West Point Fishing Report – May 2010

West Point: Level: 2.0 feet below full pool. Temp: High 60s. Clarity: Stained.

Bass: Good. Micah Frazier said the fish were in the heart of the spawn April 19. The topwater bite should heat up as more postspawn fish start to move back out. Fish a Pop-R or Rico, bone or baby bass in color. If you can’t get them on a topwater shallow, move out a little for postspawn fish on the points and brush. With a full moon, shad spawns should start showing up in the next month around bridges and rip-rap. Throw a crankbait, Chatterbait, spinnerbait, Pop-R — anything that resembles a shad.

Linesides: Fair. Justin McCullough at Highland Marina said the river run has not been as strong as it has been in years past, but anglers have been catching a few fish. On April 19, he said the fish were up above Franklin on the river, and cut bait or live shad in the river bends or sandbars were the best ways to catch them. Shad has been hard to find on the lake, though. Guide Todd Pursley said he has been able to catch some fish on the river run above Ringer, but the bite has been nowhere as good as it usually is. On April 19, he said the river run was dying down, and most of the fish he was catching were smaller. He said now through May will be time to concentrate down the lake from the railroad trestle south. Look on the main-lake flats, points and humps, and drop live shad to fish you see on your graph. Todd said the winter shad kill has left the lake starving for baitfish. In the absence of live bait, try trolling for linesides with bucktails, Sassy Shads, No. 7 Shad Raps or Rat-L-Traps.

Crappie: Good. Paul Parsons reports, “Most of the crappie spawned and moved to blowdowns and shallow brushpiles. The best way to catch them is with minnows fished 2 to 3 feet deep under bobbers.”

Catfish: Good. Paul reports, “Blue and channel catfish are biting good all over the lake on cut shad. Fishing for flatheads is picking up with the warmer water temps. Fish the deep holes upriver from the 219 bridge all the way up to above Franklin. The best bait by far is big, live gizzard shad.”