Virginia Beach Fishing Rundown

The end of May …. Our spring saltwater fishery is slowly transitioning to the summer season. The fishing will continue to improve almost everywhere.

Red and black drum are plentiful on bay shoals near the eastern shore. The Nautilus shoal area is the hot spot right now.

Cobia have entered our waters and made their way up the Bay to the Poquoson flats. Our capture season is closed for a few more days, it opens June 1st. There are impressive numbers to our south off of Nags Head, headed our way!

Captain Todd Beck, Knot Wish’n charters enjoyed some outstanding puppy drum fishing in Rudee Inlet this weekend, he said it was as good as it gets. His charters also picked up a nice class of bluefish. With the large bluefish cruising inside the inlet, the speckled trout were shy. There has also been some nice size bluefish caught inside Lynnhaven inlet. Some puppy drum and flounder are showing inside Lynnhaven inlet as well. The flounder should be available around coastal wrecks and along the CBBT anytime.

This year the water temperature has been a little slow to rise compared to last year. While spanish mackerel have entered the bay already, when the water hits the magical number of 70 it will really pick up.

Striped bass and bluefish remain around the CBBT islands. Look for some small stripers to be caught inside local inlets.

Sheepshead should be hanging around the CBBT pilings and other structure in the lower bay.

Spadefish should be available at the Chesapeake Light Tower.

Sea bass season reopens June 22 and catches will be good on the ocean wrecks. VBSF sponsor the Rudee headboat fleet has a 17 hour trip scheduled for them May 29 and an all-day trip May 30.

Tuna fishing has been good to our south. A few Virginia boats have made the run down. Dolphin fishing has picked up off the OBX, NC. A little closer to home tilefish and grouper are being caught by deep-droppers.

OBX, NC

There is good inshore cobia fishing up and down the beach.

Sheepshead are being caught around bridge pylons.

Trout are plentiful soundside, actions is best early morning. Anglers fishing near the little bridge on the Nags Head – Manteo causeway have been doing well, catching fish up to 22 inches.

Ocean surf anglers are catching sea mullet, blues, puppy drum and some toadfish.

Anglers are still catching large red drum at the point in Buxton.

Offshore guys have had good catches of yellowfin tuna and dolphin. The dolphin fishing is set to really take off.