West Point Fishing Report – February 2022

West Point: Level: 5.2 feet below 635. Temp: Low 50s.

Bass: Guide Keith Hudson reports, “Slow. Cold weather the last of couple weeks of January have made it an overall tough bite to start the month. Hopefully things are beginning to pick up quickly as the weather improves this month. The shallow bite for bass is tough right now but should improve in February, especially with a warm rain and extended warming trend. Stained water, higher-than-normal lake levels and water temps in the low 60s will turn things on quickly. Baits such as crawdad-colored Shad Raps, Rat-L-Traps and ChatterBaits will produce on  these shallower fish. Try to fish these baits in stained water coves and pockets with small feeder creeks or around schools of baitfish. Keep a jig or shaky head handy to pitch around any wood cover. Fishing rip-rap can also produce good results this time of year. The rocks warm quickly and retain heat. Some trophy-sized fish are always caught in February! On the other hand, a snow or ice storm in February could still shut the bite down completely. Water temps in the 30s and 40s make it super tough. If the lake stays cold and clear, go deep for numbers. Schools of spots mixed with hybrids, white bass and stripers can still be caught on jigging spoons and drop-shot rigs and shaky-head rigs on humps and drop-offs. Target deeper offshore structures like brushpiles and old roadbeds in 20 to 30 feet of water near the mouths of most major creeks for the best results.” 

Linesides: Guide Keith Hudson reports, “Good. The downline bite with shad or bass shiners improved as the water has cooled off and cleared back up a bit. Most of the fish seem to be holding 25 to 40 feet deep except for those rare days when they are schooling on the surface. Expect the topwater fishing to be very sporadic. It’s usually best very early and very late or on overcast or rainy days. Gulls and loons are here now, which makes it easier to pinpoint schooling stripers and hybrids. Keep your eyes open. The popping-cork rig has still been working on schooling, 1- to 3-lb. fish with an occasional bigger one mixed in. A big Red Fin or a big swimbait won’t get many bites but could produce a 20-lb. fish on any cast. A 3/8- or 1/2-oz. white Rooster Tail, a white bucktail, a chrome C.C. Spoon and a number of other small shad imitators have also been producing, and the colder it gets the better the deep fishing usually is (within reason of course). Trolling with mid-depth crankbaits and Flash Mob Jr. rigs also continues to produce some linesides. The mouths of most creeks anywhere south of the Highland Marina area all the way to the dam and Maple Creek have been holding fish. A few fish are usually beginning to make the river run up the Hooch in late February, as well. They can be caught in the mouths of most of the small feeder creeks, especially if we have an early spring. Try garlic-spray-soaked cutbait or even liver in water temps below 60 degrees.”    

Crappie: Guide Keith Hudson reports, “Good. In most years, a warm, lake-staining  rain in February will set the crappie bite on fire. Fishing with minnows or jigs 3 to 4 feet under a float will catch them when they decide to move up. The bank fishing can be just as good as fishing from a boat. Other techniques will work, as well. Try tightline fishing with minnows or a 1/16- or 1/8–oz. jig around bridge pilings, brushpiles and blowdowns in 15 to 20 feet of water. Concentrate on trees and brush that are close to the old creek channels. Pitching or shooting deep-water docks with small tubes or feather jigs around or under the docks can still produce this time of year. As usual, crappie seem to love shade and cover. Yellow Jacket, Wehadkee and Whitewater creeks are normally producing some crappie by now. Spider trolling usually works well in February, as well, and can be very effective.”

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