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 high 60’s in the lower main lake and in the major creeks on Wednesday (5/4/2016). The lake level was about 6 inches above the top of the dam. The water was light brown and slightly to moderately cloudy in the central lower lake, with more murky water on downwind shorelines and in some creeks.
Most blue cats and bullheads were on flats and channel edges in the main lake and scattered in creeks, and were hitting live minnows and cut bait. Crappie action was fluctuating, with scattered fish and loose aggregates in creek channels and in main lake feeding areas. Active crappie were 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 were scattered or in loose aggregates on some main lake flats and in channels and on flats in major creeks and were hitting live minnows, small swim baits, and small jigs. Small to medium bluegill and shellcracker were scattered on some shorelines in major creeks and in the main lake and were hitting live worms and small swim baits, jigs, and flies. Some bass, pickerel, and bowfin were along shorelines, on lily pad flats, and along drop-offs in the main lake and major 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, Jerry VanDyke, Pat Boyle, and Ivan Wood had 3 bluegill, 2 fliers, 19 crappie, 1 yellow perch, and 2 bass. Abe and John Longmire had 29 bluegill, 2 crappie, 1 yellow perch, 1 blue cat, and 3 bass.