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Spring is the best time for a Striper fishing trip with Finao Sportfishing. With the water warming up the Striped Bass begin to move into the Chesapeake Bay. Finao Sportfishing targets these fish from mid March till mid May. Our most recent Striper fishing trip we caught countless Striped Bass up to 35 pounds!
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On our Striper fishing trip we were using artificial lures on light tackle fishing gear. Casting with light tackle for Striped Bass makes for an exciting fight! The fish this time of year are swimming up the Chesapeake Bay and into the Rivers to spawn. They are feeding on a variety of smaller fish such as Menhaden, Shad, and American Eels. Mimicking these bait fish with the proper artificial lure makes for a successful Striper fishing trip. We use many different lures but on Finao Sportfishing but we know there are some better than others. Swim baits, Bucktails, and Plugs are our most commonly used lures for Striped Bass.
Our last Striper fishing trip left the dock of Vinings Landing Marina around 6:30pm. Leaving before Sunset is always good for Striped Bass because these fish feed more aggressively around Sunrise and Sunset. Once we arrived to our first location it was fish on! Within our first 5 cast we already caught a Striped Bass around 10 pounds. As the Sun set below the horizon the bite began to get even better. Fishing for Striped Bass is almost always better at night time. Striper are opportunistic fish that hide behind structure in the dark for a unsuspecting bait fish to swim past. The Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel is our most common place to fish for Striped Bass. It provides rocks, pylons, fast currents, and lights which is perfect for Striper fishing. Our Marina is conveniently located only 3 miles from the Chesapeake Bay Bridge tunnel making it a short run to the best fishing. Be sure not to miss out on our Striper fishing trips in the Chesapeake Bay! Here is a picture of one of our Striped Bass from our previous trip.
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Striper Fishing Trips
Spring has just begun and for Finao Sportfishing, that means incredible Virginia fishing trips! Starting in April we will begin targetting our first species of fish. Tautog is a great tasting and hard fighting fish. These fish are in the Chesapeake Bay during the cooler weather months. Our Virginia fishing trips for Tautog leave in the morning and fish usually for half the day. Tautog feed off of mostly Blue Crabs, Fiddler Crabs, and other shell fish.
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As we get into our warmer months more fish begin to migrate into the Chesapeake Bay. Beginning May 1st our Virginia fishing trips take a turn and we begin to offer Night / Evening trips for trophy size Striped Bass. Striped Bass is possibly the most popular fish Virginia has to offer! They are known for there large size, great table fair, and the different ways to catch them. In May our most common styles of fishing for Striped Bass is casting lures. Our Virginia fishing trips for Striped Bass is very hands on for our guest and that makes for never a dull moment!
Approaching mid May our Virginia fishing trips begin to target Red Drum and Black Drum. Drum travel in large schools migrating into the Chesapeake bay. On Finao Sportfishing we take advantage of these large schools and fish many rods to keep the action going! The average size of Red / Black Drum is about 40 pounds but grow over 60. Drum are powerful fighting fish that take long runs and never give up! Our Virginia fishing trips target Red Drum and Black Drum till the first week of June. Be sure not to miss out on one of the most action packed fishing trips Virginia has to offer!
Not only is May one of the best months to book a Virginia fishing trip it also brings in the largest fish to the Chesapeake bay. Cobia can grow to enormous sizes with some being over 100lbs! Our Virginia fishing trips target Cobia from late May through early September. These trips are day time trips leaving the dock around 9 am. When fighting a Cobia they are known for there surface fights making high jumps and fast runs! The fishing technique we use to target Cobia is sight fishing. When sight fishing there is always action from the wild life in the Chesapeake Bay. While searching for Cobia we see many other marine life such as Dolphins, Sea Turtles, and Cownose Rays just to name a few species on the surface of the water.
The Chesapeake Bay is home to some of the best fishing in the world. Finao Sportfishing is located along the coast of the Virginia at Vinings Landing Marina. Be sure not to miss out on this seasons Virginia fishing trips with Finao Sportfishing. We will begin fishing this April through the rest of the year!
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Virginia Fishing Trips
We had a night fishing charter for Red Drum yesterday in the Chesapeake Bay. We left Vinings Landing Marina at 6:30 pm and returned at about 11 pm. Located in Norfolk, Virginia this makes it a quick run to our Red Drum fishing grounds. Red Drum feed more in the night making this a prime fishing trip for night time. With a night fishing charter we recommend a 5 hour trip.
Red Drum are a large and powerful fighting fish! The average size of Drum we catch is about 40-45 pounds. Virginia is possibly the best location on the East Coast to catch big Drum. In Virginia you are awarded a trophy if you catch a Drum of 46 inches or greater. Red Drum migrate into the Chesapeake Bay in late April and stay in the Bay throughout the Summer. Prime season for night fishing charter for Red Drum is mid May – June.
Red Drum move around in large schools feeding off the bottom for Blue Crabs, Small fish, and Clams. Red Drum move around and are more active during the night making this a perfect night fishing charter. While Red Drum fishing when you get into large schools it is not uncommon to hook multiple Drum at the same time. Using the correct gear for Drum is important. We use Shimano Rods, Daiwa Reels, Gamakatsu hooks, Power Pro Braided Line, and Ande Leader. All rods and gear are included on our night fishing charters.
On our Red Drum trip we arrived to our first location at around 7 pm. On our first cast we caught our first Red Drum! As the sun began to set the fishing became better. We ended our night with about 12 big Red Drum and 8 of them being greater than 46 inches! Over all it was a great fishing trip and constant action. Be sure not to miss out on the amazing night fishing Virginia has to offer!
Night Fishing Charter
When it is the Summer in Virginia a Cobia charter is one of the most exciting fishing trips you can do. Cobia fishing begins late May and can be caught through late September. Virginia is possibly the best location on the East Coast to target Cobia. Cobia migrate up the East Coast to spawn in the Chesapeake Bay. Finao Sportfishing is located along the Chesapeake Bay at Morningstar Marina. This allows our Cobia charter to begin quickly since we are close to the best fishing grounds Virginia has to offer.
Cobia are one of the largest fish the Chesapeake Bay has. The average size Cobia on our Cobia charter is about 30-40 pounds. Cobia can grow to over 100 pounds! There are a few different techniques that we use on our Cobia charter. Sight Fishing and Chumming are our most common ways we fish for Cobia. Sight fishing is a great technique that we use. Sight Fishing allows us to cover miles of water searching for Cobia. When Sight Fishing we also see many other species of fish on the surface like Red Drum, Loggerhead Turtles, Cownose Rays, and Sharks. Chumming is another productive way to catch fish on our Cobia charter. Chumming is a old school style of fishing. When chumming location is everything. Shoals, Channel edges, and structure make for the correct location to chum. This technique is best in the early morning or when the weather is not good for Sight Fishing.
The next time you are looking for an exciting fishing trip in Virginia book with Finao Sportfishing. We know the best techniques for every situation. No matter the weather or the time of year we will do our best to put you on the fish of a life time!
Cobia Charter
Yesterday we had a Tautog charter to the Chesapeake Bay bridge tunnel. The charter was a 5 hour trip. We left out of Vinings Landing Marina in Norfolk Virginia at 9 am. Our Marina is located about 3 miles from the Chesapeake Bay bridge tunnel. That is where most of our Tautog are caught from.
Tautog fishing is excellent this time of year. They are active in the Chesapeake Bay in the colder months. Tautog are very structure oriented fish. They love to hang around Rocks, Pylons, and Wrecks. With Tautog being around structure Bridges make for great fishing. On our Tautog charter we do bottom fishing. These fish are usually swimming close to the bottom around the obstructions. Since you are fishing on a rough bottom it can be tricky to catch them. Using the correct gear is needed to successfully catch Tautog. On our Tautog charter we included all reels, rods, and tackle needed. Avet reels, Shimano rods, Power Pro braided line, and Owner hooks. This gear is top of the line and allows you to catch them with out worry.
Tautog are powerful fighters even though they are not giant fish. The average size Tautog is about 4-5 pounds. When these fish are hooked there first instinct is to go back to the structure below. If they get back into the wreck or rocks they usually will break you off and escape! When fighting these fish we keep our drags set tight to not allow the Tautog to pull back into the wreck.
On this Tautog charter we ended our day catching about 25 Tautog. Four of the Tautog we caught were over 8 pounds! Everyone on board went home with a lot of meat and some great pictures. Tautog season ends May 1st so be sure not to miss out on the awesome Tautog fishing the Chesapeake Bay has to offer!
Tautog Charter
Watch the Video Below to see what it’s like to Tautog fish on Finao Sportfishing!
In Virginia May is one of the best times of the year for a Red Drum charter. With May being right around the corner it is the perfect time to book your trip with Finao Sportfishing. Red Drum move into the Chesapeake Bay when the water temperature rises to about 60 degrees. Our Marina is located along the shore of the Chesapeake Bay which is close to the best fishing grounds for Red Drum.
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On our Red Drum charter the average sizes of the Drum we catch are about 45 inches. Red Drum vary in sizes from 15 inches and can grow to over 55 inches! The large Red Drum they travel in big schools. It is not uncommon to hook multiple Red Drum at the same time. It is important that we have the correct fishing gear when on our Red Drum charter. Red Drum are powerful fish and grow to massive sizes so the correct gear is needed. They are known for taking long strong runs that do not stop. The gear use on Finao Sportfishings Red Drum charter is top of the line. We use Avet reels, Shimano Rods, Owner Hooks, Power Pro Braided Line, and Ande Mono-filament.
When on a Red Drum charter with Finao Sportfishing our most common technique used is bottom fishing. Most Red Drum travel in large schools along the bottom eating Blue Crabs, Clams and Small fish. Bottom fishing for Red Drum is a great fishing style. We set out 4 rods on the bottom with Blue Crab on them. When fishing for Red Drum on the bottom when you hook one Red Drum try to keep the other rods in the water to hook multiple fish at the same time. All of our Red Drum charters are at Sunset and Night. Drum are a predator fish. They move around and feed more aggressively at night time. Be sure not to miss out on this seasons Red Drum fishing! Book your Red Drum charter today!
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Red Drum Charter
Cobia fishing is about to begin in Virginia. Cobia arrive in Virginia waters around the middle of May. On Finao Sportfishing we target this species of fish during the Summer and Fall. We target Cobia off of Virginia Beach and Norfolk. Our boat is located at Vinings Landing Marina in Norfolk. This location is perfect for Cobia fishing since it is located on the Chesapeake Bay.
Cobia are one of the largest inshore fish species Virginia has to offer. The average size of a Cobia is about 30 pounds and can grow to over 1oo! A Trophy Size Cobia is 50 inches or 55 pounds. In Virginia when you catch a Cobia of those sizes you are awarded with a wall plaque. People all around the world come to Virginia in hopes to land a Trophy Size Cobia.
To learn more about How to Catch Cobia Click Here!
There are multiple ways to catch Cobia. A couple of techniques that we use is Chumming, Sight Fishing, and Jigging. Our most common way we Cobia fish on Finao Sportfishing is Sight Fishing. Sight fishing is one of the most exciting ways to catch any species. Our custom built Cape Horn boat has a Sight Casting Tower designed for Sight Fishing. When Sight Fishing it is not uncommon to run into other fish species swimming on the surface. Fish like Red Drum, Black Drum, Shark, Cownose Rays, and Cobia can all be found on the swimming on the surface.
When we are Cobia fishing we use top of the line fishing gear. Cobia are powerful fish and can put up a long fight. Cobia often try to get unhooked by jumping and making long strong runs. The fishing gear we use when Cobia fishing is Saltist Spinning Reels, Shimano Rods, Power Pro Braided Line, and Owner Hooks. Using this equipment will ensure your best chance at landing a big Cobia.
Cobia Fishing
On our recent fishing charters we have been Tautog fishing. Tautog are often known as Blackfish. On April 6th 2016 we had a small group on board with us to do a half day fishing charter. We left out of Vinings Landing Marina in Norfolk Virginia at 8 am. Our marina is located close to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel making it a quick boat ride to our first fishing location.
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With the weather being cold it makes for great Tautog fishing. Tautog are a cold water fish abundant in the Chesapeake Bay from September – May. Tautog are known for there hard fights and skill to catch them. These fish live in rocks, wrecks, and any structure found on the bottom. When targeting Tautog it can be tricky to catch them. When they are living in the rocks they often eat your bait and break your line on the structure. The bait we use on our Tautog fishing charters is Blue Crabs, Fiddler Crabs, and Clams.
This time of year Tautog move into the Chesapeake Bay to spawn. In the Spring is when we get our largest Tautog. They are full of roe and eat as often as possible in preparation to spawn. With the larger fish around it is important to use the correct gear. The gear we use when Tautog fishing is Avet Reels, Power Pro Braided Line, Shimano Rods, and Owner hooks. This gear is top of the line and ensures your best chance at catching a Tautog of a lifetime!
Tautog fishing can be tricky but a blast to learn. Fishing with Finao Sportfishing we will make sure you enjoy your experience and master the technique of Tautog fishing. Tautog fishing will be excellent until May 1st. Be sure not to miss out on some of the best fishing Virginia has to offer!
Click here to book your Tautog fishing trip today!
Tautog Fishing
A Chesapeake Bay fishing charter is one of the best fishing trips the East Coast has to offer. Finao Sportfishing is located at Morningstar Marina. This marina is on the shore line of the Chesapeake Bay. Virginia’s Chesapeake Bay is a great fishery year round. We have both Northern Fish and Southern Fish species that migrate annually into the Chesapeake Bay.
The Chesapeake Bay has many fish that people come from around the world to target. On our Chesapeake Bay fishing charter we have a chance at some of the largest fish the East Coast has to offer. Northern and Southern fish migrate into the Chesapeake Bay to spawn. This makes the fish we have here fatter and more aggressive. Depending on the time of year you can have a chance at a World Class fish.
In the colder months we have possibly the most famous fish on the East Coast, the Striped Bass. People from all over the World come to the Chesapeake Bay for this fish. They are delicious to eat and hard fighters. Another hard fighting species in the cool months out of the year that we target on our Chesapeake Bay fishing charter is a Tautog. These fish fight hard and are fun to catch. Being located next to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel both of these fish can be caught off of the bridge.
When the water begins to warm up we get most of our fish species to move into the Chesapeake Bay. The most popular of the few are Cobia, Red Drum, Spade Fish, and Flounder. Cobia may be the most popular fish we target on our Chesapeake Bay fishing charter. Cobia fight hard, grow to massive sizes, and are delicious to eat. The Tv show Fin Chasers was filmed on Finao Sportfishing in the Summer of 2014 targeting World Class Cobia! Red Drum are another large fish we target on our Chesapeake Bay fishing charter. These fish are known for there hard fight and traveling in massive schools. When we target Red drum it is not uncommon to hook many at the same time. Flounder and Spade Fish are abundant along the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. What makes these two fish fun are that we use light tackle on our Chesapeake Bay fishing charter for them. This makes it a very hands on and exciting fight.
These are just a few of the many fish that we target on Finao Sportfishing fishing charters. The next time you are looking for a chance at world class fishing book a Chesapeake Bay fishing charter with Finao Sportfishing. Almost every month of the year there is a Sport Fish that we will be targeting.
Chesapeake Bay Fishing Charter
This time of year we begin to run our Tautog fishing charter. People from all around come to target Tautog. These fish are known for there hard fight and there outstanding taste. Tautog are abundant all over the Chesapeake Bay in the cooler months of the year. Our custom built 24 foot Cape Horn is the perfect boat for targeting Tautog. Booking your Tautog fishing charter with us will make sure you have a comfortable ride and fun catching these fish.
When we target Tautog we fish along the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. We fish the Pylons along the bridge. Another great spot to catch them is on the Islands. The Islands along the Bay Bridge Tunnel are made up of giant boulders. This makes it a great area for Tautog to hide out in.
The bait that we use on our Tautog fishing charter is Crabs. Blue crabs and Fiddler crabs are the best baits to use this time of year for Tautog. When Tautog are on the Pylons and Islands crabs are constantly in the area making them a common food for them. Another reason why these fish are good to eat is because of there diet. Feeding off of mainly shell fish it makes there meat sweet like most shell fish.
While catching these powerful fish it is important to have good gear. The gear we use on our Tautog fishing charter are Avet reels, Shimano rods, Power Pro line, and Owner hooks. Having the correct gear and fishing the proper areas is what makes our fishing charters successful. Our marina is located close to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel making it a short run to the fishing grounds. Most of our Tautog fishing spots are just 10 minutes from our Marina! The next time you are looking for a hard fighting and good tasting fish to eat in the spring book a Tautog fishing charter with Finao Sportfishing!
Tautog Fishing Charter
Captain Austin Hayne is USCG Certified and Licensed. He is a member of NACO and fishing charter boat associations.
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