Carters Lake Fishing Report – August 2007

Level: 10 feet low and falling. Temp: 82 degres. Clarity: Green stain.

Bass: Fair. Fishing guide Louie Bartenfield said the morning topwater bite is dead until the end of Septemeber. Louie suggests starting out with a small, medium-running crankbait on main-lake points. He likes the chartreuse-shad Bandit 200. He said the bite is pretty slow, but it works in the morning. After the sun gets up, Louie switches to a small green-pumpkin worm on a jig head, and he’s catching lots of 2-lb. spots. Buddy Callahan said anglers should focus on small jigs and finesse-style worms. He suggested a green-shiner Roboworm. After dark, Louie likes to throw a 1/2-oz. black/blue jig or a Norman’s DD-22, depending on the moon. “If there is a half- to- full-moon, you’ll catch ’em on the crankbait,” said Louie. “We’re having good luck running bluff walls with the crankbaits at night. This is where you’ll catch some nice fish.” He said the steep bluff walls are holding good numbers of fish and to cast parrallel to the bluffs for the most success. If the moon is bad, then Louie generally fishes the jig. “It’ll be slow, but it works,” said Louie.

Linesides: Good. “The hybrids are still the strongest bite in the white-fish category,” said Buddy Callahan. He said to downline threadfin shad early and late in the day. “U-rigs are working at midday with the occasional fish being caught on topwater,” said Buddy. Fishing guide Louie Bartenfield agreed that freelining shad and jumbo shiners is working well during the morning and evening near main-lake points.