West Point Lake Fishing Report July 2016

West Point: Level: 3.5 feet below full pool. Temp: Upper 80s. Clarity: Clear.

Bass: Good. Tournament pro Jordan McDonald reports, “Postspawn bass have now moved to deep water for the summer. These bass can still be caught early morning on a topwater bait in the shallows near deep channel swings, as well as in the backs of pockets, as the bass are feeding heavily on shad. An efficient bait to use for early morning would be a Heddon Zara Spook in bone or chrome colors, depending on cloud cover. Once the early morning bite is over, begin heading out to deeper water. When the sun has risen, the bass will retreat to their summer haunts and suspend in the channels when it gets hot. Bass can be found sitting in brushpiles in depths of 12 to 20 feet and also on the humps that top out at 12 feet deep. A few baits to use in deeper water include a Missile Ike’s Head Banger jig, a Zoom Ol’ Monster, a Zoom shaky head and a drop shot with a Robo Worm in morning dawn color. Looking forward to July, these patterns should stay true through the dog days of summer. Fish will also begin to gather on the submerged roadbeds and pond dams.” Guide Keith Hudson reports, “Not much change as we move into the month of July. Bass fishing at West Point in the summer normally stays on a deep-structure pattern. Hungry postspawn bass can normally be caught around submerged roadbeds, pond dams and deep brushpiles. Zoom Ol’ Monster or Mag 2 worms, jigs and Bomber Fat Free crankbaits in the citrus-shad color are the normal baits of choice. Look for bass in 12 to 20 feet of water. Fish tend to bite better during periods of water generation. While the deep bite is best, a few bass always seem to stay shallow. Topwaters, buzzbaits and Senkos are good choices if you want to try shallow fishing, especially early in the morning. One key pattern if you want to find a shallow bite is to look for bream beds or mayfly hatches. Spotted bass also moved to deeper cover. A Zoom shaky head worm on a Tommyhead jig will work around blowdowns, bluff walls and bridge pilings.”

Linesides: Good. Keith Hudson reports, “During July, focus on the main lake, mostly south of the Highway 109 bridge. Downlining with live bait can still be highly effective. Try live shad or shiners for good results. Look for stripers and hybrids to be holding around humps and drop-offs near the channels in the mouths of most all the major creeks. They should be in 15 to 25 feet of water this month. Topwater fishing is usually good, as well. The linesides should start schooling on the surface this month and can be caught on popping-cork rigs or by trolling small crankbaits.”

Crappie: Fair. Keith Hudson reports, “The crappie have moved to deep water for the most part. Try pitching small jigs around or under docks or into deeper brushpiles for the spawned-out crappie. There are lots of deep brushpiles in the pockets near many of the boat docks, especially in the Liberty Hill and Yellow Jacket Creek areas. You may have to work a little harder to find the crappie, but the fishing can still be good in July for crappie when you do find them. Night fishing is usually very good during July. Try tying up under a bridge, grab a bucket of minnows, put out some lights, and enjoy the cooler night air.”