Capt. Art Conway of Conway’s River Rat Guide Service (804-514-1486) out of
Ed Allen’s Boats and Bait reported that Chickahominy Lake mid-day water
temperatures were in the high 80’s in the main lake on Wednesday
(7/11/2018). The lake level was about an inch above the top of the dam.
The water was medium brown and slightly to moderately cloudy in the central
lake.
Blue cats and bullheads were scattered on flats, along drop-offs, and in
channels in the main lake and in creeks, and were hitting live minnows and
cut bait. Some crappie were on flats, on drop-offs and in channels in the
main lake, especially near wood cover, while some crappie were in the lower
parts of major creeks. Activity varied, but more active crappie were
hitting live minnows, Wright Bait Co. and Southern Pro curlytail jigs, small
tubes, Kalin crappie scrubs, and small swim baits. Yellow and white perch
were scattered or in loose aggregates on flats, drop-offs, and channels in
the main lake and some creeks, and when active were hitting live minnows,
small swim baits, and small jigs. Most larger bluegill and shellcracker
were slightly away from the shoreline and were in 2 to 8 feet of water,
sometimes on brushpiles or near floating islands or cypress trees, and were
hitting live worms and crickets, flies, Nikko nymphs, and small swimbaits.
Some bass and pickerel were along shorelines, on deeper flats, along
drop-offs, or in channels in the main lake and in creeks. When active, bass
and pickerel were hitting live minnows, spinnerbaits, swim baits, stick
worms, crank baits, jerk baits, and jigs.
Fishing with Capt. Conway, Lawrence Barden had 24 bluegill, 2 yellow perch,
1 warmouth, and 4 bass. Jim and Andrew Braith had 13 bluegill, 3
shellcracker, 7 crappie, and 1 white perch. Damon McMillion and Steve
Hubbard had 50 bluegill, 1 shellcracker, 8 crappie, 2 yellow perch, 1 gar,
1 pickerel, and 2 bass. Tom Porter had 46 bluegill, 1 crappie, 1 blue cat,
and 1 bass.