Water quality

[pheonix819]

All we have heard for years is the poor water quality at Toona, but the lake is full of fish. I know there is an issue with size but a lot of good fish show up in the winter. Last year I seen a lot of solid and healthier fish there than in the past. My question is what made the lake start producing better fish than in the past ?

[scottpriest]

I still struggle with catching bigger fish consistently. But I noticed this year I caught a lot more spots in the 3 lb plus range than I ever have on Allatoona, and by a longshot. Not much has changed with my fishing techniques, places I fish or lure choices. I started pondering the same thing during most of 2017. My theory has to do with the Striper/Hybrid population and its affect on the green fish. I fish for spotted bass but also enjoy to go chase striper and hybrid. The last several years there seems to have been a boom in guys chasing them. Center console boats are everywhere, kayaks, and guides. Seems sometimes I would meet a new or first time striper/hybrid fisherman every trip out on the lake. As those fish get a lot more pressure than years past, and more of those fish are kept (you see a whole lot of people with coolers full of them), I wonder if there has been a decline in the amount of striper and hybrid in the lake and that has allowed the green fish to eat better and thus grow bigger. I myself had my toughest year striper fishing. I had a great year bass fishing.

[pheonix819]

That makes sense but I caught my biggest striped this year on toona and last was catching hybrids in the 6-7 pound range consistently. I’ve heard there is blue back herring in the lake but I haven’t seen any or a school of bait that resembles them. I’m like you I still fish the same areas as always. I’ve added some new baits to my arsenal but for the most part I always end up throwing a jig. What ever it is I hope it keeps improving.

[scottpriest]

Same here. I had a ball fishing last year. It got really exciting just heading out knowing there was a chance at catching some good ones! I've heard the same about the herring but like you haven't seen any signs of it. Nice to hear you were catching some good hybrids, that gives me hope for them. For some reason I hit a wall fishing for them this year.