Carters Lake Fishing Report – November 2010

Carters: Level: 2 feet below full pool. Temp: 74-76 degrees. Clarity: Clear.

Bass: Good. Guide Louie Bartenfield reports, “The bite here is wanting to bust loose. When the water gets in the low 60s to upper 50s, watch out. For now there is a morning bite; jerkbaits, spinnerbaits, crankbaits and topwater will all produce a fish or two in the early morning hours. I’ve been switching baits every few casts in the a.m. just to try to maximize bites. The fish haven’t been keyed in on any depth range or lure, so it’s important to throw everything you’ve got confidence in anywhere you believe there are fish. I’ve even caught a fish or two on buzzbaits around steep, main-lake rock just at sun-up, so try everything. After the morning bite, my best bait for numbers has been a drop shot and a jig-head worm or grub. A Big Bite green-pumpkin/blue Cane Stick rigged wacky on a 3/8-oz. drop-shot rig will get bit fished slow around main-lake, steep rock. Twenty to 25 feet seems to be the depth after 10 a.m. There are tons of fish out deeper, but they have been hard to catch. A shad-colored grub on 1/4-oz. jig head has also been a good producer the past two weeks. I’m using a slow retrieve with 8-lb. fluorocarbon and a 7-foot, medium/heavy, spinning rod, letting the grub fall to the bottom and slow rolling it back with an occasional pause to let the grub fall forward. I’ve been able to catch a few big spots using this technique. As the water cools off, look for the jerkbait and Fish Head Spin bites to pick up strong. As the fish move shallower, look for them to set up on small points and flats near ditches and coves where they’ll spend the majority of the winter months. November and December are fantastic months to catch a trophy spot on Carters.”

Linesides: Eric Crowley reports, “Stripers can be found on the DNR structures at the lower end of the lake. Most of these fish are smaller fish, but with good numbers around it can be a blast. Threadfin and gizzard shad are working just fine for these fish. Some larger fish have been caught trolling trout in the creeks, both Doll Mountain and Worley are producing early in the morning and at dusk. Try putting the trout way out behind the boat either on flatlines or planers. Fishing 50 to 75 feet back will give the shallow fish plenty of room not to be spooked by the boat. If looking for fish in other areas, check the backs of creeks for bait. If you find heavy bait in the creeks, the fish will be close. Try pitching gizzards or large threadfins at the banks and timber near the schooling shad, and cover the area well. Look for cooler temps to bring the fish up in the water column in some areas of the lake. Don’t give up on the humps yet, either. Any warming trends will pull these fish back to these humps.”