Cape May Fishing Report Sept. 1 to Sept 30

[CapeMayRay]

Had a light tackle fishing trip this morning and they wanted a few bluefish to take home. After last nights trip I thought it was going to be and easy no brainer trip. WRONG!!!!!!!!

Got up at 4:30 this morning and it was down right cold. I had to put on pants and sweat shirt to head down to the boat. There was already a good wind blowing. We left the dock at 5:30am with the last of the incoming tide and I headed to the back bay flat to work the leeward sod bank shores. Conditions were decent but the wind was a pain.

Found the water had dropped a little over 5 degrees over night. 76.3 Down to 70.6. I had them using popping plugs and found a few fish really hitting light. They just didn't want to commit to slamming a lure like normal.

We got two small bass and a bluefish out of 10 hits after working a good section and the wind kept getting stronger.


By 7:30 if you faced into the wind, it was enough to blow your hat off. With conditions getting worse I decided to anchor up and use bait to get them some blues. Using clam and cut bait they got one more small bass and a few more blues but bites were few and far between.


To add more salt to the wound we had a nice around 5 lb fluke follow one of our clam baits right up to the boat, but it never hit. Being anchored up I put out a few baits under the boat (we were in 7 to 8 feet of water) and had them using gulp mullet tails on jig head and they couldn't get a bite of any kind. Not even a bluefish to bite off a tail.

This picture sums up this mornings trip. Gulp catches empty clam shell.

[CapeMayRay]

Despite strong Northeast winds we had a decent night. Had a father an son out for their annual fishing trip. Both spin fishermen. Wind was blowing hard when we left the dock at 4;30pm. and headed to the back bay flats with the incoming tide.

With the strong wind I decided to take a couple of long drifts. On the two drifts we got 2 small stripers 3 blues and a 19 1/2 inch fluke that hit a 6 inch swimming plug and had a fair number of hits and misses.

With wind and chop I decided to move to some leeward sod banks where we could get some shelter from the wind. Working along here with popping and swimming plugs we got 5 more bass to 24 inches and some more blues. Water temps were 72 to 74 degrees and most all the strikes were very sluggish. We were back at the dock at 8:30 and they kept the fluke for dinner.

The wind finally died down around 9:00.

[CapeMayRay]

Was looking forward to fishing Thursday night as I had an open night and wanted to get out with the fly rod for some personal fun, but the wind never stopped blowing all day. Just didn't feel like fighting the wind and waves as it is still blowing hard out of the northeast. No fun in Cape May tonight.

[CapeMayRay]

Wind finally stopped blowing today and I was all excited to get out tonight with a one person fly charter. We left the dock at 4:30pm and decided to hit the inlet as I have not gotten out there for a while with all the wind. Found the water there, even with the tide half in, very dirty and a pretty good swell still coming in. Missed one small blue and saw some 6 to 10 inch blues chasing some bait.

Moved to the back bay to work the flats and found it dead calm. Maybe too calm as the picture shows.

The water was like a mirror and a bit off color and the bugs were bad. Use the bug spray and it kept the black flies and green heads away but the gnats were brutal. I wish I could say the thousand bites we got were all fish.

Speaking of fish it was really slow. Where I have been seeing signs of fish and catching it was dead. Had charter using popping flies and my steroid rattling gurglers, but we would get one light hit and no follow ups, which is really weird.

Decided to change tactics and charter put on a clouser pattern that he had made and we made a move, mainly to clear out some of the gnats.

Finally after searching around got our first striper just before it got dark and it felt good to get the sunk out of the boat.


We kept on searching and found one other area where he caught two more stripers and missed another fish and we were treated to a beautiful sunset before we headed in.

[CapeMayRay]

Headed down to the boat Sunday afternoon around 3:00 pm to get ready for the afternoon charter and found it bright and sunny the wind honking out of the northeast at 20 to 25 mph. Had one of my regular husband and wife charters to go out. With it dead low tide and high winds and the water a bit brown I tried to talk my charter into rescheduling as it was going to be tough at best to have a good trip.

They decided they wanted to give it a try as it is difficult for them to get free. With dead low water and no place to fish in the back bay due to low water we headed to the inlet to fish in the lee of the high dunes on the north side of the inlet.

Staying about 35 to 40 feet off the rock we worked up and down the rocks. We saw some bait and caught a few super small blues of which I live lined out the back of the boat as we fished. Only to have them eaten by small blues.

Wind was really honking if we went to far out we would get hit with sand blowing off the beach or further out spray coming over the top of the jetty.

With the tide up a bit I was able to work an area in the back that normally produces some fish and was some what sheltered from the wind. Here we got two keeper size blues and on throwback striper. It really was dead. Very few signs of bait and the only fish signs were super small blues.

We headed in at 8:30 and the wind was still as strong as when we started. Pretty poor fishing, with tough conditions but at least we gave it a shot.

[CapeMayRay]

Finally got out Saturday afternoon. After having bad weather all week mother nature finally cut us a break. Left the dock this afternoon at 3:00 pm with my brother and his son-in-law who were visiting from Fla.

We headed to the back bay at the top of the tide and found the water still very ugly, sort of a greenish brown color from all the wind and the rain and visibility about a foot. We worked it hard and covered a lot of ground, getting a strike here and there, with no area really hot. We got 5 small bass and one blue and went through 2 rain showers.


After working for a couple of hours I decided to see if the water was any better out in the ocean, by the inlet. Found the water there just as bad to worse and went through another rain shower. I was hoping to see some signs of life. (Bait, mullet, birds or fish) In the next 2 hours we picked up 5 more small bass including one that I got on a steroid rattling gurgler.

It was tough fishing. with the poor water clarity you would cast your fly or plug and would only get a hit on the first strip or just as you started to reel the popping plug. I think the fish were keying in on the initial splash. If they hit and missed your presentation, they wouldn't follow up and hit it again. I think we might of had 6 inches of visibility.

The fishing was a lot better than I expected with the water looking the way it did. I was pleased with the 10 bass that we got and this was the best one of the day.

[CapeMayRay]

I went out again Sunday with my brother and his son-in-law. They wanted to go out earlier as we were going to have a dinner and they wanted to hit the sack early as I have to drive them to the airport tomorrow morning by 5:00 am.

Just as we got down to the boat the sun came out bright and the wind kicked up. We left the dock with the incoming tide and headed to the inlet. Water was rough from all the boat traffic and wind, plus the water was still quite dirty.

We saw signs of small blues and some boats working them outside the inlet, but elected to go for stripers. After getting no hits we shot into the back to get away from the wind.

We got back there and had one really decent fish hit, but failed to hook it up. With the water 68 to 71 degrees, bright sun, shallow water and wind the odds were not in our favor.

After fishing back there a bit the wind kicked up even more and there were white caps everywhere. After trying a couple of creeks we decided to stop beating a dead horse and headed in.

We tried hard, got the skunk, and knew when to quit. Tough afternoon.

[CapeMayRay]

It was such a beautiful day here at the shore, that I had to go out and fish tonight. I am sorry I did. Left the dock at around 4:30pm. and was all excited as I had a great tide at the right time of the day.

Went to the inlet and worked the rocks. I got one hit and landed a dinky 16 1/2 inch striper on a chartreuse bucktail deceiver. The water was still a bit off color but it looked decent. Only saw a couple of small baits while working the whole length of the jetty.

Tried the other side and caught one 10 inch blue and saw one small pod of peanut bunker and threw the cast net and put about 30 in the live well. (saw a number of other boats fishing but never saw a rod bend) not good for this time of year.

Discouraged with the lack of life I headed to the back bay, sure I was going to have a great night. The water looked real good and with the start of the outgoing tide it was a perfect set up for catching stripers. Every sod bank drain off and all my favorite creeks should of been loaded with bait and feeding fish.

WRONG It was very disappointing. Perfect conditions and zero signs of any bait fish of any kind. I even trailed a bobber with a live peanut bunker while I cast my fly rod. (did get two small blues and a sand shark on the bunker) I did get 3 more small blues to 17 inches on a steroid rattling gurgler and a yellow deceiver as I tried a number of normal hot spots.

It was just plain dead. Even talked to a buddy who was working the other spots that I normally do and he reported the same. Dead conditions with no bait. We used to fish together all the time and would average 25 or more fish a night between the two of us throwing plugs and flies with some nights near 50.

Went home feeling worst than if I didn't go fishing at all. Something is definitely wrong. I have watched a 8 straight years of decline in the number of stripers and the amount of bait fish in the areas that I know like the back of my hand. It's not a cycle, but a solid downward trend. It is not because we have caught and kept the fish as rarely do I or my clients keep the fish we catch and those that are released are careful handled and revived.

Even 5 years ago, at this time of year you would see pods of peanut bunker all over the back and in the creeks along with mullet running the edges of the sod banks, with fish pushing them around. (not big fish but lots of fish) You would also see tons of spearing and bay anchovies everywhere. If you didn't spook them up with your cast you would see fish spooking them or swirls made by fish as they fed.

After dark you could hear either fish splashing while feeding or making popping sounds as they slurped down bait. Every good location held fish and you only had to work a couple to get all the fish you wanted. Now you have to work all of the spots just to have a shot at catching a few fish.

Anymore I feel like I am fishing a dead zone compared to what it use to be. I don't know what the answer is, but it is not good and I do not see any improvement after watching 8 straight years of decline. Even back at the marina, there is some bait but nothing like it use to be. I would always hear or see fish feeding in the dock lights as I would clean the boat. Not anymore. Even the grass shrimp are only a few where they would be by the thousands.

I put so many days on the water a year it is hard not to notice a change. Anyone else seeing anything like this in the areas they fish, or is is just down in my area?

[CapeMayRay]

Left the dock this Friday morning before the sun was up with a two person fly charter to fish the last of the incoming and the start of the out going tide.

Headed to the inlet with a light Southeast wind and saw just a few very small scattered pods of mullet. Within a few minutes we missed the first fish but shortly there after hooked the first bass on sinking line and a chartreuse and grizzly deceiver.


The other angler missed his first few fish as the was not strip striking to set the hook. That was all knew to him as does mostly trout fishing.

We caught two more small bass and a blue with one nicer blue bitting us off before heading to the back bay.

Got to the back with the tide just starting to go out and worked some creek mouths and point breaks. We were lucky it stayed nice and cloudy. The only bait we saw was just a few small sprays of very small bait as we threw our flies and it was few and far between.

In the back we caught 4 more smaller bass and another bluefish with 4 or 5 missed hook sets. Here we caught on my Steroid Rattling Gurgler, and two other bait fish patterns on intermediate line.


Not as good as years ago when there were a lot of fish and bait around, but enough to have some fun with and keep my clients happy.

[CapeMayRay]

Left the dock at 6:00am Sunday morning with a husband and wife fly charter. Wanted to do an evening trip but they had to head back home this afternoon, so morning was our only option. It was 49 degrees and nice an calm when we left the dock and headed to the inlet where the water was around 69 degrees.

We started fishing pre-dawn with a nice incoming tide. Shortly after we started the wife got her first striper ever on a chartreuse/white buck tail deceiver using 350 sinking line. I thought it was the begining of a super fishing day.



Water was pretty dirty for an incoming tide, It might of been from all the dredging up at Herefords, but you could only see your fly down about a foot. We worked it hard and never got another hit. Saw a few birds working outside the inlet and checked it out. (got a few pint size mini snapper blues) not worth fishing for.

Headed to the back looking for cleaner water or some bait. Found slightly cleaner water and some small baits and managed to get a dink striper for the husband on the same chartreuse deceiver type fly that has worked all week and we worked a lot of good spots.

I even put in an extra hour and half and we worked a few good out going tide spots never seeing signs of life or getting another hit. Pretty slow, but beautiful morning.