The weather man says it's going to heat up ... and so is the fishing.

With a wonderful weekend on the horizon and the potential opening of limited commercial fishing, it might be a good idea to start your plan of attack.

You have quite a few options.

And many more are on the way.

This weekend’s weather, with National Weather Service forecasters calling for temperatures in the low 80s, is only going to help.

SOUTHEASTERN VIRGINIA

Speckled trout action has been fantastic at times, with fish taking lures and live bait in the Peninsula’s many rivers and creeks, along the Poquoson Flats, in many Eastern Shore creeks, in the Elizabeth River, in all three southside inlets and from the beaches.

Puppy drum have shown in just about all the same locations, as have some good numbers of decent-sized bluefish.

Flounder are being taken from Eastern Shore seaside inlets and around Oyster, with some fish also showing in the southside inlets. Expect numbers to increase along the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel in the coming weeks, if not days.

Black drum and some reds have started to show along Eastern Shore barrier island sandbars and inlets, with some reds already being taken on the flats around the northern portion of the CBBT.

Some drummers have reported the season’s first sheepshead.

Tautog action has been consistently good from areas along the CBBT out to near-shore wrecks. But the season will temporarily close on Saturday.

The black sea bass season was supposed to open Friday, but won’t until May 29 - a matter of contention with anglers and charter captain who argued to let the season open on time so they could make up for lost wages during the Covid-19 shutdown of the charter industry.

Anglers heading offshore can expect to find some tuna and possibly dolphin, especially when they head to the southeast.

Deep-dropping will produce wreck fish, rosefish, blueline tilefish and goldens.

Southern Virginia Beach beaches have been producing some sea mullet, croaker and trout.

NORTHEASTERN NORTH CAROLINA

With Outer Banks non-resident property owners expected to head back, charter captains will be more than ready to accommodate those ready for a trip.

And the action has been really good for yellowfin tuna, bigeye tuna and dolphin. Billfish and wahoo will be next on the menu and shark have already made their appearance.

Closer to the coast, good numbers of red drum are being taken by sight-casters and some of the first cobia are being reported along Ocracoke and Hatteras Inlet.

Along the beaches, anglers are finding a good mixed bag of sea mullet, blow toads, puppy drum, small flounder and speckled trout. There have been some fantastic runs of big reds at The Point.

Look for trout and puppy drum in the inlets, with some striper also available.

FRESHWATER

If this kind of fishing is your cup of tea, expect to have a great time - as spring normally is the best for a variety of species.

Crappie fishing has been super good just about everywhere, with Lake Cahoon in Suffolk your best chance for bigger fish. Not to say that you won’t find some in the other Norfolk water supply systems throughout Suffolk, Norfolk and Virginia Beach.

Hell’s Point Creek and many of the canals and creeks in Back Bay also are producing.

If you are willing to travel, Kerr Dam Lake (Buggs Island to many) has produced world records in the past and the catching has been good the last couple of weeks.

And if you have access to a private pond, don’t bother going anywhere else.

Largemouth bass are working bed in all the same systems and in tidal systems in both Virginia and northeastern North Carolina. Some fish spawned around last Thursday’s full moon.

Anglers working grass beds in Back Bay and creeks draining into it have had good success with bass.

Catfishing on just about all tidal rivers is yielding some nice-sized blues.