May is a tough month to be an angler in Virginia -- but not because there's no outstanding fishing. In fact, quite the reverse: Given the variety of choices of species of fish to chase this month, it can be tough to know where to point the boat and what to target on a given trip.

A leading contender for your fishing time is one of Virginia's most revered and sought-after game fish -- saltwater striped bass. They are now fresh from the spawning grounds, hungry and willing to make your reel scream if you know where to go and how to present the bait or lures to them.

We went to a local professional captain to get the inside scoop on what is going on regarding striped bass in May. Our pro has very quickly distinguished himself as a knowledgeable expert on striped bass fishing. Captain Max King has been fishing for Chesapeake stripers for 10 years.

He has fished the bay since 1985. Captain King has won the Mid-Atlantic Rockfish Shootout in 2006 and 2008. In 2007, he finished fourth and seventh in the tournament. He also won the 2006 CCA Greentop Deltaville Tournament. In 2006, he was the American Striped Bass Association Top Angler of the Year Runner Up. He has repeatedly placed in the top 10. Without a doubt, our source has a reputation for finding and landing big fish in a variety of ways. Here are some of the strategies he uses for success.

FINDING FISHM
During May, the striped bass have just finished spawning in the upper portions of tidal rivers and are now on their way back to the ocean, where they will head north. In the meantime, they will stop and "get groceries," as our pro puts it, in the Chesapeake Bay. Spot, eels, croaker and other fish are on the grocery list. Once the water temperature pushes past the 60-degree mark, the fish begin departing rapidly for ocean waters in New England, where they spend the summer.

During May, striped bass are most often found in the upper water column where the sun has warmed the water. Fish may appear to be more scattered too. Gone are the days when you might see acres of diving gannets plunging into boils of menhaden. That is a scene from December, January and February. Now anglers are more likely to find smaller pods of bait or even mark single fish rather than see their fish finder lighting up bright red as it may have done four or five months ago.

Anglers will find fish searching for dinner in a variety of places. Obvious structures like the CBBT, the "islands" at the CBBT, and boulders or riprap make good ambush sites for striped bass to hold and then dart out to get a meal.

Captain King stresses to anglers that they must be patient and sharpen their eyes when using their fish finders.

"What you saw on your finder in midwinter is not what you will need to be looking for now. If you see three-fourths, one-half or even one-fourth of the bait you saw in February on your finder in May, then you need to get your rigs overboard or the bait out. What you are seeing now is indicative of a pretty good fishing area."