Fishing Reports Cape May Nov 1 to Nov 30

CapeMayRay · 11-01-2008, 10:25 PM

Beautiful weather today with a 70 degree day. It felt like summer and you could wear a short sleeve shirt on the water in the back bay.

My brother was up from Fla with his boss and his two grand kids. We decided to do a short mid-day trip. Left the dock at 12:00 noon and fished to 2:30 pm. With the water still very brown every where we went straight to the back bay were we found it a bit cleaner. We worked it hard for about an hour and a half, never saw signs of life or bait but had 4 hits and scrounged out two small stripers up to 22 inches.

With the water getting muddy we moved to the inlet were we found the water even dirtier. We tried there and along the beach and with dirty water and no signs of bait or life called it a short day.

CapeMayRay · 11-04-2008, 02:21 PM

Weather was nice on Monday and with it to be windier on Tuesday I decided to do a night time prime time trip. Couldn't get fishing buddy to go so I went myself. Left the dock at 8:30 pm with the tide coming in and headed to the inlet. With a light 7 mph northeast wind conditions looked great except for the water. It was still very brown. The water was 54 degrees and I saw one other crazy guy out fishing.

Worked black deceivers and mullet flies and could not get a strike. With the water so dirty I shifted to an all yellow bucktail deceiver and after working it hard on all sides of the inlet rocks I found one small section where I had three hits and hooked and landed two small stripers up to 22 inches.

It was a pleasant night but the fishing was not as good as it should of been and no signs of bait along the rocks.

On the way in I check out the bridge Shadow lines and found no signs of bait or fish and water was brown there too. Shot into the back to try a couple of weed beds and found it dead and dirty there too, so I quit around midnight.

Action is still way off for this time of year and with the lack of bait fish around, I don't know how it will get much better.

CapeMayRay · 11-06-2008, 12:56 PM

Tough sitting home with heavy seas and northeast wind blasting, but not fit for man nor beast out there the last two days.

CapeMayRay · 11-08-2008, 01:15 AM

Finally a day with no wind. Mild, cloudy with a little drizzle now and again. Left the dock around 12:30 pm with a one person fly charter to try and get him his first striper on the fly.

Hit the inlet first and found 56 degree water that was very brown. We worked the rocks for about and hour with one hit and no hook up.

Moved to the back bay with the tide still coming in and worked a good number spots, seeing no bait or signs of life anywhere. With it super slow I got to fish as we figured two lines in the water had a better chance of finding fish.. We tried spot after spot and then finally found a grass bed are I caught a small 22 inch bass and charter missed one.

We tried at least 5 more area without any hits or signs of bait and finally on the out going tide at the mouth of a creek we got some action. My charter caught his first 4 stripers on a chartreuse buck-tail deceiver. They were all super small to about 14 inches, but at least it broke the ice.

With it being such a nice afternoon, calm and warm I gave him more time as I was fishing, conditions looked great and I wanted to get him a better fish is possible.

We tried two more areas and finally found a little rip line were we caught 7 more stripers with charter hooking a catching the best of the night, a nice 24 incher that he caught on his 8wt with floating line, using the same chartreuse buck-tail deceiver, that he tied himself.

He was all excited as he had only started fly fishing last year and he now caught his first stripers on the fly with the 24 incher now his personal best.

CapeMayRay · 11-08-2008, 08:27 PM

Canceled this aftnoon father and son charter. Was nice when he called this morning, sunny and light wind with a chance of showers. They drove all the way down from Reading Pa to be greated by heavy rain and it looks like it will be rain for most of the afternoon till almost dark.

Not a whole lot of fun fishing in and open boat in heavy rain unless nice fish are jumping in the boat. Gave them the option to reschedule on a better weather day.

CapeMayRay · 11-08-2008, 08:55 PM

About 3/4 of an hour after I canceled afternoon trip the rains stopped and we only had a light drizzle. After dinner I called Peter up to see if he wanted to give it a try as there was a good bite last night.

We left the dock around 5:30 p.m. with the tide going out in the back. Water looked good. It was 57 degrees. We started out at creek mouth and some deeper sod banks. Peter using his 7 wt, intermediate line and a all white buck tail deceiver caught the first striper maybe 14 inches and missed another one.

We moved to where there was more current and a tidal flow right around dark. I hooked 21 1/2 inch bass on my 8wt, floating line and chart/white buck tail deceiver. As I was reeling it in Peter hooked into a fish. His fish was much nicer and it took him around the boat once. His was a little over 24 inches and nice and fat. Here he is hold his fish and mine.

We were excited and thought we were in for a big night. I position us back to where the action was and since it was dark I put on a black silicone mullet fly. We had a couple of light hits and I caught one more 22 inch bass on the mullet fly.

After this fish the action stopped dead. We fished for about a half an hour in a perfect spot with ideal tide and conditions and nothing. Then I looked into the water and saw the problem. We had that bio-luminescence. It was bad. Fly was leaving a two foot trail and the electric motor made it look like we had a light on under neath the boat.

That was it. I have never caught under those condition unless around lighted structures where it doesn't show. Started up the engine and headed in and we were leaving a 30 foot glowing wake behind the boat. It was just as bad back at the marina, so it must be everywhere. Just means no fishing after dark until it goes away. We were back to the dock by 8:15 pm. We were both happy with our catches on a short trip and new it was not worth staying out longer.

CapeMayRay · 11-09-2008, 09:42 PM

Left the dock this afternoon around 1:00 pm. with a 2 person fly and plug charter, with the tide coming in. Went to the inlet and the beach front. The water was 57 degrees and fairly brown, even along the beach. Found a number of pods of bunker and tried live lining some bunker while casing flies and plug. There was nothing pushing any of the pods and they were moving along slowly.

After not catching anything we worked the rocks and caught 4 stripers and a sea herring. With one being a real dink. Fly angler using sinking line caught on a all white spearing fly and a chartreuse deceiver.

As the tide was just about dead we moved to the back bay. Here the water on the outgoing was 56. We worked along and just as the tide start to flow around a point we had a double hook up and just as it was getting dark we had a 22 incher and the biggest of the day a nice fat 25 incher which took an all white deceiver fly on intermediate line.

Again, at 6:00 pm, just like yesterday as soon as it got dark the bite stopped dead and we noticed the heavy bio-alluminessence in the water with our flies and plugs trailing 2 foot comet like blue streaks.

Anglers were amazed as they had never experienced anything like it before. We tried getting some pictures but could not figure out how to do it. On the way back to the dock we pass a forty foot sport fishermen going the opposite way and it looked like they had underwater lights on under the boat as we passed.

CapeMayRay · 11-10-2008, 10:01 PM

Wasn't planning on fishing today as the wind was honking all day long.

Stopped by the marina late this afternoon and talked to guys coming in with big blues. They said they were all over just outside the inlet. Looked like 8 to 10 lbers.

Got all excited and thought it would be a blast to get some big ones on the fly. Called up Peter and we were able to leave the dock at 4:45 pm. Wind was honking good from the west around 25 mph. and it felt a bit cold. It was just about dead high tide so the inlet wasn't bad. We worked out side and looked around. We were just a little too late. Saw guys walking off the jetties with a good number of big blues.

We tried the lee side of the north jetty and there was no tide and all the action shut down shortly before we got there, talking to a guy who was there.

We made the move to the wind blasted south side of the south jetty where it was like fishing in a washing machine with the wave and chop action against the jetty. Water was clean and looked fishy and was a bit tough controling the boat and casting fly, but very doable.

I hooked and missed a striper before it got dark at 6:00 pm then we ran into a early bright full moon and the bad bio-luminescence. Ashame as the wind started settling down but with the big glow trails behind the flies we decide to quit and take our skunk home making a long blue glowing wake all the way back to the dock.

CapeMayRay · 11-11-2008, 10:57 PM

Veterans Day so I had to get out and fish. Peter and I left the dock close to noon. We were hoping to chase down some of the big blues that we missed out on yesterday.

Cleared the inlet and found it a lot windier than forecast predicted. It was blowing pretty good out of the northwest as we headed north along the Wildwood beach front. With a good amount of white caps we went out about a mile and half and scanned the water for birds or bait, while looking for fish on the fish finder.

We went down almost to Hereford and only found a few gannets and only a couple scatters marks of fish so we move into the beach and cruised back just out side the surf line looking for signs of life.

Ended up at Inlet Jetties and worked them to death along with beach front structures and never got a strike. Water looked great good visibility but zero signs of any bait anywhere. We decided to work the inlet jetty one more time before heading in. Using sinking line and chartreuse buck tail deceiver I caught one 18 inch striper and hooked a really nice one. I had it on for a good while and just as I was getting it near the boat it shot under the boat and came off.

Found out latter from a few buddies that were out, that above Herfords there was bird and blue action or further offshore from where we were they also had big blues. If it was a nicer day and not so cold and windy I would of ventured further off. With the wind blowing offshore the further out the rougher is was and didn't want to push it in a bay boat.

It was a cold windy afternoon and we were disappointed with our results. I usually do pretty well on Veterans day. Two maybe three hits and one fish landed for two anglers was not up much to get excited about but we had a good time.

CapeMayRay · 11-14-2008, 08:16 PM

Weather today was foggy and mild with little wind. Checked the forecast for tomorrow and it looked like I would be canceling charters for Saturday and Sunday.

Made a quick decision to go fishing. Called Peter and we shot down to the boat. Tide wasn't really good but we gave it a try. Worked the back bay areas and in the fog saw some herring feeding in a creek mouth but there were no bass around.

Worked a point break and Peter had the only hit and hook up. He got a fat 17 incher on intermediate line using a white buck tail deceiver.

With the tide near low and no signs of bait we headed in after only fishing less than 2 hours. Would of worked the inlet but it was foggy drizzle and a while before the water would clean up and will all the fog did a quick hit and run. At least Pete got one fish.

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11-04-2008, 02:21 PM	#2
CapeMayRay I think Admin is going to let me have this space Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Cape May, New Jersey Posts: 1,112 Credits: 2,656.2 Occupation: Charter Capt.	Weather was nice on Monday and with it to be windier on Tuesday I decided to do a night time prime time trip. Couldn't get fishing buddy to go so I went myself. Left the dock at 8:30 pm with the tide coming in and headed to the inlet. With a light 7 mph northeast wind conditions looked great except for the water. It was still very brown. The water was 54 degrees and I saw one other crazy guy out fishing. Worked black deceivers and mullet flies and could not get a strike. With the water so dirty I shifted to an all yellow bucktail deceiver and after working it hard on all sides of the inlet rocks I found one small section where I had three hits and hooked and landed two small stripers up to 22 inches. It was a pleasant night but the fishing was not as good as it should of been and no signs of bait along the rocks. On the way in I check out the bridge Shadow lines and found no signs of bait or fish and water was brown there too. Shot into the back to try a couple of weed beds and found it dead and dirty there too, so I quit around midnight. Action is still way off for this time of year and with the lack of bait fish around, I don't know how it will get much better.

11-06-2008, 12:56 PM	#3
CapeMayRay I think Admin is going to let me have this space Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Cape May, New Jersey Posts: 1,112 Credits: 2,656.2 Occupation: Charter Capt.	Tough sitting home with heavy seas and northeast wind blasting, but not fit for man nor beast out there the last two days.

11-08-2008, 01:15 AM	#4
CapeMayRay I think Admin is going to let me have this space Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Cape May, New Jersey Posts: 1,112 Credits: 2,656.2 Occupation: Charter Capt.	Finally a day with no wind. Mild, cloudy with a little drizzle now and again. Left the dock around 12:30 pm with a one person fly charter to try and get him his first striper on the fly. Hit the inlet first and found 56 degree water that was very brown. We worked the rocks for about and hour with one hit and no hook up. Moved to the back bay with the tide still coming in and worked a good number spots, seeing no bait or signs of life anywhere. With it super slow I got to fish as we figured two lines in the water had a better chance of finding fish.. We tried spot after spot and then finally found a grass bed are I caught a small 22 inch bass and charter missed one. We tried at least 5 more area without any hits or signs of bait and finally on the out going tide at the mouth of a creek we got some action. My charter caught his first 4 stripers on a chartreuse buck-tail deceiver. They were all super small to about 14 inches, but at least it broke the ice. With it being such a nice afternoon, calm and warm I gave him more time as I was fishing, conditions looked great and I wanted to get him a better fish is possible. We tried two more areas and finally found a little rip line were we caught 7 more stripers with charter hooking a catching the best of the night, a nice 24 incher that he caught on his 8wt with floating line, using the same chartreuse buck-tail deceiver, that he tied himself. He was all excited as he had only started fly fishing last year and he now caught his first stripers on the fly with the 24 incher now his personal best.

11-08-2008, 08:27 PM	#5
CapeMayRay I think Admin is going to let me have this space Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Cape May, New Jersey Posts: 1,112 Credits: 2,656.2 Occupation: Charter Capt.	Canceled this aftnoon father and son charter. Was nice when he called this morning, sunny and light wind with a chance of showers. They drove all the way down from Reading Pa to be greated by heavy rain and it looks like it will be rain for most of the afternoon till almost dark. Not a whole lot of fun fishing in and open boat in heavy rain unless nice fish are jumping in the boat. Gave them the option to reschedule on a better weather day.

11-08-2008, 08:55 PM	#6
CapeMayRay I think Admin is going to let me have this space Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Cape May, New Jersey Posts: 1,112 Credits: 2,656.2 Occupation: Charter Capt.	About 3/4 of an hour after I canceled afternoon trip the rains stopped and we only had a light drizzle. After dinner I called Peter up to see if he wanted to give it a try as there was a good bite last night. We left the dock around 5:30 p.m. with the tide going out in the back. Water looked good. It was 57 degrees. We started out at creek mouth and some deeper sod banks. Peter using his 7 wt, intermediate line and a all white buck tail deceiver caught the first striper maybe 14 inches and missed another one. We moved to where there was more current and a tidal flow right around dark. I hooked 21 1/2 inch bass on my 8wt, floating line and chart/white buck tail deceiver. As I was reeling it in Peter hooked into a fish. His fish was much nicer and it took him around the boat once. His was a little over 24 inches and nice and fat. Here he is hold his fish and mine. We were excited and thought we were in for a big night. I position us back to where the action was and since it was dark I put on a black silicone mullet fly. We had a couple of light hits and I caught one more 22 inch bass on the mullet fly. After this fish the action stopped dead. We fished for about a half an hour in a perfect spot with ideal tide and conditions and nothing. Then I looked into the water and saw the problem. We had that bio-luminescence. It was bad. Fly was leaving a two foot trail and the electric motor made it look like we had a light on under neath the boat. That was it. I have never caught under those condition unless around lighted structures where it doesn't show. Started up the engine and headed in and we were leaving a 30 foot glowing wake behind the boat. It was just as bad back at the marina, so it must be everywhere. Just means no fishing after dark until it goes away. We were back to the dock by 8:15 pm. We were both happy with our catches on a short trip and new it was not worth staying out longer.

11-09-2008, 09:42 PM	#7
CapeMayRay I think Admin is going to let me have this space Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Cape May, New Jersey Posts: 1,112 Credits: 2,656.2 Occupation: Charter Capt.	Left the dock this afternoon around 1:00 pm. with a 2 person fly and plug charter, with the tide coming in. Went to the inlet and the beach front. The water was 57 degrees and fairly brown, even along the beach. Found a number of pods of bunker and tried live lining some bunker while casing flies and plug. There was nothing pushing any of the pods and they were moving along slowly. After not catching anything we worked the rocks and caught 4 stripers and a sea herring. With one being a real dink. Fly angler using sinking line caught on a all white spearing fly and a chartreuse deceiver. As the tide was just about dead we moved to the back bay. Here the water on the outgoing was 56. We worked along and just as the tide start to flow around a point we had a double hook up and just as it was getting dark we had a 22 incher and the biggest of the day a nice fat 25 incher which took an all white deceiver fly on intermediate line. Again, at 6:00 pm, just like yesterday as soon as it got dark the bite stopped dead and we noticed the heavy bio-alluminessence in the water with our flies and plugs trailing 2 foot comet like blue streaks. Anglers were amazed as they had never experienced anything like it before. We tried getting some pictures but could not figure out how to do it. On the way back to the dock we pass a forty foot sport fishermen going the opposite way and it looked like they had underwater lights on under the boat as we passed.

11-10-2008, 10:01 PM	#8
CapeMayRay I think Admin is going to let me have this space Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Cape May, New Jersey Posts: 1,112 Credits: 2,656.2 Occupation: Charter Capt.	Wasn't planning on fishing today as the wind was honking all day long. Stopped by the marina late this afternoon and talked to guys coming in with big blues. They said they were all over just outside the inlet. Looked like 8 to 10 lbers. Got all excited and thought it would be a blast to get some big ones on the fly. Called up Peter and we were able to leave the dock at 4:45 pm. Wind was honking good from the west around 25 mph. and it felt a bit cold. It was just about dead high tide so the inlet wasn't bad. We worked out side and looked around. We were just a little too late. Saw guys walking off the jetties with a good number of big blues. We tried the lee side of the north jetty and there was no tide and all the action shut down shortly before we got there, talking to a guy who was there. We made the move to the wind blasted south side of the south jetty where it was like fishing in a washing machine with the wave and chop action against the jetty. Water was clean and looked fishy and was a bit tough controling the boat and casting fly, but very doable. I hooked and missed a striper before it got dark at 6:00 pm then we ran into a early bright full moon and the bad bio-luminescence. Ashame as the wind started settling down but with the big glow trails behind the flies we decide to quit and take our skunk home making a long blue glowing wake all the way back to the dock.

11-11-2008, 10:57 PM	#9
CapeMayRay I think Admin is going to let me have this space Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Cape May, New Jersey Posts: 1,112 Credits: 2,656.2 Occupation: Charter Capt.	Veterans Day so I had to get out and fish. Peter and I left the dock close to noon. We were hoping to chase down some of the big blues that we missed out on yesterday. Cleared the inlet and found it a lot windier than forecast predicted. It was blowing pretty good out of the northwest as we headed north along the Wildwood beach front. With a good amount of white caps we went out about a mile and half and scanned the water for birds or bait, while looking for fish on the fish finder. We went down almost to Hereford and only found a few gannets and only a couple scatters marks of fish so we move into the beach and cruised back just out side the surf line looking for signs of life. Ended up at Inlet Jetties and worked them to death along with beach front structures and never got a strike. Water looked great good visibility but zero signs of any bait anywhere. We decided to work the inlet jetty one more time before heading in. Using sinking line and chartreuse buck tail deceiver I caught one 18 inch striper and hooked a really nice one. I had it on for a good while and just as I was getting it near the boat it shot under the boat and came off. Found out latter from a few buddies that were out, that above Herfords there was bird and blue action or further offshore from where we were they also had big blues. If it was a nicer day and not so cold and windy I would of ventured further off. With the wind blowing offshore the further out the rougher is was and didn't want to push it in a bay boat. It was a cold windy afternoon and we were disappointed with our results. I usually do pretty well on Veterans day. Two maybe three hits and one fish landed for two anglers was not up much to get excited about but we had a good time.

11-14-2008, 08:16 PM	#10
CapeMayRay I think Admin is going to let me have this space Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Cape May, New Jersey Posts: 1,112 Credits: 2,656.2 Occupation: Charter Capt.	Weather today was foggy and mild with little wind. Checked the forecast for tomorrow and it looked like I would be canceling charters for Saturday and Sunday. Made a quick decision to go fishing. Called Peter and we shot down to the boat. Tide wasn't really good but we gave it a try. Worked the back bay areas and in the fog saw some herring feeding in a creek mouth but there were no bass around. Worked a point break and Peter had the only hit and hook up. He got a fat 17 incher on intermediate line using a white buck tail deceiver. With the tide near low and no signs of bait we headed in after only fishing less than 2 hours. Would of worked the inlet but it was foggy drizzle and a while before the water would clean up and will all the fog did a quick hit and run. At least Pete got one fish.