ďżźProvided By: Shawn McNew Striper Soup Bait & Tackle
Allatoona is in full winter pattern. Small with spring right around the corner, things are already starting to heat up on Allatoona. The lake will be on its way up from the winter drawdown. The high amounts of precipitation (rain AND snow) over the winter has our water table high, meaning creeks and streams feeding into the lake will be flowing well. The water will stay a little muddy, but as things warm up, clarity will gradually improve. The incoming water will warm more quickly than the main lake and send our striped friends into breed mode. Hybrids and stripers will be pointing their noses into the âwindâ and swimming upstream on all of the major tributaries. Since the drought of 2008, we havenât seen our stripers looking so healthy. It wouldnât be unlikely for somebody to catch a 40 pounder this spring! However, the winter bite here has been a little bit tough primarily due to the abundance of dying threadfin shad. This is a normal phenomenon this time of year, but since the past two winters were very mild, Allatoona and many other lakes didnât experience a threadfin kill. The result has been an overabundance of forage. Thinning out the baitfish population should soon leave us with lots of hungry fish.
BIG BAIT = BIG FISH. Bait size will be increasing as the water temp climbs back above 50 degrees. Look for the biggest fish to be feeding on bait you can barely get your hand around. Bait in the 14-15 inch size is not out of the question when hunting the trophies. Any true striper fisherman will have a few of these âmongoâ baits on board, whether trout, shad, or suckers. Main lake techniques will be all be the norm: planer boards, downlines, and freelines. As you venture shallow and upstream and begin to encounter current, consider using techniques like cut bait or live bait on the bottom. No roll sinkers or 3 way rigs combined with circle hooks will help prevent snags. Come by the shop for a rigging lesson if you need some help. Fish may feed any time of day, or all day. When
itâs cold, the afternoon bite can be the best, but they primarily only feed about 30 minutes to 1 hour per day this time of year due to slowed metabolism. For the hybrid bite, stick with threadfin and small gizzard shad. Once the weather permits, we will begin carrying threadfin again.
Artificials will also work well this time of year. U-rigs are good bets to catch the fish still feeding on small baitfish. Downsize your jigs to match the hatch. Jigging spoons, casting spoons, Rooster Tails, shad head jigs with a Fat Shad or fluke, Storm Wildeyes and Foley Spoons will all be catching lots of fish right now. With warmer water come hungrier fish and we very well might see significant surface feeding. Keep a popping rig and some surface plugs on hand and ready to go at a momentâs notice. We have some new products to try including the Mannâs Three-For-All and also a full lineup of Hog Farmer A-rigs. Come check âem out.
White bass are something we start to talk about this time of year as well. These little guys are fun to catch on light gear and are a great way to get the kids interested in catching some fish that have lines on them. Head up into the major tributaries like Allatoona Creek, Little River, and the Etowah River and try your luck with 1/8-1/4 oz jigs in white, chartreuse, or yellow. Bucktails, 2-3 inch curly tail grubs, or the Striper Soup Tail Spin jig will work great. You can cast and retrieve, or pitch them out under a float, giving them a twitch. The float rig makes for a more visual strike and prevents hang-ups. Live bait like small shad or gas station minnows will catch them as well. On a good day 50+ fish isnât uncommon. They also make great table fare when filleted and fried fresh. Target eddy pools and slack areas where rocks or logs break the current. Water in the 3-6 foot range is ideal for white bass.
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HINT: When catching fresh shad, donât overcrowd your tank. Keep only as many as you need to fish since overcrowding can kill them ALL! Always keep your filter clean.