Carters Lake Fishing Report December 2014

Carters: Level: 2.2 feet low. Temp: 59 degrees. Clarity: Clear.

Bass: Good. Guide Louie Bartenfield reports, “I’ve actually been on a good bite fishing 8 to 20 feet deep. Spotted bass are feeding heavily on crayfish and bream as of late. I’ve had a lot of this forage spit up. Most of these fish are in less than 20 feet of water and have been eating a SpotSticker casting jig and a drop-shot or shaky-head rig. I’m targeting steeper rock banks in all the major creeks and fishing slow. The deeper fish are starting to make their winter transitions to deep ditches and creek channels. I’ve caught my best numbers fishing from 30 to 45 feet deep over bottoms varying from 50 to 100 feet using my Humminbird 1199 Side Imaging unit. I am fishing primarily drop shots but also a Big Bite smoke-colored grub on 1/4-oz. head. December is a great month. Typically I’d say it’s the best month of the winter season. Fish lots of water, different depths, and mix up your presentations from jerkbaits to football jigs. Fish will be spread all over the water column in December.”

Stripers: Improving. Louie reports, “The striper bite is becoming more consistent. I’ve found fish from way up river, in the backs of a few feeder creeks, as well as the main lake. I had a client boat a 26-lb. striper on a 5-inch trout 35 feet deep on a main-lake point recently. Our next stop was all the way in the back of a major creek, and we boated another big striper in 25 feet there, so keep your eyes on your electronics, and look everywhere. I’m still not marking really big schools. Most fish have been loners. A typical December striper bite for me would be to fish downlines 30 to 40 feet deep over creek channels from Wurley/Doll Mountain creeks up the river, and then pull u-rigs down in the lake in the afternoon, especially if there’s wind. December is a great month to catch a big striper, so pick up some trout, and go drown ’em.”