Cape May Fishing Report (or lack of)

[CapeMayRay]

Thursday Tough start to the season.

Was out a couple of days ago on a beautiful day but the water was cold and dirty in the ocean and very cold in the back bays. Worked the whole area hard, never to even get a hit, putting in a long day and getting skunked

Sunday Still smelling skunk! My wife said the water on the beach was real nice and clean on Saturday. Left Sunday morning to fish the incoming tide in the ocean with the forecast calling for rain in the afternoon.

Left the dock with the water 50.5 in the slip. Cleared the inlet and found 48.5 and the water was ugly brown. Worked a lot of beach structure and the inlet rock piles with a fair amount of surf. Never got a strike or saw any bird play or bait. Best water I found was 48.9

Only other guy out fishing was Glenn, from the Fly club. He had just put his boat in for the season and was flinging a fly, having the same results as me. Did see a few dolphins swim by, but they were not feeding.

With the tide half in it was still brown and there was a good west wind blowing. Decided to make it a short trip with no place in the back on the incoming tide where there would be any clean warmer water.

Still trying and dying!

[CapeMayRay]

this crap is getting old. Seems like the latest start that I can remember.

Third straight skunking in a row. Left the dock at 5:00 pm. Found brown cold water at the inlet again at the top of the tide. Water was 48 to 49. Worked the rocks and no hits or signs of life.

Worked the beach front where I found 50 to 52 degree water and a little better water quality, but more of the same nothing and no signs of birds either.

On the turn of the tide I shot to the back bay in search of warm water. Back of the flats it was 52 to 54 degrees. Worked outgoing creeks and sod bank drain offs. Water in creeks as high as 56 degrees and saw one small bit of bait.

Here is one of my favorite drain offs that should of had fish. Water coming off the top of the banks was 58 degrees.

There is always fish with these conditions. I have to believe there were no fish around.

I worked to death the back area until after dark determined to get a bass, but nothing. It was really getting pretty cold and by the time I got back to the house it was 39 degrees out.