Capt. Art Conway of Conway’s River Rat Guide Service (804-746-2475) out of
Ed Allen’s Boats and Bait reported that Chickahominy Lake mid-day water
temperatures were in the mid 40’s in the main lake and low 40’s in the major
creeks on Wednesday (3/15/2017), representing a decrease of 10 to 20 degrees
since late last week. The lake level was a few inches above the top of the
dam. The water was light brown and slightly to moderately cloudy in the
central lower lake.
The following patterns were present late last week and should gradually
resume as the current cold front moderates, but most species that were in
the creeks have moved to deeper water in the main lake. Most blue cats and
bullheads were on flats and channels in the main lake and scattered in
creeks and hitting live minnows and cut bait. A few crappie were still
along drop-offs and in channels in the main lake, especially near wood
cover, but many crappie were in channels in the major creeks throughout the
lake. Many crappie were scattered rather than in large schools, and were
frequently on flats, sometimes very shallow, adjacent to deeper water on
sunny afternoons. Many crappie in the creeks were active and hitting live
minnows, Wright Bait Co. and Southern Pro curlytail jigs, small tubes, Kalin
crappie scrubs, and small swim baits. Small to medium yellow perch (some
still egg-laden) and white perch were scattered or in loose aggregates on
some main lake flats and channels and in some creek channels and were
hitting live minnows, small swim baits, and small jigs. Bluegill and
shellcracker were along channel edges in the main lake and in creeks and
were occasionally hitting small jigs, Nikko nymphs on drop shot rigs, small
swim baits, and live worms. Most bass, pickerel, and bowfin were on flats,
along drop-offs, or in channels in the major creeks and the main lake. Bass
activity has been sporadic, but usually better with more stable conditions.
When active, bass and pickerel were hitting live minnows, spinnerbaits, swim
baits, stick worms, crank baits, suspending jerk baits, and jigs.
Fishing with Capt. Conway, Peder, Dane, and Toren Pedersen had 17 crappie
and 5 bass.
