West Point Fishing Report October 2014

West Point: Level: 3.5 feet below full pool. Temp: Falling into the 70s. Clarity: Light stain.

Bass: Good. Guide Keith Hudson reports, “Expect the largemouth bite to improve around any shallow wood or brush cover or around baitfish—especially north of 219 in the Hooch. Try shallow-water baits such as Zoom Super Flukes, Strike King KVD 1.0 and 1.5 lures, and topwater baits such as Zara Spooks and Pop-Rs. One of the keys to this type of fishing is to look for schools of shad in the shallow water. As the weather continues to cool down and the lake level continues to drop, expect more bass, especially spots, to stack up on structures such as humps, ledges, roadbeds and brushpiles in 10 to 15 feet of water. Crankbaits like the Model 6 Bomber Fat Free Shad in citrus-shad color or a green-pumpkin 1/2-oz. football-head jig are good choices for deeper mixed fish. For specifically targeting spotted bass, try a Tommy Head with a Zoom Shakey Head worm around bridge pilings, brushpiles or rocky banks with blowdowns. Another good spot technique this time of year is drop-shotting in brushpiles. A green-pumpkin Zoom Finesse or Trick Worm on a Carolina rig will continue to produce bass throughout the fall. Shoal markers are a good place to start if you are not familiar with the lake at all. They almost always hold at least some bass and are easy to find.”

Linesides: Good. “Schooling stripers mixed with hybrids and white bass continue to bite fairly consistently,” Keith said. “Areas between the railroad trestle south to the 109 bridge, the mouths of Wilson and White Water creeks, and in the main river channel near the dam have all been producing. A popping-cork rig or a white 1/2-oz. Rooster Tail should be kept handy in case a school pops up out of nowhere. Expect the fishing to be best very early and very late or on overcast days. The fish are mostly less than 3 pounds or so, but there is an occasional big one mixed in. I expect the size to improve as the water continues to cool down. Trolling with mid-depth crankbaits, Alabama Rigs and casting chrome Challenger spoons has also been producing in these same areas. Downlining with shad or bass shiners can still be effective. Oftentimes bigger fish suspend under the smaller schoolies in the 15- to 25-foot range and can be caught using live bait. The problem with downlining is that the fish seem to move around a lot more than normal until the water cools way down.”

Crappie: Good. Keith reports, “Most signs point to a really good fall crappie season again this year. They usually start to pick up after the first days of just a little cooler weather. A small minnow under a float will work, or you can try pitching small tube jigs. Blowdown trees in 5 to 10 feet of water are already holding fish. Concentrate on trees that are close to the old creek or river channel. I like the area from Highland Marina north to 219 in the Chattahoochee. Covered docks with brush in this area will also hold fish. The fish seem to stack together tighter when the sun is out as they definitely prefer shade. The other option is night fishing. Tie up under one of the bridges or near the major creek channels, put out some lights and kick back. The crappie will usually show up within an hour or so after dark. It’s a good way to fill your freezer. Night fishing under the bridges with lights usually remains good throughout the fall.”