West Point Catfising Fishing Report – Dec. 17, 2024

In the catfish world, you often hear the term “big fish October.” I am convinced that is more applicable to water bodies farther north than my home lake down here on the Georgia/Alabama line. Our cooler weather and water conditions seem to lag behind other major catfish waters just a bit and so do the big catches. Nonetheless, it is big fish season now on West Point Lake!

Let’s be honest, overall fish activity will slow as their metabolism slows. However, the percentage of big fish caught will indeed go up. If you are targeting cats, expect much more blue cat activity over flatheads, as the flatties seem to slow way down once water temps dip to 50 degrees or below.

Gizzard shad is always my favorite bait on this lake. The cats will often show preference for other baits during warmer seasons, but, gizzards are THE bait to have once temps drop below 50 degrees.

And, fight against the urge to think “big bait, big fish.” In the winter months, reduce your bait size. Remember, fish metabolism has slowed. They are still driven to feed but are not seeking to bulk up like they would postspawn or early spring. The 48-lb. fish pictured below was caught on a small cut shad.

On the coldest days, the fish will bury in the mud in the deep channels. A slow drift or drag will produce bites. After rain events that increase current and temporarily increase water temps, they’ll get a little more active.

I caught this particular blue halfway up a shallow creek where I knew there was a lot of bait.

One of my favorite reasons for cold-water fishing is that the numbers of boats on the water drops significantly! Here’s hoping you find the time and opportunity to go fishing! I have this big fish on my YouTube channel.