Our eco-tours and Sunset Cruises out of Virgina Beach are a great way to experience the variety of wildlife that inhabits the waters just off our shoreline here in Virginia Beach.

Whale watching off of Virgina Beach is typically best December through February. The whale most often seen off our coast is the majestic Humpback. These whales often travel alone but can sometimes be seen in pods of two or more. They are usually spotted rolling on the surface, tailing and spouting. If you’re lucky you may catch sight of a humpback breaching clear of the water. Whales are typically found within 10 miles of our inlet and usually within 5 miles of the coastline.

Sunset and Dolphin cruise: Simply put this is a relaxing boat ride. Expect to depart Rudee Inlet and hug the shoreline as we motor North towards Cape Henry. While you can book this adventure all year long we suggest the warmer months so your group can enjoy the views from the open deck or bridge. Dolphin and other wildlife can be seen all along our coast but Cape Henry is where they can be spotted most frequently.

Make sure to dress appropriately for the season and bring along whatever food or drink you desire. These trips include a mate who is along to assist in docking, spotting wildlife, safety, and tending to guests.    

Wreck fishing out of Virgina Beach is a favorite of mine. What we typically do is run out about 30nm and fish a well known area of wrecks known as the Triangles. Depending on conditions we typically will use 5-10oz of lead and a rig with multiple hooks. Bait is both squid and pieces of cut bait. We don’t anchor; we drift over the structures and keep baits on or near the bottom. The main species targeted here is Black Seabass. If the fishing is good, and it usually is, the action will be nearly non-stop. The possession limit has consistently been 15 Seabass per person and we can usually get a limit in fairly short order. Black Seabass makes excellent table fare.

While Black Seabass is the main target there are other available species, depending on the time of year. The fall is a good time to find a few triggerfish mixed in over the wrecks. They fight hard and look a bit odd but they are absolutely delicious. Flounder are almost always present and can be caught on and near the wrecks. Bluefish are frequently caught over the wrecks and we usually turn them into Seabass bait on the spot. Small mahi may appear in the late summer months and we occasionally will try to catch a few.

Our Near Shore Virgina Beach Fishing Trips are scheduled as four, six, or eight hours. With our shortest trip expect to troll a few miles off the beach in search of Spanish Mackerel, Bluefish, Ribbonfish, and the occasional Cobia or Red Drum.

This trip is perfect for families or novices as it requires a shorter commitment of time and little to no experience. If your group chooses we can run to one of our Spadefish spots on a 4 hour trip but anticipate little to no time for any other species.

The lengthier trips will allow us to target multiple species in a single trip utilizing a variety of angling techniques. The longer trips also give us the ability to travel a little further off the beach. With the 6 and 8 hour trip one can expect to go as far as 8-12 miles from shore and can involve drifting baits to Spadefish, trolling for our popular inshore species, or sight fishing for Cobia or Red Drum.

Species availability is dependent on time of year and their migration patterns.

The deep waters off the coast of Virginia Beach provide world class offshore fishing opportunities starting in April and lasting through mid-October. How fast the water temps change in spring and fall can have an impact on these dates. Our plan is to be off the dock at 4:30am with a typical cruise to the grounds lasting a bit under 3 hours. Once there we deploy our spread of baits and begin our troll. Early and late season we use heavier tackle in pursuit of “meat fish”. This includes Yellowfin Tuna, Bigeye Tuna, Mahi, and Wahoo. Tuna is best during the Spring, early Summer, and Fall. Wahoo is sporadic until late September when it really heats up and can last through mid-October.

We will typically ditch the big rods and switch to lighter tackle starting in mid-July. We will troll 4-6 naked ballyhoo baits in search of White Marlin. We troll a large bait on a single big rod for Blue Marlin. We will deploy squid chain teasers and dredges to help attract these fish to the boat. Once hooked these fish usually put on a spectacular show and will frequently jump clear of the water multiple times. Marlin fishing is best mid-July through mid-September.

Mid-April to mid-May will most likely be our extended 14 hour trip up to 100nm to the southeast. This is primarily a tuna trip but mahi is also a strong possibility. This trip requires a nice forecast and reasonable seas due to the distances traveled.

At some point during the day we may stop and fish the bottom for tilefish or drift for a swordfish. For a more detailed explanation see my deep drop article.

Offshore fishing out of Viginia Beach is also a great way to just experience nature. There will be chance encounters with other wildlife and sometimes this can prove to be the highlight of the day. Porpoises frequently are attracted to the boat and will swim very close and can linger for a long time. Pilot whales are consistently seen as well and are a good indication that tuna may be nearby. Free swimming sharks and sea turtles are seen on occasion and we have had less frequent sightings of large whales and giant manta rays. We have even stumbled across a few whale sharks lazily swimming on the surface.

My crew and I are very passionate about saltwater fishing. We want nothing more than to share that passion with our customers. We know that families will be looking to book a Virginia Beach Family Fishing Trip in hopes of providing their kids with an experience that will create lasting memories. Our goal is the same as yours. A typical fishing trip with a family on board will involve trolling up and down the beach targeting Spanish Mackerel, Ribbonfish, and Bluefish. It’s a rare child who doesn’t light up when feeling the tug of a fish on the other end of the line. The experience is more than just fishing though, it is the boat ride, being on the ocean, spying dolphins and other forms of aquatic life, or watching pelicans and other seabirds soar by in search of a meal.

We hope your day aboard the FLY’N FISH is productive, but most of all we hope it is fun. We want you to go home with not only a cooler full of fish filets, we want you to take home memories that will hopefully last a lifetime.