Just getting settled into Va, looking for some advice/ideas, a couple fishing buddies

[Paperjawhunter]

Wanted to introduce my self, I’m Brian and I Just got settled into Carrsville,Va and made it through deer season with my boys lol. I just bought a low hour (less then 10) Triton 17 CTX and spent the last 2 weeks getting it rigged up right with my sons. Age 16/13. I’ve always tried to raise them outdoors and working on boats. We installed a nice Livescope system and millennium crappie rod holders. Now we are ready to use it lol. We fished a lot for crappie in Florida and am looking forward to learning all this new water. We have been doing a ton of reading on here and have came to the agreement that yellow perch is what we would love to learn first. We read a lot of Crappiefarmers posts and have a couple areas picked out. North River and possibly the Chowan/Blackwater area. Any help would be extremely appreciated. We have some of the basics covered. Found a couple places for minnows. So I guess we have just a couple questions…
1. What’s the best technique used for yellow perch? (I grew up in Michigan fishing standard perch rigs / 2 hook gear) can we spider rig? Or is it best to use floats? Jigs or minnows?
2. It seems like it should be the right time. Do the rivers heat up in order? Like north river goes first? Then it cycles in towards the Chowan? Or do they all kinda run the creeks/rivers at the same time all over the sound?
3. Best target depth? We have been looking and read they catch some perch all the way up to Franklin on the Blackwater? Any one have any luck on the Blackwater? It seems like it has some decent depth to it. But on the North River it seems kinda shallow.
4. Do we start out near the sound fishing or further in towards the smaller water areas like creek arms and such???

I know it’s a lot lol. But we are eager to learn. We spent a day on the Blackwater, a day on Western Branch reservoir, a day on lake prince and haven’t had huge success anywhere yet. We are willing to make a drive within 2 hours for a good bite and or to meet up with some guys going for perch.
thanks in advance to anyone willing to help us out a bit!!! Looking forward to meeting some of the local crappie/perch fishing guys. Tight lines!

[TomO]

Not an expert but I catch yp on a float and minnow. On Western Branch and Meade have had luck fishing grass beds. In Northwest and Nottaway rivers same rig but vary depth until you find them, usually 6 to 10 feet deep off banks. Bonus is crappie are in same areas. Rivers will probably be too muddy next week or so. February and March usually good up the rivers. Burnt Mills is good for targeting crappie in 20 to 30 feet of water this time of year also if you like to spider rig. Good luck.

[JET4]

welcome

[Paperjawhunter]

Thanks Jet!

[Paperjawhunter]

Thanks Tom! I definitely appreciate it. We do like to spider rig and actually went and checked out western branch. All I could muster up were a couple huge catfish lol. And a couple white perch. It was nasty out though. Still better than sitting at home on the couch. I think I’m going to try to go to NW or North River this weekend if I can find a break in the weather.

[wasabi]

Welcome to Virginia!

[Paperjawhunter]

Appreciate it wasabi!