Carters Lake Fishing Report – October 2006

Carters: Level: 9.7 feet low. Temp: 72 degrees. Clarity: Clearing.

Bass: Poor. With 11 boats fishing it only took 6.22 pounds to win the Jasper Lion’s Club tournament Saturday. “We had big fish with a 1.80-lb. largemouth that hit a worm,” said Buddy Callahan at Bart’s Bait & Tackle. “The worm bite is really holding right now, just running the banks. The boys won it fishing a DNR structure, which isn’t deep anymore. With the lake low, 25-foot DNR structure is now only in 15 feet of water. Small fish were hitting on top. When the water gets 65 degrees, the topwater bite will get strong. Throw a buzzbait on long, tapering points and steep rock walls up the river.” Buddy said the DNR fish attractors will really turn on in October. A lot of the attractors have been in areas where water quality has been poor, but October means better water and more fish. Fish a Mann’s 20-plus crankbait over them or work a 1/4-oz. green-pumpkin jig ’n pig or finesse worm in them. If the lake comes up, run to the backs of the pockets and creeks, and throw a Fluke or spinnerbait. If the lake stays low, concentrate on the main-lake points.

Stripers: Fair. The stripers are working back down the river and into the main lake. Run main-lake points and creek runs, and fish planer boards, balloons and flatlines. “By the time the magazine gets out, we should have trout,” said Buddy of the bait situation at Bart’s.