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.
