# Live bait for Carters lake



## kbad (May 2, 2012)

Thinking about going to Carters with my brother mon.
Is there anywhere on the way to the lake to buy live bait ( shad,blue backs or trout)
Or does anyone know a decent place to start throwing the net at daybreak to catch some?

Thanks


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## Louie B (May 2, 2012)

kbad said:


> Thinking about going to Carters with my brother mon.
> Is there anywhere on the way to the lake to buy live bait ( shad,blue backs or trout)
> Or does anyone know a decent place to start throwing the net at daybreak to catch some?
> 
> Thanks



I think Bart's Bait and Tackle are now carrying Gizzard's but don't hold me to that.  I'd call and check ahead of time.


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## Louie B (May 2, 2012)

Just confirmed; He does have Gizzard's and will continue to do so.  For now, dollar sized are $1.25 each.  Lot better than getting up at 3am to go get em yourself LOL.  And, at Carters there's no need to have more than a couple dozen anyway, if you run out you've had an outstanding day.

LB


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## kbad (May 2, 2012)

thanks


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## Robert Eidson (May 2, 2012)

Louie B said:


> Just confirmed; He does have Gizzard's and will continue to do so.  For now, dollar sized are $1.25 each.  Lot better than getting up at 3am to go get em yourself LOL.  And, at Carters there's no need to have more than a couple dozen anyway, if you run out you've had an outstanding day.
> 
> LB



3am !!!! I left the house at 2:30am this morning just to get up there in time to catch bait......


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## kbad (May 2, 2012)

What time do you need to be on the water to catch bait up there?


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## bigfishheads (May 2, 2012)

Robert, I got a tank full of shad ready to go.  Sleep in, call me, and lets go.  I'll make it as easy as pie!


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## Robert Eidson (May 2, 2012)

bad said:


> What time do you need to be on the water to catch bait up there?



I like to be on the water by 430am. That gives me 1 1/2 hours to locate and net bait before the sun comes up.. I don't go up there as much as I use to do to my health. I am sure there will be others to chime in on this post....Good luck and have fun.......




bigfishheads said:


> Robert, I got a tank full of shad ready to go.  Sleep in, call me, and lets go.  I'll make it as easy as pie!




I would love to, but back on Toona in the morning chasing Hybrids...... Maybe one day I can come jump in the boat with you and share some fishing stories....


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## djtoomuch (May 2, 2012)

Where do you most of you all launch @?


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## Lake_and_stream (May 3, 2012)

I would go with Roberts advice and stay away from the GIZZARDS . your best bite is going to be threads and alewife. Havnt caught any fish on gizzards in 6-8 weeks or so. The fish are keying on "white bait" . If the fish are on the same feeding habbits as last year they wont start eating gizzards till this fall. When the water temps drop back down below 60 and the herring go deep.

The crew from Barts bait and tackle were out Sat. morning with a tank full of gizzards maybe they can chime in and tell us how it went for them???


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## Robert Eidson (May 3, 2012)

Lake_and_stream said:


> I would go with Roberts advice and stay away from the GIZZARDS . your best bite is going to be threads and alewife. Havnt caught any fish on gizzards in 6-8 weeks or so. The fish are keying on "white bait" . If the fish are on the same feeding habbits as last year they wont start eating gizzards till this fall. When the water temps drop back down below 60 and the herring go deep.
> 
> The crew from Barts bait and tackle were out Sat. morning with a tank full of gizzards maybe they can chime in and tell us how it went for them???




I did not say they wouldn't eat gizzard shad. I wouldn't know because I am only up there maybe 10-15 times a year. And I have never really been a gizzard shad guy anyways. It is know secret I am a number's kind of guide.  And I think  Threads and Alewife give me a better shot on Carters for numbers for all species. Again this is just my choice  and doesn't mean bait's like Shiners, Gizzard Shad and bream want work.  

 For those of you that don't throw a net or just don't have the time, bait stores are great opinions.  We are very lucky to have places like Dugout, SeeinStripes and  3-Way on Allatoona. Hammond's and Oakwood on Lanier. And Bart's on Carters and Hughes on Nottely.  I have used bait from all of these stores and caught fish on their product.  And I will at sometime use all of them again. The only thing I do know for sure is you can't catch fish if your not on the water. Good luck, have fun and take plenty of pictures Monday and give us a report....

PEACE !!!!!

Firstbite...


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## Lake_and_stream (May 3, 2012)

Didnt mean your advice to not use gizzards, but netting your bait at carters. 

Also the fish will eat a gizzard but in my opinion they are the least favorite choice of the 3 baits mentioned above " at this time". 

This is the opinion of someone thats on the lake a lot and what I see works in my boat. If givin the choice at a bait shop of the three , gizzards ,threads,alewife i would take the alewife , But being as you cant buy them anywhere near carters I would "net my own"


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## Robert Eidson (May 3, 2012)

Lake_and_stream said:


> Didnt mean your advice to not use gizzards, but netting your bait at carters.
> 
> Also the fish will eat a gizzard but in my opinion they are the least favorite choice of the 3 baits mentioned above " at this time".
> 
> This is the opinion of someone thats on the lake a lot and what I see works in my boat. If givin the choice at a bait shop of the three , gizzards ,threads,alewife i would take the alewife , But being as you cant buy them anywhere near carters I would "net my own"



I figure that's what you meant, but you know how people take things out of content, just didn't want my phone ringing all week with bait questions.  

 BTW, Congrats on all the magazine article's this month. Gon, Georgia Sportsman and Angler Magazine..  Not to bad for a puppy.........lol


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## Terribleted (May 3, 2012)

Fished Carter's last weekend.  Was too lazy to cast for Alewives.  Took bait shop gizzards and Threadfin.  No gizzards were touched.  Threadfin were eaten and caught a couple spots and a catfish...the drag screamers (likely stripers or big Hybrids) that we did not hook up were also on Threadfin.  In any case the bite was slow on those as well. I believe we would have done better if I had brought the net and caught a few alewives.


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## Lake_and_stream (May 3, 2012)

Thanks Robert, I have been working very hard ! Just trying to keep up with the old man!









Terribleted said:


> Fished Carter's last weekend.  Was too lazy to cast for Alewives.  Took bait shop gizzards and Threadfin.  No gizzards were touched.  Threadfin were eaten and caught a couple spots and a catfish...the drag screamers (likely stripers or big Hybrids) that we did not hook up were also on Threadfin.  In any case the bite was slow on those as well. I believe we would have done better if I had brought the net and caught a few alewives.


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## Doog (May 5, 2012)

Lake_and_stream said:


> Havnt caught any fish on gizzards in 6-8 weeks or so. The fish are keying on "white bait" .



X2

last time we were out there found plenty of active fish that wouldn't touch gizzards, wouldn't even threaten em. 

For me Gizzards act like big shiners. "Eat me, don't eat me, don't care" 

When the fish want to chase, the bait needs to freak out when they get near. Gizzards are just debris in the water n those kind of days...


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## Lake_and_stream (May 5, 2012)

Doog said:


> X2
> 
> last time we were out there found plenty of active fish that wouldn't touch gizzards, wouldn't even threaten em.
> 
> ...



Couldnt have said it better. The action of the two is like night and day and the color is way diff. in the water.


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## kbad (May 5, 2012)

Thanks for the info guys. I guess I will bring the cast net and see if I can stumble across some bait. If not I will just fish for spots.


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## Lake_and_stream (May 5, 2012)

Bait is gonna be tough on Sunday  . Had to throw more then i like to today but still made bait.


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