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 to high 70’s in the main lake and in the major
creeks on Wednesday (9/20/2017). The lake level was about a foot above the
top of the dam. The water was light to medium brown and slightly cloudy in
the central lower lake, with more murky water along downwind shorelines.
Most blue cats and bullheads were on flats and along drop-offs in the main
lake and scattered in creeks, and were hitting live minnows and cut bait.
Most crappie were on mid-depth flats and drop-offs, frequently near wood
cover, but a few crappie were scattered on shoreline flats. Activity was
moderate, and when 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 in creeks and on flats in the main lake and were hitting live
minnows, small swim baits, and small jigs. Most bluegill and shellcracker
were scattered or in small schools on shoreline flats, near wood cover, or
along the outer edge of hydrilla beds in 3 to 8 feet of water in the main
lake, and were hitting small jigs, Nikko nymphs, small swim baits, and live
worms. Most bass were on mid-depth flats, along drop-offs, or in channels
near mouths of the major creeks and in the main lake, while a few bass were
on shorelines, especially under hydrilla mats. Pickerel were in creeks, on
main lake shorelines, or around wood cover or vegetation. When active, bass
and pickerel were hitting live minnows, spinnerbaits, swim baits, stick
worms, crank baits, jigs, and frogs.
Fishing with Capt. Conway, Tom Porter had 17 bluegill, 2 shellcracker, 13
crappie, 2 white perch, 4 gar, and 1 channel cat.