Question on fishing the chickahominy

I am from Pa. and fish the Chick a few times a year, Last year I did well the end of March with large crappie in shallow water at Rockahock. Is this a good time for this fishing? I understand weather can change everything but need to plan a trip. Thanks in advance

Hello addictedangler

I'm an hour + from the Chick and don't get there as much as I would like, she's done pretty well for me past years, but the weather has been inconsistent compared to earlier years so it seems a coin toss to me.
I was told on this board to go when ever you get the chance...So hopefully when you get out you will find them, lots of fish in there.... typically March is a great time to hit most lakes/ rivers tight lines...

You can always check out the lake and get reports here.

Welcome addictedangler;

I have lived right below Rockahock since 1989 and have fished the river since '82. Thats a lot of great days and a greater number of "skunks".

My opinion of crappie movements on the Chick in spring goes something like this:

As the water begins to warm (and the Chick warms fast with its shallow, black bottom) The crappie move up to the main drop off (flats are 4-6 feet at the edge of the drop and then it plummets to 9-11 in the area you are talking about). Normally this happens in early to mid March with water in the 45-55 range. As the photo period lengthens the lily pads that live on the flats start to sprout leaves. (We call these bottom hugging leaves "lettuce"). Crappie will begin moving up on to the flats, roaming about searching for food and spawning areas. These movements occur from incoming to just past high tide. As the tide begins to drop these fish may return to the drop off, as when we get a cold front, but many will begin to hold in the deep lettuce. By the first of April most crappie are established on the flats and can be found most anywhere. Casting a jig and float can help locate them and is a good rig to use until the end of April. From about mid April, and 60 degree water, the fish will group around cypress knees. The more water that remains around a given cypress at low water the more fish tend to use that tree. These fish can be caught at high tide. Because the Osprey return to their nests the second week of April these fish will hug tight to the bottom in the knees to avoid becoming bird food (at least the survivors have figured this out) It makes geting a bite very tough when the water is low. Late March to mid April is "combination" fishing time for me. I will fish the flats with spinner baits and shallow cranks over the lettuce on incoming tide for bass. When the tide gets high I will get out my jig and float and fish for crappie.

Please be kind to the river and relase all fish with eggs (I release everything until spawning is well over). Enjoy your visit.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Don French

Welcome addictedangler;

I have lived right below Rockahock since 1989 and have fished the river since '82. Thats a lot of great days and a greater number of "skunks".

My opinion of crappie movements on the Chick in spring goes something like this:

As the water begins to warm (and the Chick warms fast with its shallow, black bottom) The crappie move up to the main drop off (flats are 4-6 feet at the edge of the drop and then it plummets to 9-11 in the area you are talking about). Normally this happens in early to mid March with water in the 45-55 range. As the photo period lengthens the lily pads that live on the flats start to sprout leaves. (We call these bottom hugging leaves "lettuce"). Crappie will begin moving up on to the flats, roaming about searching for food and spawning areas. These movements occur from incoming to just past high tide. As the tide begins to drop these fish may return to the drop off, as when we get a cold front, but many will begin to hold in the deep lettuce. By the first of April most crappie are established on the flats and can be found most anywhere. Casting a jig and float can help locate them and is a good rig to use until the end of April. From about mid April, and 60 degree water, the fish will group around cypress knees. The more water that remains around a given cypress at low water the more fish tend to use that tree. These fish can be caught at high tide. Because the Osprey return to their nests the second week of April these fish will hug tight to the bottom in the knees to avoid becoming bird food (at least the survivors have figured this out) It makes geting a bite very tough when the water is low. Late March to mid April is "combination" fishing time for me. I will fish the flats with spinner baits and shallow cranks over the lettuce on incoming tide for bass. When the tide gets high I will get out my jig and float and fish for crappie.

Please be kind to the river and relase all fish with eggs (I release everything until spawning is well over). Enjoy your visit.

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Great response, Don. I wish I could write one that good. :biggrin

Welcome A A, why have you waited till now for a chick trip? The crappies have been biting good since december. Once it gets warm the lily pads come up and that's it for me. Im sure that there are a lot of people who catch after I've quit but for me the winter months is when I do mine. Come on down and get ya some. Right now the ring perch are doing the spawn thing and the crappies are coming out of the deeper water. Best of luck to you.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Don French

Welcome addictedangler;

I have lived right below Rockahock since 1989 and have fished the river since '82. Thats a lot of great days and a greater number of "skunks".

My opinion of crappie movements on the Chick in spring goes something like this:

As the water begins to warm (and the Chick warms fast with its shallow, black bottom) The crappie move up to the main drop off (flats are 4-6 feet at the edge of the drop and then it plummets to 9-11 in the area you are talking about). Normally this happens in early to mid March with water in the 45-55 range. As the photo period lengthens the lily pads that live on the flats start to sprout leaves. (We call these bottom hugging leaves "lettuce"). Crappie will begin moving up on to the flats, roaming about searching for food and spawning areas. These movements occur from incoming to just past high tide. As the tide begins to drop these fish may return to the drop off, as when we get a cold front, but many will begin to hold in the deep lettuce. By the first of April most crappie are established on the flats and can be found most anywhere. Casting a jig and float can help locate them and is a good rig to use until the end of April. From about mid April, and 60 degree water, the fish will group around cypress knees. The more water that remains around a given cypress at low water the more fish tend to use that tree. These fish can be caught at high tide. Because the Osprey return to their nests the second week of April these fish will hug tight to the bottom in the knees to avoid becoming bird food (at least the survivors have figured this out) It makes geting a bite very tough when the water is low. Late March to mid April is "combination" fishing time for me. I will fish the flats with spinner baits and shallow cranks over the lettuce on incoming tide for bass. When the tide gets high I will get out my jig and float and fish for crappie.

Please be kind to the river and relase all fish with eggs (I release everything until spawning is well over). Enjoy your visit.

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Thanks for this post on the Chick. the information you gave will help me greatly. This is why I am a member of this board.

Hey woodchuck I was down visiting my inlaws in Williamsburg 4 weekend ago and did a little fishing. I got 1 small crappie. There were only 2 or 3 other folks fishing. Burr cold and slow. I am going ice fishing Sunday so I do not mined cold if the fishing is good.I want to get a yurt at Rockahock and fish for 2 or 3 days without feeling guilty of not spending time with them. They are 91 and 92 so I am sure you can understand were I am coming from by staying on the water. Thanks for the kindly replys. Looking forward to some warm weather. even 32 sounds good.

Great report Don. Hope to get together on the chick now that I have a bigger boat.

great advice Don. thank you sir. I always wondered how the crappie spawn in the river. I'm familiar with the river but still learning. be there tomorrow so I'll give a report when I get back.

Thanks to all for the kind words.

I made a mistake in saying that the Osprey come back the second week of April. They actually come the second week of March. However, Woodduck and I saw a pair this past Saturday. By Sunday they were norwhere around, so they must have been a migrating pair and moved on.

Jim B., I hope we can fish together. I am headed in to MCV Wednesday for some lung surgery and I'm going to be off work and probably pretty well laid up during the spring fishing. Maybe I could get out after a period of healing if someone else handles the boat. Otherwise, it's fishing off of the pier and posting on this board for me for a while.

Best of luck to all

Don I wish you the best on the surgery and a quick recovery. Perhaps we will meet on the chick pier.

Tony

Lets hope for some good news Don. When your feeling better I"ll pick you up in my boat and we can do a little bass and crappie fishing. You can be my guide. Now get yourself well!!!! I'll be praying for you.

Thinking of coming down this weekend. It is 4 1/2 hour drive so has anyone been out recently? It is 62 deg here and I am itching.

Don speedy recovery, will save some fish for you.

Wishing you well Don, hope to see you out there as soon as you heal up.

Don, I will pray for a speedy recovery. Fishing will be your best medicine.

What pier do you fish off of in your area? I would like to take my wife to some different places other than the Suffolk lakes.

The information that was provide to the Pennsylvania fishing addict in this string is why I joined this forum. People that are willing to take their time and help each other rather than be selfish and think they can catch all the fish for themselves.

Good Luck and God Speed

PS Sorry I didn't look at the date before I replied.

Hope your surgery goes well and you are able to get back out soonest, Don!

Guys;

Thanks for all the good wishes. It must have worked. I am back (pretty much) on my feet. Still nursing my left side and can't fish or drive yet, but that is coming along. I feel better than I have in years. For Wild Cherokee; I fish from the pier in my back yard. It is in shallow water and is not a particularly good crappie spot. I need to go out in a boat to get to them. There is a pier at Riverside Camp that offers fishing to the public for a small fee. I believe Rockahock does the same. The best bet for crappie would be Rockhock, right at Walker's Dam. Thanks again, all!

Thanks Don,

I know you will feel better soon. A good sunny day fishing will do you good.

Walkers Dam is about an hour from where I live here in Hampton. But that is a short ride for a good day fishing. Or just a day of fishing is good. For some reason I just can't get the wife into a boat just yet. So I take her where she can fish from shore or a pier. Thanks again for the info.

Take Care and get plenty of rest if you can.

Hopefully soon I can figure out how to get my profile picture to show up. PS: I got it.

Billy