West Point Fishing Report – December 2008

West Point: Level: 2.5 feet below full pool and falling. Temp: Low 60s. Clarity: Clear on the main lake; slight stain in the backs of the creeks. Upriver is slightly stained and clearing.

Bass: Good. Tournament angler Ken Bearden said there are both shallow and deep bites going on right now. For the deep bite, he likes to fish a drop shot or a spoon in 25 to 30 feet of water around main-lake points. “They are best if you can find some shad out there,” he said. For spooning, Ken likes a chrome Castmaster spoon in either 3/8- or 1/2-oz. On the drop shot, Ken fishes a Zoom Meat Head in watermelon with green flake. The shallow fish Ken has found are in 4 to 8 feet of water on banks warmed by the sun and blocked from the wind. Typically, that means north banks or the north sides of pockets. He’s catching them on a small shallow-running crankbait. He recommended a Spro Little John, which runs about 6 to 8 feet deep, in clear/chartreuse.

Linesides: Good, said guide Bobby Wilson. “Fish are being caught down on the flats at Maple Creek, Indian Creek, Alligator and Wehadkee creeks downlining shad on top of the schools of fish. Find shad on your graph, and you will find the fish,” said Bobby. “Watch for gulls flying and hitting the water; usually there’s fish under the shad. Try a casting a jigging spoon or Rat-L-Trap, or you can drop live bait down to the fish. Those who don’t have bait tanks can catch fish by trolling crankbaits along the river channel off the points and coves. Try 1/2-oz. Rat-L-Traps, chrome/blue or chrome/black. The 200 Series Bandits work great also in pearl/white, parrot green, black/silver and chrome/blue trolling at about 600 rpms. No. 7 Shad Raps are working real good in black/silver.” Guide Paul Parsons also said the bite is good. “Striped, hybrid and white bass are biting down the lake on humps, flats and roadbeds and also around areas of standing timber fishing live shad,” Paul said. “Good humps and flats to fish are the railroad-trestle hump, the flats at the mouths of Wilson Creek, Wehadkee Creek, Alligator Creek and Indian Creek and the humps at the mouth of Maple Creek. Striper and hybrid fishing should remain good until the surface temperature drops below 50 degrees. Jigging spoons will produce well with the colder water temperatures. Use your electronics to locate the shad schools, and you will usually find the gamefish close by.” Also, look for the seagulls.

Crappie: Good. “Crappie are in the blowdowns and on just about every stick-up in the water,” Bobby said. “Try casting jigs or downline minnows on a cork around these stick-ups. Fish are still on the bridge pilings and brushpiles in the creeks. Downline minnows or cast jigs at the pilings.” Paul reports good crappie fishing right now on West Point. “Nighttime fishing for crappie is still good under the bridges using minnows,” Paul said. “You can catch crappie under any of the bridges on West Point, but the best ones are the 109 bridge, the railroad trestle and the Cameron Mill bridge on Yellow Jacket Creek. If you want to avoid the crowds, some other good bridges are up Wehadkee Creek and the bridge in Maple Creek. The most important thing about night fishing is good lights. Hydro Glow lights are a great investment if you like to crappie fish at night. They will pull fish away from other lights close by, and you will probably catch the most fish. Fish with minnows about 10 to 12 feet deep. We have been catching a few trophy-size crappie up to 3 pounds on threadfin shad during the day around deep brushpiles 18 to 24 feet deep on the main lake.”