Cape May Fishing Report May 1 to May 30

[CapeMayRay]

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Peter and I decided give it a shot tonight. We left the dock at 5:00pm with the tide coming with high at 8:30pm. Another night were there was a strong breeze off the ocean and good size ground swells. We tried working the beach line out side the surf. Water was 52.5 and the chop and the surf made it annoying.

We worked the inlet as we bounced around and still couldn't buy a hit. Fishing was tough, fighting the wind and tide and trying to keep in a good casting position without ending up on the rocks. It was a bit cold too.

Finally about 8:00 pm. I got a nice hook up fairly close to the boat. The bass did some head shakes on the surface before it shot off like a rocked with the tide, taking me around the back of the boat and into my backing. I knew it was a nice fish as I was applying maximum pressure and the fish would surge out some drag.

Got the fish almost to the boat and it shot out for one more strong deep run. Worked it back to the boat where Peter netted.

It was a nice 36 1/2 incher that took 4 1/2 large spearing fly that I was casting on a 400 sinking line.


Since the fish put up such a good fight and was bigger than what I like to take home and eat I released it to fight another day. We then we went right back to where I hooked up and Peter got a 24 to 26 inch fish, which fell off as he was lifting it out of the water. A short while later he hooked up again with a little smaller fish.

He caught his two fish on his new fly(pink and white clouser type fly with purple bead eyes.) I called it a Mardi Gras fly. He also was using a sinking line.


We fished until slack tide and called it a night to get some dinner.

[CapeMayRay]

Glen from the fly club was out fishing on his boat this morning with his partners and didn't get any bass. Tough fishing from his boat with the bow rail and the T top and no electric motor making it hard to fly fish.

I said I would take him out tonight and see if we could get him a bass. The forecast was for severe thunderstorms but the radar showed nothing coming our way for the next 3 hours or so and it was calm and sunny.

We left the dock with the incoming tide and found the water in the inlet 54.1 which is the warmest I have seen this week. We fished for about a half hour and I caught a nice fat 26 1/2 inch striper on the same fly as last night. Quickly released the fish and forgot to take a picture as we were in a hurry to get back into position.

We just got back into position to cast again when we saw a huge flash of lightning and a big clap of thunder followed and it was already past us a little to the north. We looked around and we could see toward Delaware Bay that it was coming and coming fast with lots of lightning flashes.

It was full throttle run back to the dock with blinks and thunder all over the place. Just barely got to the car when all hell broke loose. 40 to 50 mph winds, super heavy rain and 1/4 inch hail stones. Never saw a storm develop and move so fast. One minute it was clear and nice and the next it was bad news.

It left just as fast as it came. Found out later on the weather channel that it was moving at around 40 mph. When all that warm air hit the cold ocean water it all came together.

We thought about going back out, but even as it got dark there was decent amount of lightning still around.

[CapeMayRay]

Peter and I decided to hit the inlet on the last of the outgoing Sunday night. It was blowing pretty good with wind in the 20's coming from the southwest. We left the dock at 6:30 pm and figured we could hide from the wind behind the jetty.

Water in the inter harbor was 58 degrees but as we got to the inlet it was 53 to 54 degrees. It was nice, we had the whole place to ourselves and never saw another boat all night other than the commercial boats going out. It was disappointing when we first started fishing as the water was really brown. It must of been from the rains and all the wind blowing all day. It was very muddy looking an visibility was maybe 8 to 10 inches.

We worked the rocks to death and never got a hit. Had to be some bait around as the terns where picking at the end of the inlet. We checked them out, but there was no fish, just bait.

Finally right as it was almost dark the water started to clean up to where you could see the fly down a couple of feet. We hit one area where we both hooked up at just about the same time. Peter caught his on a pink/white clouser with purple eyes on intermediate line

I caught mine on that same large spearing type fly on 350 grain sinking line. Mine was long and thin just being a keeper, but we released it to fight another day.

Here is a picture of the fly I was using.

Right as we caught our fish the wind shifted and was blowing straight down the inlet and made fishing a bit sloppy so we quit and 9:00 pm. We both caught a fish on a pretty windy night and went home happy.

[CapeMayRay]

My Wednesday fly charter called this morning and wanted to know what time were were going to leave tomorrow. After checking the tides and the weather I told him we could try the back tomorrow in the morning on the outgoing or the incoming in the evening out front. Weather for tomorrow is wind out of the southeast for the evening and nice in the morning but I was not sure if the fish were back there yet with the cold water.

My plan was to try the back this morning myself and check it out. Told him if he wasn't doing anything today he was welcome to come out with on free scouting mission, which he jumped at.

We left the dock at 11:45. I said, before we head to the back let's try along the inlet as there were some fish there this morning. On about the 5th cast I had what looked to be a keeper size bass follow my fly up to the boat, but never taking it.

With all the bright sunlight and fairly clean water I thought there might be a little too much flash in the fly I was using. (Same one I had been catching on at night this week)

Changed to a small spearing fly, natural colors with more of a yellow flash in it. I Ended catching two bass on it. A 25 and a 26 incher. With John, using the same type sinking line as me fishing a clouser and not getting a hit I gave him my fly that was catching.

I decided to try the Yank's Assassin. Had one follow it up with no take but a few casts later hooked into a nice fish that really gave a good fight. It turned out to be a nice 33 incher keeper. John did the netting and some camera work.



John said he hoped we would get a keeper tomorrow on his trip and I suggested that we keep this one as an insurance policy that he could take home some fish.

I then offered him the Assassin to use and he said he had a fly that looked exactly like it. He got it from a fly of the month club from a guy up in West Chester. (Our Yank)

He put that one on and caught a 22 inch striper shortly there after.


I had one more 26 1/2 incher on my Yank's Assassin and it was time to go in. as I had to get ready for a charter boat association meeting tonight. We left for the dock at 3:30 pm.

This fishing in the bright sunlight isn't all that bad, but I would not want to do it all the time.

We never did get to scout out the back flats, but like they say, Never leave fish to find fish.

[CapeMayRay]

Went out late morning again today with fly charter. It really feels weird fishing in bright light. We left the dock at 10:00 am and found 53 to 54 degree water at the inlet on the incoming tide.

Started out with Yank's Assassins and Picked up two bass to 26 inches and had about 5 misses. Which I believe were smaller bass.

Changed to a small spearing fly for John and he hooked up with a 25 1/2 inch bass, which was his personal best striper on a fly.



I decided to dig in my fly box and try some of the flies from the fly swap.

Longshanks Copper Streamer and Out of Bait Nates Cone Head Deceiver. Both caught sea herring and a small bass with the one that took Nate's fly swallowing it deep and bleeding like a pig. Was able to remove it, but not sure if the fish will live.

We saw one huge pod of adult bunker outside the inlet but there was nothing pushing or disturbing it.

We quit at 2:00 pm with a total of 5 bass and 3 sea herring.

[CapeMayRay]

You can only fly so high before you get shot down! Got shot down today. Right now we are in probably the worst tidal flow of the year. The height of both the high and the low tide in the morning and the evening are the lowest for the year.

Usually morning or evenings will have a good high tide, with one higher than the other and that is generally the best tide as it pushes more water. Right now there is no push of decent tide morning or evening.

I was able to luck out earlier in the week as we were working toward the worst tide days, which is today through the weekend. Tuesday and Wednesday we still had a half way decent flow.

It was cloudy and dreary all day and I decided to go out with Paul from the club, figuring despite the poor tides we could come up with a fish or two. We couldn't

Just as we left the dock this afternoon on the out going tide the sun came out bright as can be and it got hot. Water at the inlet was 58 degrees and very dirty from all the wind yesterday and the tidal flow was pathetic. You could of paddled a bathtub against the current at full tide.
We got a couple of hits from sea herring but we had on bigger flies for bass and got no hook ups.

Since I had not been in the back for a while we decided to scout around. We found 60 to 64 degree water moving fairly slow in normal good fishing areas and only got a few fluke hits. We saw no signs of any bait or fish activity anywhere in the back and we tried a few normally prime spots.

Rather than waste time we came in early.

Only decent shot at fish this weekend is around 12:00 or 2:00 at night Fri, Sat, Sun I don't know if I need a bass that bad right now.

With poor tides, them calling for thunderstorms and wind 17 to 20 for Saturday afternoon, I am swinging my charter to another day when they can have a decent chance to catch. Got a father and his two young boys who are anxious to catch a few fish on lures. Even for experienced anglers it would be tough and with no bluefish around it is even worse.

Looks like by Tuesday or Wednesday we should get a decent flow again.

I think this is the same reason the drum bite has turned off in Delaware Bay.

[CapeMayRay]

After not fishing for a couple of days due to weather and poor tides it felt good to get back out on the water today. Weather man was a little off. It was in the 50's with still a good wind blowing when we left the dock at 3:30 pm.

Had a father and son from Iowa out today. They both wanted to spin fish as they were use to fly fishing with 3 wt rods and dry flies and didn't want to try casting weighted fly lines in the wind.

Water was 57 to 58 degrees and pretty dirty compared to last week. It might of been from the rain and wind and was sort of a brownish green, but not too bad.

We picked a 22 1/2 inch bass and missed one and worked the other side to get more out of the wind and missed a third bass and a herring.

With the tide going out I decided to run into the back flats. Found the water the right temps 60 to 65 degrees, but it looked worse than the water along the beach. It was very brown. We fished it for about an hour in a couple of spots and didn't get a hit.

Decided to go back out to the ocean where the water looked the best. The move paid off. We got another small striper, a herring and the first bluefish of the season, three of them which they keep for dinner and we were back at the dock by 8:00pm.


It may be May but it was cold on the water today. If felt like an early April day. If it stays like this there will not be many swimming this Memorial day.

[CapeMayRay]

Late afternoon got a call from a friend of mine who likes to plug fish. He said he hadn't been out yet this year and wanted to try. We decided to use my boat instead of his cause I wanted to fly fish.

We left the dock at 4:45 PM with a fair breeze coming off the ocean and headed to the inlet where the tide was just changing to head out. Water was 55 degrees and fairly dirty more of a greenish brown, but not too bad.

I started with a Yanks Assassin and he was using his trusted Yo-zuri plug. After about 20 minutes I got the first bass on the fly. A small 20 incher.

We worked along and I got 25 incher, followed shortly there after by a 26 incher, both on the fly.

He said give me one of those dam fly rods, I got to catch a bass. I set him up with another rod with sinking line and my other Yank's Assassin. He is not a great caster but casts well enough to catch fish, but it never happen.

There still was not a whole lot of good tidal movement but it is getting better. We gave it our best shot and worked the area to death. I got one more striper on the fly and we both had couple herring hits but could not hook up on our larger flies. I told my buddy he just had to leave those spin rods home if he was serious about catching on the fly.

With the wind, and the dirty water we had the whole place to ourselves. We only saw 3 other boat fishing all afternoon and they all came and went while we kept fishing.

Just like last night, around 7:30pm. it started getting cold.and felt like a March day. We fished till 8:00 and headed in as the sun was setting.

[CapeMayRay]

Decided to go fishing for a couple of hours this evening. Called Ken Kelly to see how he made out this morning. He didn't fish in the morning but was untying and heading out as we spoke.

Peter and I decided to do a short trip as he had to be in early. We left the dock at around 6:15 pm. There was a good wind blowing out of the south around 18 to 20 mph. We headed to the inlet where we met up with Ken. Water was nice and clean and we could find some shelter behind the rocks.

Pete hooked up first and had a nice fish on. He put a little too much pressure on the fish and broke it off. Shortly after he re rigged he landed a 25 inch bass on a small clouser.

Then I caught one about the same size on a oversize clouser that I tied this afternoon. (sort of looked like a assassin, but made with a little different materials.) Then I missed another bass. I had it on for awhile and lost it only to come up with a big striper scale on the hook.

Pete changed flies to an experimental fly that he made. It looked good, but he cut the hook in half and tied the back half to a piece of mono so it would flex on the back of the fly. I thought it might make it difficult to set the hook as it could twist and also thought he could have a problem with a big fish twisting it apart.

Well he hooked up and landed a small fish and the fly worked and held together, but he agreed he though a big fish would pull the fly apart.




I caught one more bass and we decided at 8:30 to head in to get some dinner, plus Pete had to pack for a trip tomorrow.

[CapeMayRay]

Was glad I was not out Saturday. I did look out on the back bay. It was almost humorous with all the activity The inland water way looked like solid white water from all the boats and the joy riders.

Did have to go out Sunday morning. Had a father his six year old and another adult. there was to be another young one but he didn't want to get up to go.

Left the dock at 7:00am. and figured we would try for some action. Did the drifting for fluke. We had a good tide but the action was very slow only picking up a few shorts. Here was the little guys first saltwater fish.

With not seeing any real action with the many boats fluke fishing and the wind picking up and blowing against the tide, I decided to try the clam belly with clam thing.

With the time left we managed a 22 and 26 inch striper and a few skates. (the little guy got to reel in the bigger one.) With the last hour the young boy really wanting to go in and hit the beach. When they are that young it is tough to keep them focused even it the bite is hot and heavy.



They had a fun morning and the dad is a avid fly fishermen and will be coming back on a fly trip with out his son later this summer.