Virginia saltwater fishing becomes more than just a pastime when May brings the spring weather back – it becomes a way of life. In the month of May, the anglers at and around Chesapeake bay begin to rejoice and congregate as the large game fish specimens begin to filter into the largest estuary in North America in numbers that seem like an impossibility. Most of the saltwater fishing anglers are looking to the south, where red and black drum are returning from winters in southern waters. However, there are still a number of individuals anxiously awaiting the migration of striped bass from the north to infuse the Bay with their great numbers.

Fishing in Virginia state in the early season is particularly good in the Smith Point area, located at the uppermost portion of Virginia’s western shore. This is a peninsula referred to as the Northern Neck, which is perfectly situated for the interception of the infuse of fish returning from the Potomac and Rappahannock rivers and Maryland’s bay waters after their spawning is completed. Interestingly enough, because of the setup of licenses for Virginia saltwater fishing and Maryland fishing, when the waters are cooler and striper don’t return to the southern waters as soon as normally expected, anglers from Virginia are allowed to fish the waters of Maryland, which are already quite productive in terms of quantity of striped bass available.