Amazing day on Chickahominy river

[Brad Reams]

doesn't get much better than this! 

 

sharing this article from

http://cvillebuzz.com/author/jim-brewer/

A Day to Remember
By Jim Brewer on Aug 15, 2019 03:22 pm

 
Last week, Mark Finley had a day to remember as he fished on the Chickahominy River.  His wife was going to join him, but cancelled at the last minute, so he hooked up his bass boat, drove down to the Chick and fished by himself.

Mark, who owns Finley’s Service Center in Charlottesville and has been fishing bass tournaments for 30 years, put in at Walker’s Dam, fished for couple hours and couldn’t buy a bite. Then, the wind picked up, the tide picked up and it became overcast. To make matters more difficult, the tide was going hard in one direction and the wind pushing in another. Mark had been fishing grass and lily pads but switched to a jig and started throwing to wood structure.

Bang! A 5-pounder, then, another and another. For three hours, it was non-stop action. Mark said he caught 25 bass including at least 5 bass at five-pounds or greater and he didn’t catch a single fish under about 14 inches. His limit of five bass would have weighed around 30 pounds, quite a catch for the Chickahominy River – or anywhere, for that matter.

Then, the sun came out, the wind subsided and the red-hot bite ended as quickly as it started. But for three hours, Mark said that it was as good as it gets.
Sometimes it pays to be in the right place at the right time. It also pays to be a persistent and

[Sam]

Good article that highlights the need for a moving tide on the Chick as long as you don't get an easterly wind.

 

This article illustrates how important it is to know the tides before you hit a tidal river.

 

Check out this Internet site when heading to a Virginia tidal river:

https://www.saltwatertides.com/dynamic.dir/virginiasites.html 

 

Thanks for sharing.

[Mr. Swabby(aka westtennessee1)]

Great article! Love the Chick, been exploring for three years now. Much different than the Tennessee River that I'm used to. Like anywhere, I've had good days and bad. Tide dependent, and I have not quite figured that out. I think most would recommend hitting it on slack tide (falling), but I've not noticed a difference having caught 'em on both rising and falling... Regardless, another wonderful place in our United States!

[roadwarrior]

1 hour ago, Mr. Swabby(aka westtennessee1) said:

Great article! Love the Chick, been exploring for three years now. Much different than the Tennessee River that I'm used to. Like anywhere, I've had good days and bad. Tide dependent, and I have not quite figured that out. I think most would recommend hitting it on slack tide (falling), but I've not noticed a difference having caught 'em on both rising and falling... Regardless, another wonderful place in our United States!

Good to see you back!

 

[Brad Reams]

On 8/24/2019 at 8:33 AM, Mr. Swabby(aka westtennessee1) said:

Great article! Love the Chick, been exploring for three years now. Much different than the Tennessee River that I'm used to. Like anywhere, I've had good days and bad. Tide dependent, and I have not quite figured that out. I think most would recommend hitting it on slack tide (falling), but I've not noticed a difference having caught 'em on both rising and falling... Regardless, another wonderful place in our United States!

yeah I kinda feel the same about fishing for tidal bass.  

I've fished Chick Lake much more than I've fished the river.  

The river has definitely become one of the top bass fisheries in the state. 

[Sam]

15 hours ago, Brad Reams said:

yeah I kinda feel the same about fishing for tidal bass.  

I've fished Chick Lake much more than I've fished the river.  

The river has definitely become one of the top bass fisheries in the state. 

After VDGIF successfully stocked the upper Chick with Florida strain bass about 12 years ago the Chick has become an excellent fishery.

 

With tournament weigh-ins at Route 5, Hopewell, and Osborne Landing, the Florida strain bass have now been introduced into the Historic James, to the chagrin of VDGIF who is not happy with the tournaments releasing these large bass into the Historic James and Appomattox Rivers.

 

We now blast off at Route 5 and race to the dam when in actually the Florida strain bass can be found on the main river and in creeks. But flying up the Chick to the dam at 70 miles per hour is fun to a lot of guys.

[Brad Reams]

4 hours ago, Sam said:

Florida strain bass have now been introduced into the Historic James, to the chagrin of VDGIF who is not happy with the tournaments releasing these large bass into the Historic James and Appomattox Rivers.

 

DGIF concerned?

That does seem foolish

 

What are they concerned about hybridizing with native bass strain?

 

Remember DGIF is responsible for introducing "foreign" blue catfish species and that population has exploded.

Blue cats over abundance has something to do with the James not being the great BASS fishery it once was.  

Snakeheads will be next non-native to take up residence. 

 

Remember that the James/Richmond hosted the BASSMASTER Classic for three straight years 

1988,1989,1990 

 

"in recent surveys of the tidal James and Rappahannock rivers, they made up 75 percent of the total fish biomass".

https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/bay-invaders-blue-catfish-fishery

 

[TnRiver46]

1 hour ago, Brad Reams said:

DGIF concerned?

That does seem foolish

 

What are they concerned about hybridizing with native bass strain?

 

 

 

I was thinking the same thing. They must have consulted Minnesota and California for advice..... the Florida strain/northern hybrid, especially the F1 generation, is nothing but big and fun 

[gbassman519]

Very nice artical

[Sam]

DG&IF wanted the Florida strain bass to remain in the Chick so they could study and follow their growth progress.  

 

With tournament weigh-ins on the Historic James and Appomattox rivers the Florida strain bass are now in the Historic James and Appomattox River population, which is fantastic as far as I am concerned.

 

Just remember that DG&IF is the group that introduced coyotes in the state and the coyotes are populating the state driving the farmers crazy. I live by the Historic James River in the City of Richmond and we have a coyote in our backwoods. Lots of deer for them to eat in my neighborhood so he isn't going anywhere, fast.

 

Hopefully Snakeheads will stay out of the Historic James River system. I was told that Snakeheads and bass are coexisting in the Potomac without any problems and we now have Snakehead tournaments. Time will tell.

 

 

[TnRiver46]

16 hours ago, Sam said:

DG&IF wanted the Florida strain bass to remain in the Chick so they could study and follow their growth progress.  

 

With tournament weigh-ins on the Historic James and Appomattox rivers the Florida strain bass are now in the Historic James and Appomattox River population, which is fantastic as far as I am concerned.

 

Just remember that DG&IF is the group that introduced coyotes in the state and the coyotes are populating the state driving the farmers crazy. I live by the Historic James River in the City of Richmond and we have a coyote in our backwoods. Lots of deer for them to eat in my neighborhood so he isn't going anywhere, fast.

 

Hopefully Snakeheads will stay out of the Historic James River system. I was told that Snakeheads and bass are coexisting in the Potomac without any problems and we now have Snakehead tournaments. Time will tell.

 

 

I would be surprised if they introduced coyotes but if they did, they didn’t need to. There wasn’t a coyote east of the Mississippi River in the 80s and now they are pretty much in every county in America 

[Sam]

1 hour ago, TnRiver46 said:

I would be surprised if they introduced coyotes but if they did, they didn’t need to. There wasn’t a coyote east of the Mississippi River in the 80s and now they are pretty much in every county in America 

TennRiver, yes, the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, according to the farmers and peo0ple living in the counties outside of Richmond, swear the VDG&IF introduced coyotes into Virginia to control the deer population. 

[TnRiver46]

6 hours ago, Sam said:

TennRiver, yes, the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, according to the farmers and peo0ple living in the counties outside of Richmond, swear the VDG&IF introduced coyotes into Virginia to control the deer population. 

Oh yes I’ve heard that everywhere I’ve ever been, I just don’t believe it haha. They  introduced themselves.      Departments of game and fish seek public input and publish articles when they reintroduce anything. I would be willing to bet no one has ever actually “introduced” a coyote anywhere. They are native to all of North America 

[Brad Reams]

15 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

Oh yes I’ve heard that everywhere I’ve ever been, I just don’t believe it haha. They  introduced themselves.      Departments of game and fish seek public input and publish articles when they reintroduce anything. I would be willing to bet no one has ever actually “introduced” a coyote anywhere. They are native to all of North America 

I haven't heard that either, but it was strange/unexplained coincidence?  how Coyotes invaded VA and population exploded in the late 1990's. 

 

they are responsible for "SKY CARP"

AKA resident CANADA GEESE 

They released Geese that never learned to migrate.

Big mistake 

yep DGIF they've made a few blunders  

 

?BLUE CATS & CANADA GEESE ? those 2 I'm 100% positive DGIF is responsible for 

[supersmittyc]

On 8/28/2019 at 12:35 AM, Sam said:

TennRiver, yes, the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, according to the farmers and peo0ple living in the counties outside of Richmond, swear the VDG&IF introduced coyotes into Virginia to control the deer population. 

Almost hit one in Midlothian the other day.  Used to see them all the time out west and this was not a small one.