Carters Lake Fishing Report November 2014

Carters: Level: 1 foot below full pool. Temp: 69 degrees. Clarity: Clear.

Bass: Good. Guide Louie Bartenfield reports, “Fishing remains good and is improving. Fish are scattered in the water column right now, and my guys have been catching fish in shallow, mid-depth and deep levels each day. The majority of spotted bass are in 12 to 18 feet right now. Spotsticker jig heads and drop shots tipped with a Big Bite Shaking Squirrel or shad-pattern soft plastic are my best baits so far. As November approaches, we will have turnover to deal with. Pay close attention to water conditions in the areas you fish. If you see signs of turnover, look to go to a different area if possible. I’ve always done well with a 3/4-oz. Mini-Me spinnerbait early for those shallow fish and a more bulky 1/2-oz. Spotsticker casting jig on the deeper fish. Focus on steep points leading into ditches and timber edges 15 to 40 feet deep in November.”

Stripers: Louie reports, “Striper fishing has been slow in October, much slower than the past few years. Very few big fish have been turning up, but with the cold nights in our forecast, I expect things to pick up over the next month. November is my favorite month to troll u-rigs at Carters. If you like to troll, focus on pulling over a 40- to 60-foot bottom as close to shore and points as possible. I try to pull my rigs around 3 mph and keep my baits in approximately 20 to 25 feet of water usually 80 to 90 feet behind the boat. I pull nine 3/8-oz. baits. Capt. Macks and Castaway Bait Co. at Lake Lanier both make fantastic u-rigs. For the livebait fishing, focus half way back in the creeks, and work 40- to 60-foot breaklines with a spread of whatever big bait you can get. Cover as much water as possible, and do not expect to find a really big school right now, as most every striper I’ve found lately has been a loner. Bart’s Bait and Tackle now has trout available, as does Striper Soup and The Dugout, so there’s no need to show up without bait no matter what direction you’re coming from.”