Lake Chesdin Info Needed Desperately

[NateCatchesFish]

Hey everybody. I have a tournament on Lake Chesdin in VA on Saturday. I need as much info as possible. Never fished it. Water clarity, types of banks, cover, bottom content, baits that worked, even spots. It's a club kayak tournament so keep in mind I can't get too far from the ramp in a good amount of time knowing it's a big lake. Help would be great!!!!!

[68camaro]

Never fished it but what club is it?

[NateCatchesFish]

18 minutes ago, 68camaro said:

Never fished it but what club is it?

VKT. Virginia Kayak Trail 

[TriCityBassin']

I live very close to the lake.  Truthfully, most of the guys I know avoid that lake except for March - May.

IMO, you will not be fishing for a lot of bites.  The lake is very grassy in the warm months with an exceptionally heavy amount of boat traffic from jet skis and water skis.

Whippernock marina bridge is a good area.  Not sure where you all are putting in or if you have the option to use different put ins.

Fish that are caught are of good quality...just not a lot.

 

 

[Sam]

Nate, it all depends on where you will be blasting off.

 

If at Seven Springs or the Dinwiddie free public dock then you will be limited to the eastern portion of the lake, towards the dam.

 

If you are blasting off from the Whipponock Creek you will fish the creek and then go either east or west.

 

SEVEN SPRINGS/PUBLIC RAMP AREA

1.  Fish the Seven Springs marina area

2.  There are two coves to your left as you leave Seven Springs. Fish them as soon as possible. Try to be first.

3.  Fish the grass bank from the Dinwiddie public ramp all the way to Miry Run, which is a big cove on your left as you paddle west.

4.  Fish the area from Seven Springs all the way to the first cove where there is a boat house at the entrance of a cove. Fish that cove, too.

5.  There is Rocky Run on your left on the southern bank by Leonard's Campground. Fish both sides of this area. Look for rocks if you can find them.

 

WHIPPONOCK CREEK

1. As fast as you can, fish around the bridge and then hit the docks to your right as you go under the bridge towards the lake. Watch out for pike. This is an area where they live with the bass. And then fish the bank across from the docks and piers on the other side of the cove area.

2. Fish the area around the camp from the bridge around the bank back to bridge.

3. Go into Whipponock Creek to the left of the campground and go back into the creek.

4. If you are up to it, fish the island at the mouth of the creek in the lake.

5. Paddle across the lake and hit Stony Creek. Fish all around Stony Creek but don' be surprised if you don't catch anything other than a pike.

6. Hit all docks, piers and boat houses that you can.

 

SHAD

Try to find the shad. With the water temps cooling down they should be in the back of the creeks and coves. But who knows?

 

BAITS

Lipless crankbaits like a half-ounce Red Eyed Shad in Sexy Shad

Shad Raps

Spinnerbaits

Normal 1.5 KVD square bill crankbaits

Jerkbaits

Plastics of your choice

Whatever you have confidence in throwing

 

CHESDIN MAP

No one has them anymore.

Until GMCO puts out a newer version there are no maps of Lake Chesdin available.

Hopefully at this coming Richmond Fishing Expo GMCO will have a new map of Chesdin available.

So go to Google Earth and look at the lake and see what I am talking about.

 

Beat the banks and if necessary, pull off and fish farther out from the bank to try to find the drop-offs.

 

Remember, there is a $10 ramp fee at Seven Springs, but your vehicle will be safer there than at the pubic ramp.

 

Good luck. Let us know how you do.

[NateCatchesFish]

On 12/20/2017 at 3:23 AM, TriCityBassin' said:

I live very close to the lake.  Truthfully, most of the guys I know avoid that lake except for March - May.

IMO, you will not be fishing for a lot of bites.  The lake is very grassy in the warm months with an exceptionally heavy amount of boat traffic from jet skis and water skis.

Whippernock marina bridge is a good area.  Not sure where you all are putting in or if you have the option to use different put ins.

Fish that are caught are of good quality...just not a lot.

 

 

That's exactly where we are putting in. I know little about it. I appreciate the info! It's a pretty big tournament and I didn't have time to prefish so the little information will help a lot!

On 12/20/2017 at 8:01 AM, Sam said:

Nate, it all depends on where you will be blasting off.

 

If at Seven Springs or the Dinwiddie free public dock then you will be limited to the eastern portion of the lake, towards the dam.

 

If you are blasting off from the Whipponock Creek you will fish the creek and then go either east or west.

 

SEVEN SPRINGS/PUBLIC RAMP AREA

1.  Fish the Seven Springs marina area

2.  There are two coves to your left as you leave Seven Springs. Fish them as soon as possible. Try to be first.

3.  Fish the grass bank from the Dinwiddie public ramp all the way to Miry Run, which is a big cove on your left as you paddle west.

4.  Fish the area from Seven Springs all the way to the first cove where there is a boat house at the entrance of a cove. Fish that cove, too.

5.  There is Rocky Run on your left on the southern bank by Leonard's Campground. Fish both sides of this area. Look for rocks if you can find them.

 

WHIPPONOCK CREEK

1. As fast as you can, fish around the bridge and then hit the docks to your right as you go under the bridge towards the lake. Watch out for pike. This is an area where they live with the bass. And then fish the bank across from the docks and piers on the other side of the cove area.

2. Fish the area around the camp from the bridge around the bank back to bridge.

3. Go into Whipponock Creek to the left of the campground and go back into the creek.

4. If you are up to it, fish the island at the mouth of the creek in the lake.

5. Paddle across the lake and hit Stony Creek. Fish all around Stony Creek but don' be surprised if you don't catch anything other than a pike.

6. Hit all docks, piers and boat houses that you can.

 

SHAD

Try to find the shad. With the water temps cooling down they should be in the back of the creeks and coves. But who knows?

 

BAITS

Lipless crankbaits like a half-ounce Red Eyed Shad in Sexy Shad

Shad Raps

Spinnerbaits

Normal 1.5 KVD square bill crankbaits

Jerkbaits

Plastics of your choice

Whatever you have confidence in throwing

 

CHESDIN MAP

No one has them anymore.

Until GMCO puts out a newer version there are no maps of Lake Chesdin available.

Hopefully at this coming Richmond Fishing Expo GMCO will have a new map of Chesdin available.

So go to Google Earth and look at the lake and see what I am talking about.

 

Beat the banks and if necessary, pull off and fish farther out from the bank to try to find the drop-offs.

 

Remember, there is a $10 ramp fee at Seven Springs, but your vehicle will be safer there than at the pubic ramp.

 

Good luck. Let us know how you do.

Thank you!! All this info will help tremendously! We are launching at Whipponock. I've never  even seen the lake and didn't even know it existed till a few months ago. They do have a map on navionics as far as contour goes. I'm not sure how recent it is but I've been studying that to get some idea. There's potentially like $600 in prize money up for grabs so I'd love to take some of it hope. I appreciate the help!

[68camaro]

Nate good luck and lets us know how you do.

[NateCatchesFish]

20 hours ago, 68camaro said:

Nate good luck and lets us know how you do.

Will do! Appreciate it!

[Sam]

Nate, was this your tournament on Chesdin???

How did you do?

 

Congratulations to Andy Andrews of Sutherland, Va. who won Round #4 of the VKT Winter Series with a very impressive 5 fish limit totaling 70.75”. Temps were unseasonably warm hovering around 70 degrees and winds gusted over 20 mph most of the day. The win earned Andrews a total of $330 in cold hard cash and prizes as well as a qualification for the 2018 VKT 2 Day Championship. Second place winner of $300 in cash and prizes was Joe Maione of Suffolk, Va. who produced the only ...other 5 fish limit totaling 60.50”. The top 3 were rounded out by Jesse Wade Outdoors of Virginia Beach who fought hard and hammered out 40.25” to take valuable Winter Series points and $142 in cash and prizes! Thanks to the entire field of Anglers who showed up to make this event possible. Merry Christmas Anglers!

[Sam]

Found the Lake Chesdin final tournament standings on the Virginia Kayak Trail web page.

 

Nate did great for his first trip to Lake Gaston.

 

Do you think Rob is his brother????

 

Here are the results as posted. I believe the tournament is based on length of fish, not weight.

1st   - Andrews, Andy  -  70.75"

2nd - Maione, Joe        - 60.50" 

3rd - Wade, Jesse       - 40.25"

4th - Carpenter, Rob - 11.75"

5th - Carpenter, Nathaniel

5th - Hudson, Keith

5th - Oliver, Ryan