Virginia Saltwater Fishing

For many anglers, Spring flounder fishing along the Eastern Shore of Virginia is an annual event that marks the beginning of the saltwater fishing year. As waters warm, flounder enter and begin to feed in the inlets, creeks and coastal bays of the region.  A few flounder sometimes arrive in March but the main thrust of fish is usually in April, with the surge of incoming fish continuing into May.

Spring time flounder fishing success in Virginia is dictated factors such as by wind, water temperature and water clarity. A basic rule of thumb is that flounder start biting when water temperatures reach 50 degrees, with the best springtime fishing usually in water between 60 and 70 degrees.

Experienced flounder anglers seek conditions when the tide will be high in the mid morning thru afternoon hours. The theory is that the cold ocean water comes in and flows up onto the flats were the sun can warm it a significant amount in just a few hours. When the tide changes, warmer water flows into the channels, triggering the flounder to feed aggressively. This phenomenon doesn’t always happen but when conditions are right, flounder fishing can be excellent.

Top baits for spring fishing include several of the natural prey species of summer flounder. These include frozen silversides, live minnows, squid strips and fresh cut strips of fish if available. Favorite fish for making cut strip baits include small croakers, perch, bluefish or other suitable fish. Finding these species in the early season is not easy, but some anglers set aside catches of early season fish specifically for use as flounder strip baits.

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Virginia Fishing Guides

May is black drum month for a lot of anglers as they visit the shoals and mussel beds just off the eastern shore of Virginia for a chance at these enormous fish. During late April and early May, black drum migrate in the bay and may be caught for just a few days or for several weeks. Virginia black drum vary from younger fish weighing 20-30 lbs to very large adults, often exceeding 80 lbs.

Reaching productive drum fishing areas can be accomplished by leaving from Hampton Roads ports and making the long trek across the bay, or by much shorter runs from Cherrystone, Cape Charles, Kiptopeake State Park or the Eastern Shore Of Virginia National Wildlife Refuge. In some cases anglers fish throughout the day and into the night.

Black drum baits include surf clams, hard clams, peeler crabs and other baits. Tackle is simple but stout, with anglers using 20-30 lb line, a few sinkers from 3-8 oz and a single hook rig. Many top anglers use circle hooks which work well with these fish.

Areas near the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay such as the mussel beds off Kiptopeake and Fisherman’s Island are known for hard running currents.  Being in place when a change of tide occurs may bring success, with schools of fish often showing up suddenly. At times the fish may even be heard “drumming” beneath the boat from some distance away.

Other Virginia fisheries occur for black drum, especially around barrier island inlets and in the surf, where anglers fish cut baits and catch black drum from 15-50 lbs. Popular rigs for surf fishing are fish finder type leaders, armed with circle or live bait hooks. As with other black drum fishing, preferred baits include surf clams, quahogs and peeler crabs.

Further up the bay, black drum can also be caught in Spring along channel edges and in grass beds where soft crabs are found.