Carters Lake Fishing Report – November 2020

Carters: Level: 6 feet low. Temp: 70 degrees. Clarity: 3 to 6 feet.

Bass: Capt. Eric Crowley reports, “I don’t usually target the bass much in the fall, but I always have a topwater tied on. It’s hard to beat a Zara Spook for this. Long casting, lots of commotion and the big Carters’ spots absolutely love to destroy one on the surface. If you’re not seeing them busting bait on top, you can still throw them over points and get some great action.”

Stripers: Capt. Eric Crowley reports, “The stripers are starting to pull up into shallower water following the bait. Planer boards and flatlines are the name of the game right now. I like to run big baits back 50 feet or so behind my planers. Circle hooks and 17-lb. mono are my choice of tackle for this setup. I like the mono in the cooler weather, as fluoro tends to get brittle on me in cold temps. You can slow troll the baits in a zig-zag pattern covering as much water as you can. I like to keep moving, looking for hungry fish versus trying to sit on top of the fish. With the clearer water, they tend to get spooky up in shallower water. All the major creek arms are good places to start. I typically pull from the very backs to the mouths of the main lake looking for any areas holding fish that day. Keep in mind the bait is on the move, and the predator fish are not far behind them, so the locations can change day to day. Worley, Fisher and Camp Branch are my typical go-to areas for big striped fish. If you’re looking to catch fish on artificials, I never hit Carters without a few Captain Mack’s umbrella rigs, Ben Parker spoons and some bucktails ready to go.”

Walleye: Capt. Eric Crowley reports, “The walleye have moved toward the shorelines. Look for them early and late on sunny days, as they prefer the low-light hours. On overcast windy days, they will be more active throughout the day. Live baits, spoons and crankbaits are the drill here. Using the crankbaits as search tools is imperative. After you find them, you can vertical jig or spoon them or throw live baits on them. Typically, I’m looking in 20 to 40 feet of water right now. November is when we start seeing the bigger fish coming into the boat with more consistency. It’s not rare to see 6- and 7-lb. fish grouped up on good areas. The small points and bends in most of the creeks have fish on them from the mouths all the way to the very backs. Look for bait and fish on the sonar before you ever wet a line. I say it a lot, but fish the fish, not locations.”