West Point Lake Fishing Report August 2016

West Point: Level: 3.5 feet below full pool. Temp: Upper 80s. Clarity: Lightly stained; clear on the south end.

Bass: Fair at best. Guide Keith Hudson reports, “A few of the largemouth have finally shown up on some of the deeper structure as the water temps heated up over the last few weeks. Zoom Ol’ Monster worms either Texas or Carolina rigged, or a Bomber Fat Free 7 or 8 crankbait in citrus shad are a couple of the favorite baits for exploring the offshore structures. Old roadbeds, pond dams and channel ledges, especially those with fresh brushpiles, will hold some good bass. Most of the tournament-winning sacks continue to come from private brushpiles. A few guys put in the work and usually reap the rewards. Over the last few years at least a few of our largemouth have decided to stay shallow all summer. Shallow-water baits such as unweighted Trick Worms, flukes, Senkos, buzzbaits and SPRO Poppin Frogs seem to catch at least some bass all summer. The trick is to fish these baits in or near cover. It is usually an early bite. Concentrate on areas north of the 219 bridge. Another fairly productive pattern is to fish jigs around trees. It won’t produce a lot of bites, and you are going to lose or break some off, but a kicker fish may be your reward. The spotted bass will at least keep the day interesting for you. Carolina-rigged finesse worms or a Tommy Head rigged with a Zoom Shakey Head worm are good choices for them. Try fishing bridge pilings, blowdowns, gravel banks or shoal markers. Usually when you catch one, there are others in the same area.”

Linesides: Good. Keith Hudson reports, “Expect the topwater fishing to continue to be the best very early and very late or on overcast or rainy days. A popping-cork rig has been working well on these schooling 1- to 3-lb. fish. A 3/8- or 1/2-oz. white Rooster Tail, a chrome C.C. Spoon and a number of other small shad imitators have been producing. The mouths of most creeks south of the 109 bridge and the flats around Amity Park have been holding fish. Trolling with mid-depth crankbaits and Alabama Rigs has also been producing some linesides in these same areas. The fish are keying on mostly small shad. Downlining with shad or bass shiners should continue to be at least fairly effective. Freelining a live bait will also work at times. Most fish seem to be holding 20 to 30 feet deep when not schooling on the surface.”

Crappie: Fair. Keith Hudson reports, “Yellow Jacket, Wolf and Whitewater creeks are still producing some crappie. Try fishing the smallest minnows you can find or a 1/16-oz. or smaller jig around brushpiles and blowdowns in 10 to 15 feet of water. Concentrate on trees and brush that are close to the old creek channels. Pitching or shooting docks with small tube or feather jigs around or under the docks is also a very good technique during the summer. As usual, crappie seem to love shade and cover. The night fishing has been pretty good, and you can beat the heat that way. Tie up under a bridge, put out some lights, tightline some minnows, and relax.”

Catfish: Good. Keith Hudson reports, “Try using worms or cut bait fished on the bottom for good catches of channel cats. Bottle fishing is also a fun way to catch a good mess of cats. Channel cats bite well over most of the lake and are way under fished. For big flatheads, try using a big live bream. Most of the best flathead fishing is in the deeper holes north of 219 bridge in the main Chattahoochee River run. Fish the baits on bottom, and be prepared with some heavy gear if you expect to land a big one. Don’t be surprised if you hook in to a bonus striper in the same areas.”