How would you approach this?
 

I got to a great flipping spot today and realized I had no idea how to go about it... I tried walking across the top of the dam to find any basking snakes I could (which I didn't find), and then flipped for awhile. For the most part, the rocks are huge and usually piled 2-3 deep. There HAVE to be snakes there, but I sure didn't find much besides one northern water snake.

I've been told by several herpers that there are ringneck snakes there too. That's one of the ones I've yet to find for my photography project. I know they should be easy, but they're giving me a run for my money!

start at one edge.
lift one rock.
move/place/toss it up onto the grass.
repeat as needed

Don't forget - before you go home, you have to put them back

Bring a comfy chair, and a cooler of cold drinks.
relax and watch

Yeah, Harald's right on that one (his second post). There is no way to tackle a "rock pile" like that. Your best bet is to see something sunning on top of the rocks or near the waters edge. Catching it would then be another story. You may be able to flip something on the very outer or inner edge line, but the main part of the pile........good luck.

Oh yeah forgot, I don't know what the ringnecks prefer out east, as far as habitat, but my experience here in CA, is they are under rocks, but they are usually in real grassy areas, like pastures with flat rocks to turn.

In NC, I've always found ringnecks mainly in leaf litter along stream edges, or under more solitary flat rocks in the same area.
Finding a ringneck in that rock pile would be virtually impossible. That's excellent snake habitat, for the snakes wanting to avoid being caught.

We have a similar area here on the banks of a pond. The bank is steep and covered with rip-rap (decent sized black rock) to prevent erosion.
I do see garter snakes ocasionally in the grass above the rocks, but that's the place they head for when you go to catch them. If they make it to the rocks I just wish them well and go on my way. With rocks piled like that when you do get close to one by flipping they can just move further down the pile without coming out before you even know you're near them.

Same for me in Ohio, Michigan and Pennsylvania.

sounds good about the ringnecks. There are a few species that are fairly common but are giving me a hard time like that and I have no idea why.

I need to find a new place to go herping.

I just need to learn how to find stuff in the places I do go...lol