There are a lot of people who absolutely love Chesapeake Bay fishing, and as a result, there are fishing clubs up and down the shores of the Bay. Wherever you may live in Maryland or Virginia, be it on either the Western or Eastern Shore, there’s almost certainly a fishing club near you. Joining one of these clubs in a great way to meet like-minded anglers, learn how to tap into different fisheries, and keep abreast of the latest hot bite. Many of these Chesapeake Bay fishing clubs host monthly meetings with guest speakers, as well as seasonal tournaments, fishing shows, and flea markets.
Maryland Fishing Clubs
Annapolis Anglers Club – This fishing club meets monthly in Annapolis, and organizes several fishing tournaments through the year.
Coastal Conservation Association of Maryland – CCA Maryland is the Maryland chapter of the national Coastal Conservation Organization; its mission is to conserve and enhance the state’s marine resources, and the group is made up almost entirely of anglers who care about the future of the fisheries.
Essex-Middle River Fishing Club – This club meets in Essex on a monthly basis and also holds a fishing flea market every spring.
Frederick Saltwater Anglers Club – This particularly robust group of anglers holds monthly meetings in Frederick and organizes multiple annual tournaments both in the Bay and also offshore.
Kent Island Fishermen – This club is organized to promote recreational fishing and have fun. They also support several local charities and youth groups.
Maryland BASS Nation - Affiliated with B.A.S.S. Nation, this club hosts fishing tournaments, conservation initiatives and you programs.
M.R. Bass Anglers – The Middle River Bass Anglers promote fellowship, conservation, and fishing fun.
Mid-Shore Fishing Club – This Dorchester County group meets the third Tuesday of the month in Cambridge, and supports activities that enhance the marine environment.
North West Fishing Club – This club gets together the second Tuesday of the month in Catonsville, and also sponsors an annual kid’s fishing derby.
Pasadena Sportfishing Group – Based in Pasadena, this group meets the second Monday of each month, puts on kid’s fishing derbies, and has a fishing show every winter.
Southern Maryland Recreational Fishing Organization – This group of recreational anglers meets every month in Solomons, MD, and supports a summer fishing camp for kids.
Virginia Fishing Clubs
BASS Nation of Virginia - The Nation is established to preserve and promote the sport of angling for largemouth bass, conservation and introduce youth to fishing.
Central Virginia Sportfishing Association – The CVSFA is made up of anglers fishing everywhere from the James River to the Virginia coast. Meetings are held monthly in Richmond.
Coastal Conservation Association of Virginia – CCA Virginia is the Virginia chapter of the national Coastal Conservation Organization, and works to keep its members informed and active in conservation and marine resources as well as fishing.
Eastern Shore of Virginia Angler’s Club – Founded in 1961, this club meets the second Monday of each month in Onley, VA, except during July and August — when all the members are too busy fishing to attend any meetings.
Great Bridge Fisherman’s Association – Located in Chesapeake, VA, this club holds monthly meetings and is dedicated to introducing new anglers to recreational fishing while promoting the conservation of our resources.
Norfolk Anglers Club – This club meets at the East Ocean View Community Center, and also has an active Facebook page.
Northern Neck Angler’s Club – With regular meetings in the Northern Neck, this club is dedicated to educating anglers about saltwater fishing techniques and also holds annual tournaments.
Old Dominion U Fishing Club – If you go to ODU, this one’s the fishing club for you!
Peninsula Saltwater Sport Fisherman’s Association – This group holds meeting the third Tuesday of the month in Hampton.
Portsmouth Angler’s Club – This family-oriented club focuses on both freshwater and saltwater fishing, and meets the third Monday of the month is Portsmouth.
Tidewater Angler’s Club – Dating all the way back to 1941, this club meets in Virginia Beach the second Tuesday of the month.
Tidewater Kayak Anglers Association – This group of kayak anglers organizes tournaments and maintains an online forum.
Virginia Anglers Club – This group holds monthly meetings in Richmond, and supports conservation as well as helping to expand angler knowledge.
Virginia Beach Angler’s Club – This club is family-oriented and holds cleanup efforts as well as monitoring legislative and regulatory activities; meetings are held in Virginia Beach.
Virginia Coastal Fly Angler’s Club – These saltwater fly fishermen meet in Virginia Beach, and this group also has a Facebook page.
Virginia Saltwater Sportfishing Association - The Virginia Saltwater Sportfishing Association’s (VSSA) purpose is to provide a strong voice in all matters relating to saltwater fishing and safeguard the right to fish recreationally.