West Point Fishing Report – November 2007

West Point: Level: Down 13.2 feet below full pool. Temp: Low 70s. Clarity: Clear on main lake, slight stain up the Chattahoochee River.
Boating advisory: Low lake level. Use caution. Many of West Point’s boat ramps are also out of the water. At presstime, Long Cane, Yellow Jacket and Half Moon were all operational.

Largemouth: Good. “Largemouth fishing has been good very early in the morning and late in the afternoon during periods of generation,” said guide Paul Parsons. “Bass are moving in very shallow with the cooling water temperatures. There has been a good topwater bite first thing in the morning. Throw buzzbaits, Pop-Rs or Spooks around points and shallow brushpiles. Once the sun gets up, move out a little and throw small- to medium-sized crankbaits or worms on points and in the mouths of pockets in 6 to 12 feet of water.”

Spotted bass: Good. “Spotted bass fishing is great on main-lake rocky points and roadbeds fishing with Carolina-rigged finesse worms in watermelon seed or chartreuse pepper and No. 7 Shad Raps,” Paul said.

Linesides: Very good. “Fishing is still good down on the flats and humps on the main part of the lake,” said guide Bobby Wilson. “You can downline shad or you can pull crankbaits, but you have to know where the trees are to pull these baits trolling.” Paul said striped and hybrid bass are on main-lake humps and flats from the Railroad Trestle to the West Point dam. “Live shad fishing is the best way to put them in the boat,” he said. “Fish with threadfin or gizzard shad 20 to 30 feet deep. Find the fish on your graph, and you should get some action. Fishing has been best from daylight until about 10 a.m. These fish can also be caught at night fishing with live shad. There has been some good topwater action early in the morning. Fish with popping-cork rigs, Rooster Tails, Rat-L-Traps or Sassy Shads. We have been catching 25 to 50 hybrid and striped bass on our guide trips. Lots of small striped bass in the 2- to 6-lb. range are being caught. Please release these small stripers. West Point Lake will have some great striper fishing before long!”

Crappie: Fair to Good. “Fishing is getting better since the water temperature is coming down,” Bobby said. “You can find these fish around the bridge pilings and at the mouths of the creeks. Fish are starting to pull up shallow in the tops of the trees that are sticking up out of the water that you see riding around the lake.” “Crappie are being caught under the bridges at night on minnows 10 to 15 feet deep,” Paul added. “Good lights are the key to success, and a couple of green Hydro Glow fish lights would be a great investment if you like crappie fishing at night. If you don’t have any lights, try fishing around the marina docks. The Yellow Jacket, Railroad Trestle and 109 bridges have been producing lots of slab crappie.”

Catfish: Very good. “Channel and blue catfish are biting good at night. Fish around bridge pilings and rip-rap with cut shad or livers,” Paul said. “Another good area is around the West Point dam, both above and below the dam. Some flathead catfish up to 30 pounds have been caught recently way up the river on gizzard shad, but boating is extremely hazardous above the 219 bridge.”