Virginia Beach Inshore Fishing, Chesapeake Bay Fishing

Virginia Beach fishing in our inshore waters offers anglers a variety of species that are fun to catch and inshore fishing is the perfect setting for families with young kids that like to fish or want to learn to fish.

• Season- Year Round
• Available in 1/2, 3/4, or full-day trips

Fishing Chesapeake Bay and other popular inshore Virginia Beach fishing grounds makes for some of the best fishing on the east coast. In Virginia we are lucky to have many varieties of fish that can be caught at different times through the year. We are lucky enough to get species from the south that come to let us catch them during the summer and species from the north spend their winters here in our resource rich waters.

Virginia Beach Inshore fishing is just about a year round activity and coming out of winter, right at the end of striper season we start targeting our early spring species. The first species on the menu will be flounder, tautog, and black sea bass. These species are here most of the year but provide very good action in the spring and will test the skills of even the most seasoned angler, even anglers that have been fishing in Virginia Beach for many years.

In April, black drum will show up on the shoals at the northern end of the Chesapeake Bay, where they will hang out until the waters warm in July. Evening trips for these mosters often yield huge fish up to 100 pounds early in the season. In June and July these fish will congregate around the rock islands of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel where they can be targeted with sight casting. After July black drum develope lockjaw and spread out, but remain a possibility through september.

Fact: Did you know that the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel was on the list of the seven man made wonders of the world? It has since been replaced on the list by newer, larger structures but will never be replaced as one of the greatest ever man-made reefs. The CBBT attracts species to the Chesapeake Bay that would never be there if the Bridge did not exist. Another reason anglers are drawn to Chesapeake Bay Fishing.

In May, red drum will show up and mix in with the black drum. We have incredible red drum fishing here that would be the envy of any serious red fish angler. We typically catch fish in the 40'' range on the shoals and it isn't uncommon to catch a dozen of them a night. These fish remain an easy target for anglers ready to venture out at evening and night through October.

Later in May, spadefish will show up on the structures inshore and in the lower Chesapeake Bay to provide anglers with loads of a fine eating fish that provide one of the strongest battles on light tackle imaginable. Using methods similar to fishing for sunfish at a lake or pond, we target these angelfish looking critters as they swim through in gigantic schools. These fish are an easy target, and their large size makes them a blast for the family.

June will have cobia invading our inshore waters. These large fish are a bit harder of a target, but their large size, toughness, and willingness to take a cased lure or live bait makes them a favorite amongst seasoned anglers. Cobia will stick around through September.

Late in June amberjack show up at the offshore towers and wrecks. These bruisers offer steady action and often times the angler will tire long before the fish. Though they arent sought for their table value, these fish can provide incredible entertainment and are normally an easy citation. They stay in our waters so long as the waters are warm, and they will occasionally mix in with jack crevalle, cobia, and king mackerel at the towers.

So as far as inshore Virginia Beach fishing goes you can see that there is plenty of fishing action from month to month and season to season. If Virginia Beach fishing is slow along the immediate coast then you can always move in and try some Chesapeake Bay fishing. That is the real beauty of the Va Beach fishing region, we are surrounded by saltwater oceans, bays and rivers which means the variety of fish species is spectacular.

Bluefish and Spanish Mackeral fishing

Bluefish	Spanish Mackerel

• Season - late may through mid September

Our four hour Virginia Beach inshore fishing charter on Matador is definitely the family favorite. This is the least expensive trip we offer and this fishing is an excellent option for the kids. In these trips we don't get too far offshore, we see the oceanfront and its beaches, and we catch plenty of fish.

We recommend this trip for those who don't have their sea legs or just want to take an easy, quick trip and catch some fish. Bluefish and spanish mackerel may not be the biggest fish in the ocean, however their numbers and willingness to bite more than make up for it.

Nothing gives me more pleasure than to see how happy a young kid is when he catches a fish. To watch them feel the tug on the line and to reel in their first fish just makes my day. To see children take to a good clean sport like fishing that they may do for the rest of their lives are the great moments I remember most about being on the water.

See you on the Matador,

Some of Our Inshore Species

Tautog	Flounder
Black Drum	Red Drum / Redfish

Spadefish	Cobia
Amberjack	Crevalle Jack