Carters Lake Fishing Report May 2018

Carters: Level: Full but fluctuating. Temp: Low 60s. Clarity: 5 feet.

Stripers: Guide Eric Crowley reports, “The bite’s been really good and consistent. The stripers and hybrids are moving in and out of the creeks looking for bait. Start in the backs, and work your way out looking for any signs on life on the sonar. Most of the fish we are seeing are in groups of three to four, with most fish being close in size. After the sun is up, look for the fish to move a little deeper and hold on the bottom. Forty to 60 feet is where we have been catching them midday. Live bait is key, and the fresher the better. The big spotted bass bite has been better then I’ve seen in years. Lots of 3- to 4-lb. fish have been caught and released in the past month. I expect the green fish to be very prolific this year postspawn. For walleye, we won’t see one for a week and then catch four or five. We have seen a few really nice fish in the 6- to 7-lb. range while fishing at night under the Hydro Glow light. Thirty-foot bottom seems to be the most productive and is where I start looking for fish. A lot of the creek arms mid lake are holding fish in this depth range. The night bite has been a lot of fun. Fish feeding up shallow are eager to eat a well-placed fly as well as a live bait. If you haven’t done a night trip on Carters, now is the time. May is a great month to be on the water with us day or night.”

Linesides: Guide Robert Eidson reports, “Good! The big fish are starting to spawn. The river bite is heating up, but there are a lot of fish in spawn mode on the main lake. Carters is a different beast when it comes to the spawn run. The pump back plays a big factor in the spawn on Carters. It fishes like no other lake in Georgia this time of year. The key to catching big fish on Carters is to be patient. Big baits like gizzard shad (from Striper Soup) or big alewife fished on planer boards and freelines anytime of the day in the backs of any main-lake creek or up the river can yield a fish of a lifetime. The better bite has been midday, so prepare to make a day out of it.”