Fishing Reports Cape May July 1 to July 15

[CapeMayRay]

Had a one person fly charter this morning. Left the dock at 5:30 a.m. Was not the light northeast wind predicted but more line 15 to 18mph and felt more like a Sept. morning.

Tried the inlet rocks and was able to get a quick 7 blues in quick order on 350 sinking line and bunker flies. We keep two and released the other. With the wind blowing us toward the rocks and the heavy current and weekend boat traffic we moved to the beach front.

Here we switched to clousers and caught 3 herring. We had a lot of herring hits but with the clear water we hooked up 1 in 10 which is unusual. They just didn't want to take the fly with any gusto. We could also see a number of herring, just come up and swirl by it.

Made another move to the back bay and with the incoming tide we worked some shallow sod banks. Fish a tiny rip line where we caught last night and client caught 2 stripers, both about 23 inches, using intermediate line and pink/white medium size deceiver.

By 8:30 a.m. it was getting pretty bright and we did not get another hit until we quit at 9:00 a.m.

Decent morning, but with the wind it seemed like we had to work twice as hard for the fish.

[CapeMayRay]

Got out Sunday night with father and other son than the night before. (His 12 year old) Dad with fly rod and son plug fishing. Was windy all day and when we left the dock at 5:00 p.m. it was blowing very strong from the northwest maybe about 20 mph.

We thought we would try for bigger fish on the beach front or around the inlet jetty with the tide just starting to coming in and no water in the back bay. Tried to get in on the beach front but it was like a washing machine with heavy chop and wave action and unfishable.

Moved inside the jetty and worked the rocks. It was fishable but nothing. Not even a strike with working it for an hour.

Moved to the back bay to work the incoming tide going to lee shore where the wind then shifted back to the northeast and started to dwindle.

With the high pressure system. It almost felt and looked like a fall evening. I even put on a sweatshirt around 7:00. Here we had a slow pick with all decent fish between 22 and 24 inches.

The son using a popping plug started the action off with the first fish.


He ended the night with a total of 6 stripers. Unlike the night before where the action was better and we had tons of hits and misses last night almost all the strikes we got we had hook ups.


For the father he had 2 fish on the fly rod. All on patterns he had tied (grey/white, and dark snake fly) on intermediate line. (no pictures of him as he had caught plenty of bass before and was more interested in his son catching and having fun)

Ended the night with it dead calm and a nice sunset.

[CapeMayRay]

Some days fishing is tough. Tonight was one of those. Left the dock at 5:30 p.m. with father and son fly charter. Son ended up just coming along for the ride as he broke his arm on a skate board and had a cast on his casting arm.

It was suppose to be 5 to 7 mph winds, but the flags were blowing out pretty good with a brisk southerly wind. Went out the inlet to work up on the beach front. Not as bad as yesterday but the wind made keeping the boat position difficult. We had two strikes and misses with tons of rays all around.

Moved to the inlet area, saw no signs of bait or fish and got no strikes at all. With the water up high enough in the back we went to the flats to catch some bass.

Went to where we had action the last two nights and could not buy a strike. I even threw a popping plug to see if we could find any activity. We saw small bait (about 1 inch in size) spray in front of the plug and the flies, but no fish.

I moved to five areas in the back and saw more of the same. Around 8:30 the wind died to nothing and it was like glass. Prime time and prime conditions and still no signs of fish. Only high point was a beautiful fall looking sunset. (was too disgusted to even take a picture.)

Around 9:30 caught one bass on popping plug and decided to head in.

Going under the bridge we saw a few pops from some small bass chasing bait. Charter had one on and lost it and said why don't you take a few casts he was getting tired. On my third cast I hooked a landed a 22 inch striper. He tried for another 15 minutes and said he had enough.

It was just a plain brutal night of fishing and I can't figure out why it the fishing was so bad after the last few nights being pretty good and conditions looking great. Charter had fished with me before and had good trips and took the bad trip in stride, saying that was fishing, but I really felt bad as we tried everything we could other than using bait. SOME NIGHTS YOU JUST CAN'T MAKE IT HAPPEN.

They are going to do another trip in the fall so I get another shot at putting them on fish.

[captcl]

Ray, yesterday(7/2) looked like an early fall day start to finish! It was pretty but kind of sppoky in a way. July days don't usually take on that appearence!

[CapeMayRay]

Two tough trips in a row! Left the dock this morning with a non fly father and son charter who fishes with me each year when they come down on vacation.

Left the dock at 5:30 a.m. Beautiful morning and gentle wind. Worked the inlet rocks and got a few small blues on plugs in the first 15 minutes with some bird activity and the action stopped.

Worked the area hard without another tap and decided to head in the back bay with the incoming and try the old never failing chumming clam bellies, which always produces action. (stripers, blues and others)

Worked two prime spots that never fail, for over 2 1/2 hours and only had a couple of bits from small type fish. We did not even get a skate or sand shark to bite. With chum I have never seen that before.

With it being such a nice day we stayed out longer than the trip was scheduled trying to make something happen. Even with all the boats fishing the inland water way, I never saw anyone reel in a fish.

Finally around 10:30 with full sun super clear water. We could see bottom in 6 to 7 feet of water the son got a small striper after missing two minutes before, on little storm swimming minnow.

Caught the fish over some mussel beds that had a lot of bait on them very close to a sod bank in full sun.

Made the kids day and he was all excited. He had just joined a fishing club back home. (mostly freshwater) Got to see and talk to Mike Icconelli at one of their meeting and was and excited to try his new Bocka grip out.

I can usually round up some fish no matter what the conditions. Maybe it is just way too nice. Even the water temps are good.

No trip tonight. Guys that were scheduled for tonight forgot about the fireworks for the kids, in North Cape May so we rescheduled for tomorrow morning. (It has to be better)

[CapeMayRay]

Tried to get charter to go out last night around 10:30 p.m. on the out going tide figuring it would be the best shot at getting fish with the clear water in the back. (would of worked as I had a friend who went out then and hit them real good till the wind kicked up.

Instead got up this morning and had to cancel the trip with strong winds and rain. With low tide the inlet and beach front were where we would of wanted to fished and it was looking very user unfriendly, especially with fly fishermen and no foul weather suits.

Already canceled tonights father and son trip. It is blowing 25 to 30 mph off the ocean and the flags are straight out and the ocean is all white with cresting waves and no one on the beach.

Tomorrow is looking like more of the same with chance of thunder storms thrown in. Going to use the time off for some fly tying.

Hope everyone is having a good 4th, you are not missing anything at the shore.

[OneMoreCast]

Hey Ray,
Are you still the president of the fly club?
Just wondering.. I am the president of Mid Atlantic Fly Anglers (Md, VaBeach)...
Anyway.. We have a club member that is staying in Avalon at the end of the month. I was wondering if I could hook him up with some of your club members while he is in the neighborhood?? Walk the beaches... catch a few fish via local knowledge. If any of your guys make it down to the bay...we can do the same thing??
Let me know what you think?

[CapeMayRay]

I was president for 3 years and now a director. Send me some information by email. I will post it on our members only section.

A lot of our members do not live near the shore and have a tough time even hooking up with club members, but it is worth a shot. I can also post information about your club. Does your club have a web-site.

There are plenty of good areas to fish up that way. We could atleast get him into some decent areas.

[CapeMayRay]

Everytime my daughter gets down, I always have charters.
Finally had a free evening got a chance to get out and do some fishing with her. After dinner we left the dock at 7:30 p.m. with the tide just starting to turn to incoming. Headed straight to the inlet with no water in the back.

I started with a new EP bunker fly that I made today with 400 sinking line and I had my daughter using a mag darter with a spin rod. We started getting some small blue hits. We could see them coming up and hitting the flies and lures. (they looked to be about 12 inches)


Working our way along the rocks I hooked up with the first striper. My daughter grabbed the camera and took a few pictures.



I got another one on the bunker fly and right around dark switched over to a larger Chartruese deceiver and caught one more.

My daughter is usually pretty good catching on the spin rod but had missed a couple of bass and I decided to work with her so she could have some fun too.

Switched her over to a Mr. Bunker (more of a rattle trap type lure) and she got two including the nicest one of the night.


Stopped at the bridge and found the water dirty, the tide just starting to good and a lot of weed. Called it an early night and were back at the dock by 9:30. We had two hours of fun and were treated to a live band at the marina while I washed the boat.

[CapeMayRay]

Got out Saturday evening with a non fly charter. Father and two sons. Left the dock at 5:00 p.m. and with the light winds and seas decided to work the beach front for spike weakies etc. Two hours we worked it as hard as you could, using storm swiming baits, finesse and gulp swimming mullets with idea conditions. Only came up with some small bluefish.

As the tide started to change we moved to the inlet rocks where we had a nonstop, steady pick of blues and one striper, that the dad caught on a crystal minnow.

Beautiful evening and the boys had a lot of fun reeling in the blues. Even had another night of live band music while washing the boat.