spots between the 8" to 3.5# range, several nice largemouth in the same size range and Alvin even caught a nice white bass and a hybrid. Our fish were caught using Spinning baits, swim baits, shaky heads, jigs and the flick shake. The largest fish and the most numbers came off of DannyP's Special Spinning bait and Revenge Spinning baits.
I had a great time and appreciate Warren for his insight to fishing and the use of his boat. Check out www.WarrenBarnes.net.
Weather: Overcast, 53 deg and calm winds
Water: Stained in the main river and 2-3ft vis in the creeks, temp is 52 deg and the water level is down 5.35ft.
01/03/2009 Lake Allatoona Fishing Report
I fished Toona for the first time in awhile and was excited to be on the water.
I started deep fishing main lake points and brush-piles in 15 to 30ft of water and was very disappointed in the results. I must have hit at least a dozen spots in the main lake from Bethany Bridge to Bartow Carver tossing everything from Shaky heads to Spinning Baits. With daylight running out I decided to switch gears and try some shallow water and BINGO. For the first time all day the sonar lit up with bait-fish in 5 to 8ft of water. On my second cast on a shallow flat in Allatoona Creek I finally caught a fish (15" spot). I was using a DannyP Allatoona Special Spinning Bait that Christie sold me at Nature's Tackle Box. My uncle caught a spot (12.5") about five minutes later and then we had to call it a day. With the mild weather the past two weeks, the fish have moved into a little shallower water. Even though we only caught two fish, I still had a great time and learned a very good lesson about weather induced fish patterns.
Weather: Rainy early then overcast later, 47 early and 58 late and calm winds
Water: 48.5 in the main lake and 50 in the creeks, clear water in the main lake and heavy stain in the creeks and lake level: down 15.3 feet.
12/09/2008 Lake Allatoona Fishing Report
I FINALLY received a little break from flight training and was able to hit the lake for a few hours yesterday. Unfortunately I had a very rocky start. I slept through my alarm clock and didn't wake up until after 9. I was finally on the road by 10 and got a quarter of the way to the ramp and realized that I had forgotten the boat keys. Around 11 I thought for sure I had everything in order and was jut about to arrive to Red Top ramp when I saw a big sign stating that Bethany Bridge was closed until December 16th; needless to say I was not able to access the ramp. I turned around and drove to Blockhouse. By this time it is around 11:30. I finally got the boat in the water and when I tried to crank up the engine.......nothing! My cranking battery was dead! I jumped off the trolling motor and finally by noon I was ready to fish.
I spent most of the day fishing rocky points and deep water ledges. I used nothing but finesse worms and jigs the entire day. The fish were biting incredibly light and with windy conditions it made for a tough day. I caught a few small spots and lost several other fish due to poor hook sets. I did have a BIG spot come unbuttoned at the boat. My biggest fish of the day (17"/2.5lbs) was caught on a jig and craw combo in 20 ft. of water off a rocky main lake point. Even-though I had a rough start is sure was great being back out on the water.
I will be doing some more fishing this weekend so I will try to post some more reports and then it is back to the grind at work for about another month.
Weather: Overcast, 62 deg and Winds SE@10-15kts
Water: Clear in the main lake and murky along wind-blown shoreline, 49 deg in shallow water and found 54 deg water in main lake and water level down 15 ft.
11/08/2008 Lake Allatoona Fishing Report
Today was the ABA Division 125 Tournament and at least I finished in the top 25. Unfortunately, there were 26 anglers competing!!!!! I still had a wonderful time and caught a bunch of fish but most were in the 10 to 11 inch range. I weighed in 3 fish for a total of 4.09lbs. I did catch a nice spot that went almost 2.25 lbs. I started the day using the same Bandit 200 series crank as earlier in the week and landed my biggest fish early in the morning. I caught several 11 inch spots early with the same approach and by 9:30 the crank bite seemed to stop. I switched to finesse tactics by 1:30 and that seemed to work for two more keepers but I ran out of time to catch my limit. Congrats to David Huie for a nice sack over 11 lbs. I am looking forward to the next tournament to reedeem myself!!!
Water: Clear, 61 deg and down over 10ft.
Weather: Cool (low 50s), Winds W10-15 and partly cloudy skies.
11/05/2008 Lake Allatoona Fishing report
It appears that the sme pattern as yesterday is still producing some good fish and numbers. I caught my limit within an hour and had a total of 15 fish on the day all of which were over 14"!! I put in at Red Top Mountain Ramp around 7:30 and fished until 11. I used a Bandit 200 series crank in craw color scheme the entire time. I focused on rocky points and secondary points. My objective was to bump off of as many rocks as possible. This was when I I would catch my fish. I had an excellent day and I hope this pattern hold for this weekend.
Water: 3-4ft vis, 63 deg and down 10ft
Weather: Clear skies, calm winds and cool early and warm late.
11/04/2008 Lake Allatoona Fishing Report
I was able to make it out for a few hours today. I put in at Blockhouse around 8ish and fished until 11. I focused on rocky points and secondary points with a medium diving crank bait and caught my limit plus one. All fish were between the usual Allatoona size range of 12 to 15". It was a good day for the short amount of time spent on the water. Sorry for being short and sweet but I cannot give too many details before the ABA and Fall Bash tournaments this weekend. Best of luck on the water.
Weather: Perfect! (Not necessarily for the fish but for me) Calm winds, clear skies and cool early but warming quickly.
Water: 64.3 deg, 3-4 ft vis, smooth as glass and almost 10ft down.
10/26/2008 - 11/1/2008 Lake Guntersville Fishing Report
Well........
I returned home late last night from the American Bass Anglers' AFT National Championship. Unfortunately I did not do as well as I wanted on the last day of the tournament but did finish in the top 25 on the non-boater side. Mother Nature once again did not cooperate with the tournament schedule so the fishing was extremely tough.
I rolled into Guntersville last Saturday and practiced Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. Of course on the official practice days the fishing was excellent. Sunday was mainly spent sight-seeing and spot locating with little fishing. Monday and Tuesday was spent going after fish and establishing a pattern. Unfortunately the front pushed through on Monday and the fishing was totally different on the tournament days so figuring out a solid pattern was a tough task. Over Monday and Tuesday I caught nearly 40 fish with several in the 3-4 lb. range. I was catching fish on almost everything such as spinner baits, crank baits, shaky heads, brush hogs and frogs. My bigger fish came from flipping and pitching a brush hog and frog in grass (milfoil) and lily pads. Being a native Lake Allatoona and Lanier fisherman I had to learn grass fishing real quick. Once the front had passed and the high pressure, cold weather and blue bird skies settled in the fish bite came to a halt. During the tournament days I only caught two fish weighing almost five pounds. Both were caught on a baby paca craw in Okeechobee Craw color in milfoil. I didn't think I had a prayer of making the top 25 but sure enough everyone else had the same problems finding a bite and I made the cut to fish the last day. I finished 24th out of 129 co-anglers which I was very happy with considering the competition and this being the first time fishing Guntersville. Overall I had an awesome experience and look forward to going back soon. There are HUGE fish in Lake Guntersville and I can't wait for another shot at landing a hawg!
I want to thank everyone for their support and I can't wait to get back on Toona to catch some spots. I will hit the lake a few times this week and I will write a quick report but will not reveal too much info because of the big events next weekend (ABA AFT tournament and Fall Bash).
Good luck to everyone on the water!!
10/22/2008 Lake Allatoona Fishing Report
I will make this report short and sweet!
Today I took my uncle fishing and had a great day. We put in at Blockhouse at 9 and fished until 2. We focused on windy, main lake points and secondary points with crank baits and blades. We landed at least 15 solid keepers with the best five going around 10+ lbs. Today the crank was on!!
Water: 2-3 ft vis, 69-71 deg. and light chop
Weather: Clear skies, cool morning (52 deg to 65 deg late) and winds ENE 10-15kts.
10/21/2008 Lake Allatoona Fishing Report
Today I got a late start to the lake. I put in at Blockhouse at 9:30 and fished until noonish. I caught my limit plus two by 11:30. All fish were spots ranging from 13.5 to 16" and caught on spin baits and the Twin Vib 65. I focused once again on points in the main part of Allatoona creek.
Weather: Clear skies, warmer temps (55 to 65 during time-frame) and winds Variable at 5 kts.
Water: 3 to 4 ft. vis, 72 deg. and down 7.65 ft.
10/20/2008 Lake Allatoona Fishing Report
It was a pleasure having Sean out on the boat and I had a great time and learned a bunch from a great fisherman.
We put in at Blockhouse and fished some areas south of the "pass" and had a bunch of hits on the blade but no takers. We moved to some water north of the dam and fished some rocky points and inlets with crank baits and nothing. I was constantly painting fish and even some larger schools of fish but could not buy a bite. Finally "Alvin" decided to tie on his go-to bait (dropshot) and BINGO. The spots were nailing Sean's dropshot and before I could get one tied up he had four fish in boat. We were in 15 to 20ft of water in an inlet off the main lake. We picked up two more nice spots on the way back in a similar inlet near Bethany bridge in 20 ft of water. All of Sean's fish were caught on a dropshot and my only fish was caught off the Jackal flick-shake. All seven spots caught and the two that got away at the boat were all 12 to 14" and healthy. I had a great time and look forward to a rematch!
Water: Clear, 70.2deg and calm
Weather: COLD early (37) and nice later (65), clear skies and winds NW @ 3kts.
This report is for the time frame after I dropped Sean (rally73sport) off at the ramp. As luck would have it the very first cast I caught a 14" spot. For some reason the crankbait bite turned on at 1:00 yesterday. I was fishing just north of Allatoona Landing by rocky points and inlets. There were balls of bait everywhere and the spots were not actively feeding but were close by. I caught four spots between 14 and 16" between one o'clock and three thirty. Three of the fish were caught on the spin bait one (the biggest) was caught on the River 2 Sea Twin Vib 65. I find it ironic that I finally caught fish when I dropped Sean off. Hmmmm!
Weather: Clear skies, cool temps (65) and winds NW @ 5
Water: Clear, 71 deg. and down almost 7.5 ft.
10/13/2008 Lake Allatoona Fishing Report
I was able to make it out with Lou (soretoe) this morning for a few hours and had a wonderful time on the water. We put in at Blockhouse around 7:15 and fished until 11:30. We began at one of my spot and of course Lou caught the first fish. Unfortunately, that was the only fish caught at any of my spots. Thank God that Lou knew where the fish were. We started fishing his spots around 9 and had our limit in the boat by 10. We focused on windy points in the main lake and fished a little further north and west of where I usually fish (the dam area). We caught 10 spots between the both of us and most of them were quality fish between the 14 and 16.5" range. Shallow diving crank baits seemed to be the key for catching the fish today. I had a great time and owe Lou a big "Thank You" for his insight on locating fish today.
Weather: Mostly cloudy, 68 deg and winds E10-15 Gusting to 20kts.
Water: Clear, 72 deg, choppy conditions and level down 6.5 ft.
10/9 - 10/11/2009 Lake Allatoona Fishing Report
Well........
This past week I did some pre fishing for the ABA tournament on Saturday. I spent Thurs. and Fri. looking for money fish and thought I had a good pattern. On Thursday I ventured way up Stamp Creek to try for some big mouth bass and I found some. They were hanging in 2-5ft of water near stumps almost where the creek came to an end. On Friday I thought I would try the same approach up Illinois Creek and the largemouth were in the same type of location (shallow water with stumps). Well, on Saturday the winds came and the shallow water largemouth bite was off! Therefore, I did not do so well on tournament day. On Saturday, I started in the main lake looking for a top water bite on wind blown points and on the first cast I caught a 15" spot. I thought I was in store for an excellent day. Unfortunately, that was my only fish for hours. I went after the largemouth bite that I found the days before but they were no where to be found. I gave up on finding "big" fish and just needed some fish to weigh in so I went back to the main lake and continued to fish main lake points for spots and managed a few more keepers. They were going after the spin bait and that seemed to be all they would hit. Ten minutes prior to weigh in I fished the rocky point by Park Marina with the Jackall Wacky worm and managed to hook a HUGE spot (at least 3lbs) but he made a last-second run toward the bottom and broke my line. I only weighed in four fish for four pounds. I was very disappointed in the results but still had an awesome time. We had a great turnout thanks to the hard work of Ron Hise, aka CHIEF. Ron also claimed the first ABA Division 125 tournament victory with a sack just under nine pounds. Congrats! Good luck to everyone fishing this week and hopefully these strong East winds will subside soon.
10/9 Weather: Mostly cloudy, 73 deg and winds ENE 5-10
Water: 3-4 ft vis in main lake and 1-2 ft vis up Stamp Creek, Temp 73 deg and water down 6.30 ft
10/10 Weather and Water same as 10/9
10/11 Weather: Partly sunny, 77 deg and winds E 15-20 Gusting to 25
Water: 3 ft vis in main lake and 1-2 ft vis in creeks, Temp 72 deg, water down 6.5 ft. and very choppy conditions.
10/06/2008 Lake Allatoona Fishing Report
Yesterday was a tough day for fishing on Toona. I started late (around 10) out of Blockhouse and fished until 3:30. I fished some new water and was a little disappointed in the results. I began the day fishing around Glade Marina to the "pass". I only caught two spots (13" and 15"). I did lose a nice LM in a shallow flat area near the 33A marker. One nice jump and he was off. By the quick look I would say in the vicinity of two pounds. I then moved to the main lake by the dam and fished some areas that have been on fire the last two weeks and NOTHING! I was in a state of shock of how the fish have been everywhere off the main lake points and inlets and suddenly they were no where to be found. The problem I believe was the lack of baitfish. I did not see many schools of shad at all yesterday. By early afternoon it was getting hot and was very sunny to I fished around some docks and did manage to hook a big largemouth. I was trying to lip the fish to get him into the boat and he came unbuttoned. He was a good size fish that I would say was around 4 ish pounds. Once again the big one got away. I moved to Clear Creek and finally found some top water action. It was fast and furious and you had to be in the right place at the right time but I did manage to get three more keeper spots in the boat. Overall it was a very slow day and I ended up with only 6 spots, 1 small hybrid and two LM that came unbuttoned. I did have several followers of the swimbait but not that many takers. Hopefully with some upcoming weather changes the fish will become more active again. I mainly stuck with a 6" swimbait but also used an O'Nelle spin bait and a River 2 Sea Twin Vib 65 for yesterday's results. Good luck and I will report again later this week.
Weather: Cool early (55) and Hot later (82), clear skies and Winds ENE 12kts
Water: 74.5 deg and 3-4ft vis in main lake and 2-3ft vis in Clear Creek area
10/01/2008 Lake Allatoona Fishing Report
This is a fishing report and a fish story from yesterday October 1st. I took three friends from work out to do some fishing on Allatoona. We started at 10 out of Blockhouse. We began the day in the main lake between the dam and Bethany bridge and caught a few nice spots ranging from 13 to 15". We mainly used spinning baits, jerkbaits and small crank baits. At about 1 in the afternoon one of my friends caught a 14" spot off of a rocky point near some boat docks. While he was reeling in the fish, he started to yell about a huge fish trying to eat his spot. I didn't immediately look because I was working the trolling motor and trying to keep the boat into the wind. I just assumed it was either a gar swimming around the boat or maybe an aggressive striper going after his fish. When I finally looked into the water I was amazed. It was one of the biggest large mouth bass I have ever seen. My best guesstimate would have to be around 10 to 12 lbs. My friend stopped reeling in the spot to see what would happen and the large mouth engulfed the spot about three feet from the side of the boat about a foot under the surface. Next thing you heard was the line screaming off the spool. Suddenly the pressure on the rod gave a little and he reeled in the line. The spot was still on the line but the large mouth had come off. The spot measured at exactly 14" and there was a huge arc shaped mark across its back. It did not kill the spot and the fish was released alive. I realize this sounds like a ridiculous fish story but there was four of us that witnessed this amazing event. I think I should start using a 14" swimbait. Unfortunately the big one got away but we still managed to catch about 25 spots between the four of us. I now realize that there are mammoth sized large mouth in the Toona and I have a new goal for the rest of the year..........to catch one!! We left the lake around 5 and had one heck of a fish story to tell. Also, don't forget to bring the family to Nature's Tackle Box on Saturday between 10 and 2 for the Casting Kids Competition.
Weather: Clear, Windy (NNW 10-20kts) and cool 68 deg.
Water: 4-5 ft vis, light chop and 76.1 deg.
9/29/2008 Lake Allatoona Fishing Report
I managed to make it out for a few hours today. I put in at Blockhouse at 11 and fished until 5. I began in Allatoona Creek South of the I-75 bridge and wasted about two hours of the day. There were schools of shad everywhere but no fish. I tried shallow, deep and everything in between. I finally moved to the main lake by the dam and that was where the fish were. I didn't catch the numbers today but I did manage to catch some quality fish. I used a 6" swim bait for most of the day to try to land some bigger fish. most of the fish were caught on the surface in 20 to 30 ft of water off main lake points. I would visually see some feeding fish and cast into the middle of them. I caught about 10 spots ranging from 14 to 18.5". During breaks in the action I would use a 1/2 oz. jig and craw around wood cover in 10 to 15 ft of water and managed a LM and a few more spots. Overall was a great day and I ended the day with the biggest spot (18.5").
Weather: Partly cloudy, 83 deg and winds light and variable
Water: 3-4 vis and 79 deg
9/25/2008 Lake Allatoona Fishing Report
Well, I was inspired by Kenny's monster LM so I went after some larger fish yesterday. Unfortunately, I got a very late start and only fished from 2 until 5. I put in at Blockhouse and mainly fished Tanyard and Clark Creeks. I have caught some big fish in these creeks this time of year in the past so I thought I would try my luck there first. The water levels are low in these creeks so be careful if you decide to fish them. The shad were almost non existent but the fish were still there. I caught a 17.5" spot using an O'Nelle spin bait and a 15" LM using the Jackall flick shake around some docks. The spot and LM were in 3ft of water with visibility only at 2ft. I did manage my limit but the other spots were long and skinny (13" but way under a pound). The smaller spots were also under docks in Tanyard Creek and were caught using a Zoom 8" Lizard. I did stumble upon a large school of crappie in Clark creek and had some fun with the spoon. Overall, I managed 7 spots, 2 LM and 2 crappie. I am still looking for that monster!!!
Weather: Clear skies, 78 deg and Winds NW 7kts
Water: Vis 2ft (in the back of the creeks) and Temp was 77.8 deg
9/22/2008 Lake Allatoona Report
Well, it was good being back on Toona after fishing West Point for the last two weeks. I put in at Blockhouse at 8:30 and fished until 3. I started fishing shallow inlets off the main lake with crank baits (Twin Vib 65 and Baby N) and only caught short fish. I then moved to the main lake and fished around large schools of bait fish. The spots were constantly passing through and hammering the schools. Unfortunately, I could not get them to bite on a crank bait so for some reason I switched to a spinning bait and then the bite was on! Within 10 min. I had a limit of spots ranging from 12 to 15 in. and a couple of hybrids that were each 18 in. I never thought I would be catching spots on a spin bait in 105 ft. of water. Around 11 the schools of bait fish disappeared and so did the bite. I then moved to Clear creek and found more schools of shad in shallow water. I threw the Twin Vib 65 around them and the spots seemed to be everywhere. I managed to catch six more fish in Clear creek with one almost 16 in. On the day, I ended up with 18 spots (only 4 under 12") and 2 hybrids. All of the fish were caught on an O'Nelle spin bait and Twin Vib 65 that were purchased at Nature's Tackle Box. Water depth and areas the fish were caught was dictated by where the schools of bait were. Just look for them visually on the surface or by the blob on the sonar. It was a great first day of Fall especially when the fish are doing exactly that they are supposed to be doing........biting!!
Weather: Clear, cool in the morning (63) and warm in the afternoon (80). Winds ENE 5
Water: Extremely clear, 74 deg early and 79 deg late and lake level down almost 4 ft.
9/10/2008 - 9/14/2008 West Point Lake Fishing Report
WOW! Unfortunately, a ridiculous weather change took place within 24hrs before the tournament days of the ABA Southeast Regionals this past Friday and Saturday and made for some extremely difficult fishing conditions.The fish are also in a transitional phase between Summer and fall and the fish seemed to be scattered all over the place which didn't help.
Last Monday through Thursday I focused on a summer pattern of deep cranking and deep jigging old road beds, humps and creek beds with great success. I was using a DD22 in chartreuse and blue and Picasso jigs and landing some quality fish ranging from 17 to 20". I was averaging almost 10lbs a day for my best five fish. The days were still warm and skies were mostly cloudy.
On Friday, a front passed through and the winds were blowing out of the North at 15kts, temps were significantly cooler, blue bird skies and excessive high pressure. It made conditions tough!! Over two tournament days and 169 anglers, not one limit was weighed in. It seemed this change caused the fish to move up to shallow water but I was catching mostly 12 to 13" fish. The limit for the tournament was 14" for spots and LM. The tournament winner (14lbs.) caught his fish on a frog around grass in 1 to 2ft of water. The big bass of the tournament (8lb 3oz) was caught on a football head jig in 15 ft of water. My only two keepers were caught in 12ft of water under a dock using the Jackall flick shake. This proves the fish were scattered all over at all depths.
Even though conditions were tough, I still had an excellent time and qualified for the ABA Nationals at Guntersville at the end of next month. If you are planning on fishing West Point soon, I guarantee the fishing will be awesome in about another week or two. The tournament just happened to take place over the peak of the transition with tough weather conditions.
Good luck to all and I will be focusing on Allatoona and Guntersville in the weeks to come and I will keep the reports coming.
9/04/2008 Lake Allatoona Fishing Report
I put in at Blockhouse around eight and was initially going to fish until eleven. I didn't get off the lake until three. On Labor Day I did not catch a single spot, so that was my only goal for the day. I don't know what happened but the bite was ON! I ended the day with 20 spots ranging from 12 to 15", a two pound largemouth, a bakers dozen hybrids (largest 4.5 lbs.) and even a catfish. I had one monster fish that pulled out most of my line before it broke off. I suspect a large striper by the quick run to deep water and breaking new 14lb. line.
In the morning hours I focused on the top water bite. The fish FINALLY seemed to be schooling like an early fall pattern. I used a River to Sea lip less crank bait when I found the fish busting on the top. At one point I caught three nice fish in three consecutive casts. I had my limit in the first ten minutes on the water. I caught the largemouth in the same place as the spots. They were all feeding on the same school of shad. The best top water action today was near deep water humps just off the main channel of Allatoona Creek in water ranging from 25 to 55 ft.
When the top water action subsided, I focused on the spoon bite for the rest of the afternoon. I fished small inlets off the main lake in 25 to 40 ft. of water. The key was keeping the spoon right on the bottom and look for the "spaghetti" on the sonar. I caught so many fish on the spoon that I am literally worn out.
Sorry for such a long report. I was just excited to finally have an excellent "Summer" day of fishing. Nature's Tackle Box has plenty of Flex-it spoons. I would recommend picking some up. Good luck on the water!!
Weather: Sky Clear, Winds ENE 5-10kts, Temp. 65 early and 85 late
Water: 81.4 deg and vis. 4-5ft.
9/02/2008 Lake Allatoona Fishing Report
I was crazy enough to venture to Toona yesterday. The good thing is that the early morning clouds and winds kept most people off the lake until the afternoon. I put in at Blockhouse at 6:30 and fished until 12:30. I tried to fish in protected waters for the most part because the winds were blowing steady at 15kts and gusting to 25kts. I fished mainly near Allatoona Yacht Club and a little in Clear Creek. I managed to catch over a dozen hybrids and even a few nice crappie using the spoon just off the main channels in about 25 to 30 ft. of water. Most of the hybrids were small (10-12") with a few that were in the one to two pound range. I didn't catch a single spot all day. I did venture up a few creeks and into some shallow inlets to fish around some lay-down cover and caught a couple of Big Mouth bass. They were caught using green pumpkin colored plastics (worm). I was disappointed in the spotted bass bite but still had a fun day with the hybrids and largemouth.
Weather: Overcast, Winds E at 15 Gusting to 25 kts, 79 deg.
Water: 3-4 ft vis at Allatoona Yacht Club and 2-3 ft vis at Clear creek. Water temp. 81 deg.
8/23/2008 Lake Allatoona Fishing Report
This is report 2 of 2 from this past week and took place on 8-20-08. I took a friend out for a few hours in the morning to try our luck. We put in at Blockhouse and fished from 6:30 to 11. Due to the lack of top water action the day before, we only fished the top water bite for a few minutes. We did catch one but I was not impressed with the size (11"). I wanted to try something a little different and went up a creek that had some cooler water compared to the main lake. Unfortunately, I cannot share many details about this particular creek (location) because of what I found present. What I will share is that it was only about 25 ft wide and 5 to 6 ft deep and 3 to 4 deg cooler than the main lake and I had to get a little creative to get the boat up it (due to some logs and lay down cover). On my first cast in a deeper pool in the creek I landed a nice spot (16"). I them stumbled upon five LM bass that were all in the 4 to 5 lb range that were stacked up in a slight bend in the creek near some lay down cover. I threw everything in the boat at them and could not buy a bite. My friend even threw a soft plastic that literally went over the body on one one of the bigger fish and he didn't even budge. My guess is that they must have fed heavily at night during the full moon and did not want to eat. I want to give it a few days and see if they are still there.
We left the creek around 9:30 to fish some deep brush piles (15 to 25ft.) and BINGO. We fished two different brush piles that had some nice spots on them (13 to 15" range). Due to a large "honey do" list I had to call it quits around eleven. We caught well over our limit of spots and one LM. Our best five fish weighed about 6.5 lbs. All fish were caught on a SPECIAL soft plastic that you can purchase at Nature's Tackle Box. Just ask Cristie about what is working on Toona!! Good luck to everyone and sorry for the LONG report!!
8/23/2008 Lake Allatoona Fishing Report
This is report 1 of 2 for this past week on Toona. Sorry the reports are a little late (work got in the way) and my be obsolete with the drastic weather changes that have occurred the past few days. This report is for 8-19-08. I took my uncle out for a few hours to try the morning bite. We put in at blockhouse around 7 and fished until 1ish. I should have slept in!! We saw very little top water action and what we did see was very short and sporadic. We only caught two spots on top and only one of them was a keeper (14"). He was caught using a shallow diving crank. I managed a small spot using a Sebile and had several blow ups but overall, I was disappointed with the morning bite result. Around 11 we switched gears and fished some deep points and brush piles and had a little better success. Using shaky heads and carolina rigged plastics and fishing EXTREMELY SLOW, we finally managed to catch our limit. I was not impressed with the size of fish 12 to 14.5" but this time of year I will take what I can get. We called it a day around 1 due to the heat. Our best five would maybe push 5 lbs.
Water: 3-4 ft vis, 82 deg.
Weather: Clear, Winds East 10 kts., Temp. 72 early 88 late
7/10/2008 Lake Allatoona Fishing Report
I put in at Blockhouse at 11 and fished until 3. I finally caught some fish today. I only put five in the boat but compared to the last two times I have been out (0 both times) I will take what I can get. On my first cast using a Picasso jig with a net bait craw trailer I caught a 12" spot. He was in 15ft of water off a long, rocky point into the main lake. I used this pattern the rest of the day. My biggest spot of the day was caught in ten feet of water near some large rocks associated with a steep drop-off near the dam. He was a 17.5" PIG that weighed almost 3lbs. Two minutes after I caught him I almost got struck by lightening. Thats when I called it a day.
All five weighed about 6lbs. All were caught on jig/craw off long points from 5 to 35ft of water.
Water: 83.5deg and 3-4ft vis
Weather: Overcast with light and variable winds
5/27/2008 Lake Allatoona Fishing Report
I want to begin by thanking all the men and women of the armed services for their service and sacrifice. THANK YOU!!
Well, my father-in-law and I braved the Memorial Day crowds to do some fishing yesterday. We started out of Blockhouse at 6:30AM and even at that hour in the morning there were ski boats all over and playing music that you could hear across the lake. The morning bite seemed almost nonexistent. I hooked one fish early that actually broke my line. I was using a super fluke around a small school of shad when someting BIG hit. It may have been a large hybrid or striper but I never did get a good look. I only caught one small spot that was actively feeding. As it got later and warmer, we switched gears and fished deep brush piles and points and NOTHING! We switched back to my "last week" tactic of spin bait fishing off of deep rocky points and that was actually working. We immediately nailed a nice spot then took a wave over the back of the boat as my father-in-law nearly fell in. We eventually gave up on battiling the rough water and moved to the back of deep coves and inlets to try for some LM. I did hook up with one using a texas rigged lizard that went just over a pound. At about 12:30 we decided to call it a day. It was extremely tough conditions with the rough water, the dirty water and the high pressure weather. We did still manage to get some fish into the boat including one pretty nice spot. It was still great being on the water!!
Water: 75.5 deg, Slightly stained, top water debris and 2-3ft seas! (or it least it felt like it)
Weater: 65 early and 80 by the time we left, mostly sunny and winds ESE 5-10kts
5/22/2008 Lake Allatoona Fishing Report
Well.......As the weather and water get warmer it seems to be getting a little tough finding fish. I think Mike nailed it on the head in the "Allatoona Slump" thread in the General Fishing forum. I have not been able to find a specific pattern to the fish right now. I have been catching fish in 25ft to 2ft of water. Yesterday I fished from 1PM to 7PM and started off in deep water (25-30ft) using lizards and worms off deep points and brush piles. I only caught a few small spots. I then tried some shallow water (5-15ft) using a spin bait and same thing; a few small spots. I caught six spots from 1PM to 5PM with the largest only 13". So I decided to switch gears and go for some big mouth bass. I fished some flooded timber in 5-10ft of water off of the main lake and ended up catching three largemouth bass that were all in the 1 to 1.5 pound range. Overall it was a tough day on the lake and I am still looking for a solid late spring/early summer pattern. Good luck and hope to see you on the water!
Weather: 75 deg., Clear, Winds NW early and SW late.
Water: 72 - 75 deg., Vis 3-4 ft.
5/21/2008 Lake Allatoona Fishing Report
I made it out for a few hours yesterday (5/20) and had to make a drastic change to the pattern that has been working well for me over the past five weeks. I started out of Blockhouse at 1PM and fished until 5PM (thank God because of the nasty weather that came through). I started off using my usual pattern of a chartreuse spinner bait in 5-15ft of water. I only caught one fish (1.25#) and a few small fish that swiped at the bait but no takers. It was hot out (84 deg.) and the water was warming rapidly (74 deg.) so I decided to switch to summer mode and I am glad I did. I started using a Texas rigged lizard off deep points (15-25ft) and BINGO!! I limited out in about an hour and a half. The best five would have gone about 6 lbs. and ranged from 13.5" to 16.5". I have yet to find a goliath spot but it sure is fun reeling in the 1 to 2 pounders. Any day on the lake is a good day. See you on the water!!
Weather: 84 deg, Partly Cloudy (before the tornadoes), Winds WSW 10-15 kts.
Water: 72 - 75 deg, Vis 3-4 ft.
5/15/2008 Lake Allatoona Fishing Report
This report covers the last five days I have fished; 5/9, 5/10, 5/11, 5/12, and today (5/15).
The pattern for the fish has been very consistent over the last three weeks (at least in my opinion). I have usually been able to catch my limit within the first hour of fishing especially between the hours of "safe light" and 9 AM using flukes, jerk baits, spooks and spinning baits. I like to focus on main lake points and pockets that run from 5 to 15 feet deep with easy access to deep water. The top water action has been very sporadic but when you find the shad, stay with them and keep casting because the schools of larger fish will come and go over a short period of time and you can limit out in minutes.
Throughout the late morning and early afternoon, the fish have been killing the small crank and spinning bait. Just focus on a little deeper water (almost a summer pattern).
The worm bite and drop shot bite have been good as well off long, deep points using 6" trick worms or wacky style worms in colors ranging from Alabama craw to watermelon seed and everything in between. Using some secret scent will definitely help!!
The spots are starting to school in larger numbers which are helping with the morning bite but the larger fish seem to still be out on their own. The weather and water temps are still perfect for the constant bite throughout the day.
Overall the past week has been excellent fishing (except on tournament days?????). I swear the fish seem to know when it is Saturday and Sunday and suddenly become lockjaw! I will post pics from this past week and today on the Anglers Gone Wild Bragging Board with details on the size and numbers.
Good Luck this week and let us all know how you did!!!
5/9: Weather: Clear, 76, Winds Light and Variable
Water: 4+ and 74
5/10: Weather: Clear, 81, Winds SSW 10kts
Water: 4+ and 74
5/11: Weather: AM Rain, cloudy and Wind 68, Winds NW 15-20 Gust to 30
Water: 3-4 and 71 and chop
5/12: Weather: Clear and Windy, 72, Winds WNW 10-15
Water: 3-4 and 70
5/15: Weather: Cloudy, Winds calm, 65
Water: 4+ and 69
5/05/2008 Lake Allatoona Fishing Report
I had to take advantage of the beautiful weather so a friend and I hit the lake.
I put in at Blockhouse at noon and fished until 4. I did not see the numbers of fish today but the quality of fish was still there. We only put 7 spots in the boat but the smallest was 14.5" up to 2.3 lbs. Small crank baits and spinning baits seem to be working well in pockets off the main lake. Water that is 5-10 ft with access to deeper water is a good place to start. Good Fishin!
(Water: vis 3-4ft, temp 68-70 degrees Weather: Clear, 74 degrees, Winds N 10-15kts)
5/4/2008 Lake Allatoona Fishing Report
I was able to take my father-in-law out for a few hours yesterday and despite the rain and wind we had a great day. We put in at Blockhouse at 8:30 and fished until 1:30. We fished some main lake pockets by the dam using spinning, jerk and small crank baits. We caught 12 quality spots (all well over 12"), two nice hybrids and one small largemouth. (Water: vis 3-4ft, temp 68.3 deg. Weather: Mostly Cloudy, light rain, 64 degrees, Winds South 10-15 Gust to 20kts.)
5/12/08 Lake Allatoona Fishing Report
I was able to hit the lake yesterday for a few hours. I put in at Blockhouse at 11 and fished until 3. I only caught 4 fish under 12" the first 3.5 hours and finally found a school stacked up in a small inlet off the main lake in about 5 to 15ft of water. Within ten minutes I caught 6 spots that were all about 15". I was using my usual chartreuse/white 1/2oz. spinning bait. By days end I caught a total of 12 fish with 7 keepers. (Water: clear, Water Temp: 71.2, Weather: Clear skies, 74 degrees and Winds South 10-15kts)
4/28/2008 Lake Allatoona Fishing Report
We put in at the Blockhouse at 11am and ran just west of the 13A marker where we spotted some top water action. It was on! My friend caught a nice spot on the first cast using a rattle trap. Unfortunately it broke his line right at the boat. I was able to get a good look and best guess would be 2.5 to 3lbs. My fist cast landed me a 3.2lb hybrid using a chart/white spinning bait. That was just the beginning. I used the spinning bait the entire day and ended up with three spots over 12", a 3lb largemouth, a 3.2lb hybrid and a striper that weighed between 7 to 8lbs. The largemouth was caught slow rolling the spin bait around shallow timber. We only fished until 3 but it was a great day on the lake. It was my friends first time fishing Allatoona and he ended up with a half dozen spots all caught on the spinning bait except the one that broke his line. I have pictures on my cell phone that I will try to post.
3/03/2008 Lake Acworth
I was able to take the little boat out for a couple of hours early yesterday afternoon. The wind was blowing from the SSW 15-20 gusting to 25 but the air temp was 74 so it felt great. Water temp was 51 and vis was 1 to 2 ft. I did manage to catch three LM bass with the total weight being around 3.5 lbs. I caught two using a red craw rattle trap and one using a chartreuse and white spinning bait. All three were in three to four feet of water and hit the bait HARD. It was just great enjoying some spring-like weather.
MattWestFishing.com
