This weeks Lake Allatoona crappie fishing report is brought to you by DRC Marine Repair located in Dallas, Georgia. Give DRC Marine Repair a call for outboard engine repair and maintenance needs. A full list of services can be found on their website. Tell them you saw them on Red Rooster's weekly Lake Allatoona Crappie Fishing Report!
Air Temp: High: 70 - Low: 39
Wind: 5-15 mph
Lake Level: Approx. 824' and holding steady (Click Here For Current Water Level)
Water Surface Temp: 48 - 52
Water Clarity: Stained to Heavy Stained depending on area of the lake
Area Fished: Blockhouse & Little River
Jigs Used: Cajun Chicken - Small Fry, Bluegrass - Small Fry, Black & Blue - Small Fry, Sour Grape - Kic'n Chic'n, Lemonade - Kic'n Chic'n, Bubble Gum - Georgia Razor, Flo Pink Pepper - Georgia Razor
Technique: Trolling
Allatoona Weekly Crappie, Shellcracker & Bluegill Fishing Report:
January weather can be extremely frustrating with cold fronts and warming trends. This past week was no different as we went from a couple of days of cold fronts into a nice warming trend but the damage had been done from the cold front earlier in the week. We got out a couple of days and caught a few but the cold snap did a number on the crappie. The cold front had the crappie pushed down to the bottom and they were very slow to bite. We had some luck in deeper water slow trolling and letting the jigs bounce on the bottom and adjusted our speed from .5 mph to .6 mph to keep the jigs just above the bottom. We were pulling 1/16th oz. jig heads and 1/24th oz. jig heads with a variety of colors but the bite was extremely slow. Once the weather stabilizes to more January type weather we should be back in a typical winter pattern where the crappie are roaming in the 12' to 20' range. That could all change if we get a few days of mild weather and the water temps stay in the low to mid 50's which would move the crappie up to shallow waters. We just have to play ball with whatever weather we are given during the winter. The crappie will feed...you just have to stay after them! The great Lake Allatoona drawdown has more than likely reached the bottom for the time being and will stay in the 825' range for another month unless we get some big time rain. Look for crappie in the mouths of creeks, middle of the creek, river bends and flats. Watch your electronics for baitfish and schools of crappie as well as roaming singles and doubles. Don't forget to troll over main lake points as the crappie will hang out on the points at certain times. The main idea is to cover water while trolling and you will eventually find some hungry Allatoona crappie. If you find them make sure to work the area a few times as you have found some active fish.
Crappie: We are still affected by last weeks cold front but that could all change with a warming trend! This past week has warmed up...but the affects of the cold snap and high winds still linger. With that said we only had a couple of days on the water and the troll bit was real slow as the water temp had dropped. Not only did the water temps drop, they dropped 10 degrees in roughly 48 hours! This type of temperature swing sends the crappie into lockjaw for several days. The other aspect to consider is when the water warms up rapidly...you get another temperature swing in the other direction...this also affects crappie as well as the fluctuating barometric pressures. With all that said, we are still getting on boats and going fishing! Don't over analyze your fishing trips, it is just something to be aware of. The worst day fishing is still a day fishing! We slowed our troll speeds way down...we were trolling at .5 to .7 mph with a mix of 1/24th oz. and 1/16th oz. jig heads as well as 1/24th oz. underspins. Most of our crappie came off of the bottom or very close to the bottom in 8' to 12' of water. We would bounce our jigs off of the bottom and then speed up just enough to keep our jigs off of the bottom. The water is stained to heavy stained right now so we are using bold, solid colors such as Black/Blue, Black/Chartreuse, Pink and Orange. Sour Grape, 'Lectric Chicken, Cajun Chicken, Bubble Gum and Flo Pink Pepper did well on our last trip. January can be frustrating and discouraging but our advice is to cover water and keep on fishing because you never know what day/time you are going to have a big day and maybe a big crappie! Red Rooster Custom Baits is your "Long Line Trolling Authority" for all things long line trolling for crappie. If you have questions about when, what and where give us a call or shoot us an email. We make custom jig heads, under spins and we can color match any jig color that you want or need. We love talking about crappie fishing so we are here to help. We also do a Facebook Live most Friday nights unless something comes up.
If you don't know what colors to choose check out our Combo Packs, this will save you a lot of time with proven stained and clear water colors. Be sure to check out the archives for January 2025 and see what we were doing this time last year!
Make sure to download the Red Rooster Long Line Trolling Guide for tips on how to troll for Allatoona Crappie.
Verse of the Week: Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” ~ Matthew 3:13-17. Why Was Jesus Baptized?
Robbie holding up a fat Allatoona White Crappie!
Danny with a nice Allatoona Slab!
Robbie with another nice Allatoona Black Crappie!
