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DEL.ICIO.USHot spots: Allatoona fishing ‘off the charts’
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
You asked for it. You get it.
Beginning this week, and updated each Thursday, I’ll try to help you catch more fish with the help of some experts who make a living on the water.
But I’ll need your help, too.
Got a report? Share it here. Got a tip? Share it here. Every Thursday.
Report for weekend of July 11:
LAKE ALLATOONA
Striper guide Robert Eidson (First Bite Guide Service) says hybrid and striper fishing is “off the charts … I don’t think the fishing can get any better than it is now.” Eidson captained a party boat charter on July 4 that boated over 50 hybrids and stripers and had at least 30 more get away.
The best bite going right now is south of Bartow Carver. The mouth of all the south-end creeks are holding big schools of hybrids. There is a very good bite at the dam right at sun up as well. These fish can be caught on flat lines and topwater plugs for the first 30 minutes after sunrise. After that, the down line bite really picks up.
Look for these fish to be out over open water and at depths of 20 to 50 feet deep. Shiners, shad and bream are all working well for these schooling fish. If live bait isn’t your thing try umbrella rigs. The u-rig bite is really getting good right now. Pull your rigs at 3.1 mph 130 feet behind the boat.
White bass: For lots of action for small white bass, go to the Harbortown Marina area in the evenings and throw a Rooster Tail.
LAKE LANIER
Guide Doug Youngblood (Fish Lanier Guide Service) reports striper fishing has been good, with a strong morning bite (9 a.m.-1 p.m.) on live blueback herring downrodded in 40 to 50 feet of water. Go above Brown’s Bridge, but the fish are moving south. You can find stripers on the creeks on the lower end of the lake.
In the afternoon, when the power is being generated through the Buford Dam, use the same techniques in deep creeks, such as Six-Mile and Four-Mile. Youngblood has been catching 10 to 15 stripers on half-day trips with sizes in the 20s. Bob Lynn pulled in a 26-pounder last week.
Bass: The spots are schooling like crazy, making it a topwater bite. Use flukes, Sammy’s, Spooks and other topwater baits.
Crappie: Your best bet is fishing at night (with submerged lights) under bridges.
CHATTAHOOCHEE RIVER
Rob Smith at the Fish Hawk in Atlanta says fishing has been good for trout on the upper end (the tailwaters below Buford Dam) and shoal bass on the lower end (below Morgan Falls).
Trout: For fly fishing, use lightning bugs, prince nymphs, woolly buggers and zebra midges. Strip retrieve the wolly bugger; use a strike indicator for the others. For spin fishermen, use rooster tails and rapalas.
Shoal bass: Use spinnerbaits, flukes and other bass lures on the lower end (below Morgan Falls).
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Comments
By AndyV
July 11, 2008 1:17 PM | Link to this
OK, I am going to embarass myself on this one. Twice now I’ve seen Wooly Buggers mentioned in these blogs. I have an old fly rod that I’ve been threatenting to break out and take to the Hooch. Where can I get these Wooly Buggers? Walmart had almost no fly selection. Someplace close to East Marietta/Roswell. Thanks.
By **Scott Bernarde**
July 11, 2008 2:17 PM | Link to this
Andy V
Fly Box Outfitters is in Cobb
770-971-2208
But if there’s a sports authority nearby, you may want to try giving them a call, too
By **Scott Bernarde**
July 11, 2008 2:24 PM | Link to this
Does anybody out there fish a lot of small lakes, like Varner, Black Shoals, Stone Mountain, Horton, etc.?
Fishing reports from those place would be awesome.
I’ve been to Tribble Mill and Lake Bennett (at Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center) in the past couple weeks.
At both places, I caught largemouth on a split shot rig with small plastics, like dead ringers and finesse worms. At Bennett, it was in 8-12 feet of water around the sunken timber. At Tribs, main channel where the lake widens around the fishing piers in 10 to about 14 feet.
Water temps are firmly in the low 80s.
By lafish
July 11, 2008 7:18 PM | Link to this
It’s difficult to post on this blog for some reason
By Brad
July 13, 2008 9:59 AM | Link to this
As always, gon.com keeps a pretty good stream of monthly reports on all the bigger waters in the state. Tight lines-
By P-J Newman
July 14, 2008 10:08 AM | Link to this
I read in the Saturday AJC that 8,000 trout were to be put into The Hooch between Buford Dam and Morgan Falls. Is that true?
By P-J Newman
July 14, 2008 10:09 AM | Link to this
I read in the Saturday AJC that 8,000 trout were to be put into The Hooch between Buford Dam and Morgan Falls. Is that true?
By **Scott Bernarde**
July 14, 2008 10:12 AM | Link to this
PJ,
Yes, it’s true. It’ll be on Wednesday. Don’t know the specifics of where, but you can probably count on the usual places like the Dam, Jones Bridge, etc.
By Bubba J. Jakewoeicski
July 14, 2008 2:00 PM | Link to this
I thought the fishing in Allatoona was also off the chain, radical, gnarly and phat.
By **Scott Bernarde**
July 14, 2008 2:24 PM | Link to this
You forgot “off the hook” Or perhaps “on the hook.”
Welcome back Bubba. Been missin’ you, Dog.
By mikey p
July 14, 2008 10:00 PM | Link to this
anyone have any tips on fishing at sweetwater state park. Is it worth it?
By **Scott Bernarde**
July 15, 2008 9:59 AM | Link to this
Mikey,
It’s been a while since I’ve been to Sweetwater, but it has a lot of timber, and there is a pretty good number of 2- and 3-pound bass in there.
My suggestion would be to hit the deep timber, like 12 feet or more. This time of year, go real slow with small tackle, like finesse worms, Texas-rigged or split shot-rigged.
But you have to be real slow. Water temp is likely in the 80’s and the fish will be slow.
Anybody else have better suggestions?
By Mike
July 15, 2008 6:42 PM | Link to this
Scott,
Have you ever been to Bull Sluice Lake above Morgan Falls Dam? Any suggestions or tips? I went with a buddy recently, and we didn’t catch much. We did reel in a Northern Pike, which was a big surprise. The river banks have a lot of laydowns & steep rock walls, and it was tough to remain still as we didn’t have an anchor. Give me some tips if you got ‘em.
Thanks,
Mike
By JJ
July 16, 2008 12:47 PM | Link to this
Can someone please tell me a good spot for catfish fishing? No matter the species, ie channel, flathead, blues, etc.
Thanks
By ScootBrave18
July 17, 2008 3:30 PM | Link to this
yeah for catfishing, try the dekalb farmers market…
By **Scott Bernarde**
July 17, 2008 5:14 PM | Link to this
Mike, The trick at Bull Shoals is to fish it while they’re pulling water through the dam in the late afternoon. You know, when people get home from work and crank up the AC. The current will pull food(fish, bugs, etc.) out of the backwater and little creeks, etc. Target those areas.
Watch out for sand bars, and get an anchor.
By JJ
July 18, 2008 8:32 AM | Link to this
Nice shot Scoot. But I am serious. I’m an old country boy and enjoy catfishing. Is there something wrong with that?