Carters Lake Fishing Reports – February 2021

Carters: Level: 6 feet below full. Temp: 43 degrees. Clarity: 2 feet.

Bass: Guide Bill Payne reports, “The winter bite is in full swing here in late January. We’ve been keying on the deep bite for several weeks and mostly in the 50- to 60-foot range. White Georgia Blade jigging spoons in 3/4-oz. has accounted for quite a few fish in the last few weeks. We’re also having good success on drop shots with Roboworms (Aaron’s magic), shaky heads fished deep and very slow. Other baits like a Silver Buddy and small swimbaits are working, as well. As February arrives, I don’t expect a great change. The spots will continue to hang close to the big schools of bait, and the same patterns we’ve used in January will continue. This won’t change much until we get some consecutive warmer days later in the month or some of the flooding rains like we’ve received the past two years. Last year the lake flooded to 26 feet above full pool and stayed flooded for weeks. As we progress toward mid to late February, more fish will pull out of the ditches and venture up onto the long points in the big creek arms and move even shallower during warm days. Stained water will also see some big fish move even shallower on the points. When the spots first pull up on the long points, I like to drag a shaky head, like the Picasso Rhino Head in 3/16-oz. with a green-pumpkin Softy Lures Finesse Worm out deep on the points. Also, an underpin with a Zoom Super Fluke Jr. slowly bumping bottom will get bites, as well. One of my most favorite things about February is the jerkbait bite. I use the MegaBass OneTen+1 in the threadfin shad color, and with a little wind the fish can move up fairly shallow. Another exciting possibility is that the heavy rains can stain the water all the way to the dam. When this happens, a big spinnerbait like a Picasso 3/4-oz. double willow can produce some huge catches up shallow on the points or rocky areas. February is a big transition month. It starts like winter but can end with a strong shallow bite under the right conditions.” Guide Eric Crowley reports, “The spots are relentless right now. If you’re fishing live bait, you are going to catch bass. They are schooled up chasing bait for what seems like all day. We haven’t been fishing much artificial baits as the shad bite is pretty hot. We have seen some fish in the 4-lb. plus range almost every trip.”

Stripers & Walleye: Guide Eric Crowley reports, “The striper bite has been pretty good this winter. Gizzard shad or big fresh threadfin are the go-to baits right now. Some guys are catching them on trout, but we just haven’t been using them since the bait is still catchable. We are pulling flatlines, planers and downlines all day. Some fish are up at 20 feet, and some are still holding deep near 60, but they are all interested in bait. The best pattern seems to be the worse the weather, the better the bite. Look for schools of fish in the backs of the creeks near the bait balls that are in just about every arm of the lake to start the day. About mid-morning they seem to feed again. The walleye are still holding pretty deep and tight to the bottom at 50-plus feet most days, but there have been some fish suspending near the bait balls in 25 to 35 feet in open water. Look for them to move shallower next month.”