I do quite a bit of freelance, but I also work a part time job just to give myself some security. My advice to you would be to start on craigslist, looking for one time jobs that will pay you what you're worth. There are quite a few websites (guru.com, freelancer.com), but I have found that the jobs on there generally get bid to a price that's not worth working for, and I imagine the quality of work that comes out of those jobs aren't that great.
I have found quite a few clients on craigslist that, after I did a really good job, have come back with more work. I also have received a bunch of referrals based on past work, and at this point I don't have to look online anymore, as I get more offers than I can complete for work.
Don't limit yourself to just the gigs section either, I have worked telecommute for a few companies as well on a private contractor basis, and that has worked well for me too. Also some posters will post one-time jobs in the jobs section, so you can find "truly" freelance work there too.
Another good place to look is startups with work that they don't have the expertise for. A few of my regular clients are companies that have great design teams, but will come across jobs that require a skillset they don't have. You already said that you can't find places looking for your skillset, but I would bet that there are jobs to be done that are being outsourced to people just like you in some of those companies that "specialize" in .Net or VB. If they need a slick image uploader or something, outsourcing that component makes sense for them.
In summary:
1. Don't take jobs that pay you less than you're worth. In my experience, all the freelance match-maker sites viciously underpay on jobs.
2. Stick to real people on craigslist, don't let them lowball you either, clients that understand that they need quality work will pay you what you deserve.
3. Do an exceptional job, and people will talk about your work, and give you more of it.
I still don't have a personal site, but I imagine getting a portfolio up and printing some business cards would help. I run into people in need of devs all the time, and have more than once wished I had something to show them.
Hope that helps!