West Point Lake Fishing Report – December 2021

West Point: Level: 2.2 feet below full pool. Temp: Mid 60s. Clarity: Light stain up the lake.

Bass: Good. Guide Keith Hudson reports, “The shallow bite remains good now and could improve even more, especially if we get a warm rain. Baits such as unweighted flukes, Senkos, Spooks and Whopper Ploppers are still catching fish. Try to fish these baits in or near cover or around schools of shallow baitfish. Fish the open water in the pockets with a spinnerbait,  a  Shad Rap, a  Rat-L-Trap or a Flash-Mob Jr. rig. Pockets with a feeder creek or a little stained runoff seem to be best. Also, it doesn’t hurt to have a jig handy to pitch around any wood cover that is still in the water. During the month of December, especially if the lake level drops and it cools off more, the big schools of spots mixed with hybrids, white bass and stripers can be caught on jigging spoons and drop-shot rigs on deeper offshore structures in 18 to 30 feet of water. Look for big schools of bait on your fish finders, and concentrate your fishing efforts on those areas where you find the baitfish.”

Linesides: Good. Guide Keith Hudson reports, “The downline bite with shad or bass shiners has improved greatly as the water has cooled off. Most of the fish seem to be holding 20 to 30 feet deep. As the water gets colder, these deep fish get easier to catch. They will stay put longer as they slow down with continued falling water temps. Gulls and loons are here in December, which makes it easier to pinpoint schooling stripers, so keep your eyes open for birds diving. A 3/8- or 1/2-oz. white Rooster Tail, 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 fishing usually is. As the water cools, casting or trolling a bucktail jig becomes very effective, as well. You can also try trolling the Flash Mob Jr. Rig. It can be very effective at times. The mouths of most creeks south of the 109 bridge, the edge of  flats near the dam, and the mouth of Yellow Jacket Creek have been holding fish. Remember to watch for birds to find bait and fish.”

Crappie: Good. Guide Keith Hudson reports, “Try tightline fishing minnows or a 1/16-oz. or smaller jig around bridge pilings, brushpiles and blowdowns in 6 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. As usual, crappie seem to love shade and cover. Cooler temps and some rain that stains the water a little should improve the fishing even more. Yellow Jacket, Wolf and Whitewater creeks are still producing good strings of crappie. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! I offer gift certificates that make a great Christmas gift. They can be used immediately or in the upcoming season, subject to availability. Thanks to all my loyal customers for another great year. I start taking bookings for the spring season in January, so if you want to go ahead and get on the books, you can contact me at [email protected] or through my website LakeWestPointFishing.com.”