West Point Journal
by Rex Chambers

3-19-06 - Second event of the 2006 Bassmaster Series Tournament Trail Peach Division. West Point Lake, LaGrange, Georgia.

Fishing the Bassmaster Weekend Series in the Peach Division and this was the second event of the season. Thursday was the first time I’ve ever been on West Point Lake. I usually try and get two days of practice in before an event, but since this was my first time to see the water, I thought three days might be better. Plus, hey, who doesn’t want to fish an extra day? Better than working.

Headed out from the ramp with map in hand with a few favorite areas already marked by a fishing bud familiar with the lake. Headed out toward the dam from Highland Marina, and made a quick stop on a long point that looked inviting. Threw a rattle-trap, nothing. Started whizzing a big three hooked saltwater Sammy around, and managed one non-aggressive swirl that hooked himself and put a fifteen incher in the boat. Ok, one keeper in ten minutes. Not another bite on the Sammy.

Moved just around the corner from that point and began fishing an island with a rocky point. Found myself fishing too shallow while mainly targeting Spots, and swung the boat around to get a bit deeper. Whalah! In less than a boat length, there was a nice brushpile some thoughtful angler sank knowing I would one day be on West Point, Spot fishing. Dropped a jig down in the 18 feet tree jungle without a bite. Back to the ‘ol “dance with the one that brought you” thinking. Picked up the Shakey Head with the Shakey Worm and landed a three pounder on first cast. Next cast, good bite, hook set, hung up. Still there though. Just a slight pull every few seconds. Then, nothing but limb. Re-tie, one more cast. Another bite, pull it away and move on.

While idling under the next bridge (108 bridge I think), I notice a stiff breeze has picked up and is hitting the rip rap bank on the point of the bridge. Pull over and make few throws with a spinnerbait with no takers. Crankbait, no takers. Jerkbait, still nothing. It’s too perfect for what’s supposed to work, so pick up the spinning rod once again. First cast, a Spot just shy of four pounds. Next cast, a super fat two plus Spot. Yet another cast and yet another nice Spot. The bridge has current, wind, dingy water and bait fish. Yet, nothing that is supposed to work, does. Pick up the “bent hook” Shakey Head so as to not stick any others, and make a few more casts. Seventeen casts in a row gets bit. Three or four of those bites feel like quality fish, and two of those don’t let go until they have pulled the worm completely off the bent hook. Pattern? Maybe, but my rule of thumb is never rely on current for a Sunday tournament. Plus these were definitely current dependent fish and move in and out with the bait. On to the next stop.

Finally make it down to one of my pre-marked holes on the map. Water’s down at winter pool and first hole just don’t pan out, too shallow. Next stop, same thing. I go to leave and notice some standing timber in the back of nearby pocket and decide to see what the depth is around it. Timber has about eight feet of water in the middle of it. Just right for pre-spawn March bass. Throw a rattle-trap in the middle and actually have a strike, but nothing to show for it. Dozen more cast with not even a look. Jig, no bite. Crankbait, nothing. Back to the Shakey Head, and a good bite first cast. Set the hook, hung up behind a stump, fish comes un-buttoned. Next cast, nice keeper. Pick up the bent hook and get three more bites. Time to leave. Decide to make a couple casts on a red clay secondary point about forty yards from the timber. First cast produces a four pound largemouth. Take a quick cell phone picture and send it Diva just to rag her because she’s working and I’m fishing, and decide to leave. It’s a great place that weather shouldn’t change. Key word there, “shouldn’t”.

By this time the day is getting late and dusk is close. Back to the ramp and find that there is actually some type of tournament at the ramp. It’s Thursday. Tournament? I don’t ask any questions, but there are some fairly good fish being turned loose. There’s a nice seven plus pound largemouth floating with a couple anglers showing concern but can’t get to him. I idle over before putting the boat on the trailer, and move him around a bit, and he’s gone like a rocket. Good. Shower, supper and an early bedtime. More to figure out tomorrow.

FRIDAY

Friday began and ended uneventful. Slow bite started the day. Didn’t land a fish early. Didn’t even have a bite on the first few stops. Tried to fish some different types of structure with different baits than Thursday. Cranked a couple muddy points with no takers. Flipped a few shallow blow downs, still no takers. Decided to stay in stained shallow water for a while to try something different. No takers. Stayed in the stained water but moved a bit deeper, but still no takers. Went to a bedding area hoping to see some big sows had moved up, but still nothing. Back to what worked on Thursday, only in different areas. Sure enough, Spots are still biting. Landed a couple nice keepers, and took the Shakey Worm away from a couple more nice bites. Still hitting the same type cover, deeper banks with brush close to even deeper water, only in a different area of the lake.

My traveling partner shows up just before lunch and we head out to some his favorite places. Bite is still slow but we are fishing the same type things that I’ve been getting bites on. Fish a road bed, a few bites. Hit a deep rocky bank, a few more bites, but no quality. Head down river and check the bridge from Thursday that had the best numbers, and nothing. Those fish are current dependant and there is no water moving. Figures. Head down river a bit further to fish a rock pile on a feeding flat. Finally find the rock pile and sure enough, it’s stacked with keeper fish. A bite just about every cast. Pull it away from a couple solid bites and decide to call it a day. Head back to the cabin, fire up the grill for a good rib-eye and hope for bigger bites on the last day of practice.

Saturday was short practice. Hunt the largemouth bite, but it just isn’t there for me. Flipped shallow, flipped rocks and caught a few dink Spots but no heads. Went cranking to no avail. Carolina rigged a few points and still nothing. Figure, my pattern will probably hold together for about 10-12 pounds, and hope for a couple four pound bites to help the cause. Meeting time draw out boat 58 and my co-angler is staying at the ramp where we are. Good Georgia guy, Wes Deck.

Tourney day starts out with pretty good winds and threatening rain. Rain? No! Sleet! It’s fifty freaking degrees and it’s sleeting on us for about an hour. But, during that hour I get three keepers and Wes gets one. Next hour one more keeper. Started out hitting the old road bed close to the rail road and then move around the island to fish the brush I had found on Thursday. Brush produces small fish. Small fish? What happened to my two pounders? On down the lake. Fish the rock pile with a keeper, Wes gets another small one. Next hole produces another keeper. All I can get a bite on is the Shakey Worm. Wes has landed three on a Frenzy bait that resembled a Shad-Rap. I keep trying a jig, the Troy Jens Special Cordell Spot and a C-rig with nothing to show for it. Always end up going back to the finesse rig. All in all the day pretty much stank. All my decent bites had shrunk to keeper size, (yes I got a few pictures of them while they were all grown up on Thursday). Believe we ended up boating about 15 fish for the day. None of them over two pounds. My luck. Head to weigh in, at least we both have a limit. Put my puny limit on the scales, tuck my tail between my legs and make the long drive back home. Don’t even hang around to see if I happened to move up in the points. Next month’s event is on Eufaula. Did well there last time, maybe some better luck will come…