Inshore Fishing in Virginia Beach with Kraken Charters!

Virginia Beach is known for its world-renowned inshore fishing. The Chesapeake Bay is home to 348 species of finfish and 173 species of shellfish , the Chesapeake Bay watershed is truly an extraordinary place. Reigning supreme among all the finned fishes in the Bay is Cobia. Cobia are some of the biggest and hardest hitting fish inshore. The beasts can weight over 70+ lbs. Cobia Fishing in the Chesapeake Bay is unlike anywhere else, these fish arrive around mid-May and the hunt beings lasting till about mid-September. Typically you will see 100+ boats scouring the bay in towers doing what we call sight-fishing. We look from our towers to find the Cobia then we present them with lures such as bucktails and twitch-baits or live bait such as eels and bunker. When the sun isn't shinning though we have to resort to bottom fishing for these guy to which we will chum the water with cut-up bunker and use crabs, eels and bunker for bait. There is some typical bycatch when bottom fishing like black-tip sharks and cow nose rays but we can also catch another bay giant, Red Drum aka "Redfish".  Red drum arrive in Virginia Beach and Norfolk area in late April and hang around till about the end of October. These fish can weight up to 80 lbs and measure in at 50 inches. These are what we call Bull Red drum, and boy are they fun to catch. They are however catch and release only when they are that size as these are the mature males that spawn. If we catch their smaller brothers and sisters, aka "puppy drum" they are good eating.  Cobia fishing and Red drum fishing can be found just a few miles from the docks. 

Some of the other species in the bay, creeks and inlets that local and visiting anglers go on the hunt for are spotted seatrout, tautog, flounder, Stripers, Spanish mackerel, bluefish, black sea bass and black drum to name a few.

The Chesapeake light tower is also another iconic inshore fishing spot. You can find it thirteen miles from Virginia Beach, in the Atlantic Ocean. This is a prime spot for Virginia Beach inshore fishing. The light and its tower are fascinating to history buffs, but they might be even more fascinating for anglers. Its original purpose was to guide boats and ships to the entrance of the Bay, and while it certainly fulfills this purpose, it also attracts huge numbers of saltwater fish.

Around the base of the tower are literally acres of discarded tires, lengths of steel, old train cars, and wrecked boats. These structures mean hiding places for smaller fish, and where there are smaller fish, big predators can usually be found. If you ever get the chance to fish the tower, you’ll be in for a real angling adventure, with lots of opportunities to land spadefish, sea bass, cobia, amberjack, Spanish mackerel, flounder, triggerfish, and tautog. Spadefish some of my favorite inshore fish! Pound for pound these are some of the hardest fighting fish and taste delicious. The best time to target spadefish is mid May to early July. 

One thing’s for sure – Virginia Beach inshore fishing is never dull!

For the fishing trip of a lifetime, contact Virginia Beach fishing charters, Kraken Charters Sportfishing out of Little Creek Inlet. Whether you’re an experienced angler or a “greenhorn,” our captain and crew will see to it that you have a blast. Most of our fishing charters include just about everything you’ll need to have a wonderful, successful Virginia Beach fishing experience. If you don’t have a full day to devote to saltwater fishing, no problem. Inshore fishing trips can be done in just a few hours, and you’ll spend most of your time fishing, instead of riding. These shorter trips are perfect for families with small children as we can keep them entertained for a few hours then your off to the rest of your day!