Carters Lake Fishing Report July 2012

Carters: Level: 1.8 feet above full pool. Temp: 75-80 degrees. Clarity: Great; 5-7 feet visibility.

Bass: Good. Louie Bartenfield reports, “We’re catching fish from 15 to 35 feet on Spotsticker jig heads and drop shots rigged with Big Bite Shaking Squirrel worms and Spotsticker Hand-Poured Worms in green pumpkin, bold gill and the new crushed herring colors. There is still a morning shallow-water bite, but it has really slowed. Strike King Sexy Dawgs in sexy blueback will still draw a few rises from hybrids and spots. Run points and windy timber edges to maximize your chance at topwater strikes. When the sun gets out, put everything down and pick up the Spotsticker. Slow down, you’ll get bit. Focus on cover from 20 to 40 feet late in the day, and fish slow.”

Linesides: The bite is extremely slow, according to Louie. “It lasts an hour to hour and half at best. You better have good bait and be in the right area. The fish are from 25 to 50 feet suspended at or near the mouths of Fisher, Woodring and Beach creeks. Just cover the creek mouths slowly, and hope you run across them. Keep changing baits regularly to ensure fresh lively bait. One thing that’s helped me is putting a Castaway Tackle planer board 50 feet back with a downline 30 feet off it. I’ve been running a bigger bait, and it’s paid off a few times lately, so give that a try along with a regular spread of downlines.”

Bluegill: “Seeing tons of beds in the backs of small pockets off the main lake,” Louie said. “For any of you guys who like a good mess of panfish, now would be a great time to use a cork and 5-foot leader with a cricket or a Big Bite panfish plastic and come get a cooler full.”