West Point Lake Fishing Report September 2016

West Point: Level: 2.8 below full pool. Temp: 85-90 degrees. Clarity: Very clear.

Bass: Fair, reports guide Keith Hudson. “More of the same as we move into September. Expect the shallow bite to slowly improve, especially if we get a lot of rain or cooler temps. Shallow-water baits such as unweighted Trick Worms, flukes, Senkos, buzzbaits and Rebel Pop-Rs seem to catch at least some bass in early fall. The trick is to fish these baits in or near cover. It is usually an early bite. Another productive pattern is to fish jigs around blowdown trees. It won’t produce a lot of bites, and you are going to lose or break some off some jigs, but a kicker fish may be your reward. A few of the largemouth should remain on some of the deeper structure patterns as the water temps cool down just a little over the next few weeks. Zoom Trick 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, channel ledges, etc., 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. The spotted bass can 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.”