West Point Lake Fishing Reports – September 2020

West Point: Level: 0.5 feet above full pool. Temp: Upper 80s. Clarity: Mostly clear.

Bass: Fair. Guide Keith Hudson reports, “Unless we have some kind of drastic weather event, expect a tough bite as we move into September. The shallow bite should slowly improve, especially if we get a lot of rain or cooler temps. Shallow-water baits such as unweighted Trick Worms, flukes, Senkos, Spro Frogs and Rebel Pop-Rs seem to catch some bass in early fall. Fish these baits in or near cover, and most of the best shallow cover is north of the 219 bridge. It is usually an early bite. Another productive pattern is to fish jigs around blowdowns. It won’t produce a lot of bites, and you are going to lose or break some off some jigs, but a kicker fish may be your reward. A few largemouth should remain on some of the deeper structure patterns as the water temps cool down. Zoom Trick Worms either Texas- or Carolina-rigged, or a Bomber Fat Free 7 or 8 crankbait in citrus shad, are a couple of the favorite baits for exploring the offshore structures. Old roadbeds, pond dams, channel ledges, etc., especially those with fresh brushpiles, will hold some good bass. Most of the tournament-winning sacks continue to come from private brushpiles. A few guys put in the work and usually reap the rewards. The spotted bass can at least keep the day interesting. Carolina-rigged finesse worms or a Spot Remover rigged with a Zoom Trick Worm are good choices. Try fishing bridge pilings, blowdowns, gravel banks or shoal markers. Usually when you catch one, there are other spotted bass in the same area.”

Linesides: Good. Guide Keith Hudson reports, “Expect the topwater fishing to continue to be the best very early and very late or on overcast or rainy days. A popping cork rig has been working well on these schooling 1- to 3-lb. fish. A 3/8- or 1/2-oz. white Rooster Tail, a chrome C.C. Spoon and a number of other small shad imitators have been producing. The mouths of most creeks south of the 109 bridge and the flats around Amity Park have been holding fish. Trolling with mid-depth crankbaits and Alabama Rigs has also been producing some linesides in these same areas. Downlining with shad or bass shiners should continue to be fairly effective. Freelining a live bait will also work at times. Most of the fish seem to be holding 20 to 30 feet deep when they are not schooling on the surface and are moving around a lot.”

Crappie: Fair. Guide Keith Hudson reports, “Yellow Jacket, Wolf and Whitewater creeks are still producing some crappie. Try fishing the smallest minnows you can find or a 1/16-oz. or smaller jig around brushpiles and blowdowns in 10 to 15 feet of water. Concentrate on trees and brush that are close to the old creek channels. Pitching or shooting docks with small tube or feather jigs around or under the docks is also a very good technique during the early fall. As usual, crappie seem to love shade and cover. Cooler temps or a lot of rain could improve the fishing drastically.”

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