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 main lake water temperatures were in the low to mid 60’s on Wednesday (10/17/2012). The lake level was a few inches above top of the dam. The water was brown and very slightly cloudy in the lower lake. Most major and minor creeks were still filled with hydrilla except in the channels, and hydrilla beds extended out from the shoreline of most areas of the main lake. Many hydrilla beds had fairly distinct weedwalls along their outer edges. Some of the hydrilla mats were continuing to break up.

Small to medium and a few large crappie were widely scattered from the shallow flats to the channels in the main lake. Crappie were hitting live minnows, Wright Bait Co. and Southern Pro curlytail jigs and tubes, small swimbaits, and Kalin crappie scrubs. A mix of sizes of bluegill were scattered along weedwalls and on a few shallow flats near shorelines in the main lake and near the mouths of some of the major creeks. Bluegill were hitting live worms and crickets, flies, small Wright Bait Co. and Southern Pro curlytail jigs and tubes, small swimbaits, Kalin crappie scrubs, and small spoons. Bass, pickerel, and bowfin were scattered along the shorelines and mid-depths in the main lake and up some of the major creeks. Bass were hitting live minnows, frogs and toads, surface lures, creature baits, soft plastic stick baits, crank baits, and plastic worms.

Fishing with Capt. Conway, Hollis Pruitt had 40 bluegill, 2 white perch, 4 crappie, 3 shiners, and 6 bass. Capt. Bill Buck and Hollis Pruitt had 35 bluegill, 4 white perch, 1 yellow perch, 5 crappie, 1 shiner, and 1 blue cat.