With a steady full pool and overall tolerable morning and evening temperatures, the reservoir has been a dream to fish. Your best bite will still be from 5:00 to 8:00/9 a.m. and again from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. The few days we've stayed out for early afternoon bite, we found some extremely good feeding. Simply not enough data to state it as steady. During specific lunar cycles we have had some stellar fishing beginning around 2:30 / 3:00 a.m. for the hybrids and stripers as well as spotted bass.
Current surface temperatures are in the mid to upper 80s, but there is cooler water just below the surface. This time of year it is common that we will find the majority of our Line-sides and other game fish holding in the top 20 feet of water. With the established alewife population, we are watching fish dive deeper for bait as these particular freshwater herring will sound (dive down) deep and quickly. This may prove to provide its own dangers for fish that strive to thrive in already low dissolved oxygen conditions.
The majority of the bait that you may see rippling and being pushed up to the top are threadfin shad mixed with young of year alewife. Through date, it is noted that the larger 3 to 7-in alewife do not get caught on the surface often, as they sound very quickly.
While downlining 15 to 20 ft down with frisky live bait has been a successful tactic, free lining has been nearly as effective through July.
Matching your hook size to your bait is always key and especially important in these warmer weather months where a thread fin shad in ideal conditions may only last 5 minutes on a hook before needing a replacement. A heavy oversized hook will only hasten it's demise and ultimately render it ineffective.
We have also started to see a little bit of a morning topwater bite as well as into the evening. Having a top water such as a small Shower Blow 77, Zara Spook or Puppy or even at the ready with a small 3 in. spoon or swim bait with 1/8-1/4 oz. head can get you in on some exciting artificial action, especially when timed right. While we have been fortunate enough to stick with a mega School of good hybrids and stripers through July, we have been able to share some confidence building in many different artificials. There have been a few mornings where tossing a Captain Mack's mini rig into the school has produced a strike even when they seem to I have given up on a tethered thread fin or gizzard shad.
These linesides in particular can be awful finicky at times but just like most other Bass can often be enticed into a reflex strike.
As we head into the heat of August, we still like to go out and sight fish for the large gar our reservoir has to offer. In many instances here, we are looking for a reflex strike from a small swimbait or rope lure properly placed in their paths.
Our spotted bass are absolutely showing the signs of a rich diet, and while I believe that bream maybe their preferred flavor, we've hooked dozens and dozens and dozens that have come into the boat spitting up alewife 3-7" and overall smaller threadfin shad this summer. No doubt that Allatoona has the ingredients to facilitate a stellar spotted bass fishery.
As for the crappie, any brush found off of deep slopes as well as most Marina structures have been holding these in the warmer months. When targeted, we have caught these on anything from a 1/32-1/8 oz. Lead head dressed with Red Rooster or ATX crappie candy. Bodies can range anywhere from 1.5 - 3 inches. Sometimes this presentation will out fish a live minnow and summertime shows no exception.
So let's go fishing! We do hope that some information gleaned here will help you get on to the bite. If you are ever desiring a full service fishing adventure, we would sure love to have you aboard our boats. Never hesitate to call or message us at 404-919-4918 or email us heronoutdooradventures@gmail.com. God bless you and tight lines, friends
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