November Striper Reports from Cape May

[CapeMayRay]

Decided to do another hit and run trip at the top of the tide and sunset. Left the dock a 5:00 p.m. and it was down right cold. You could see vapor. Headed straight for the inlet and was half frozen by the time I got to the end of the rocks.

Found 50 degree water and the color worse than the other day with a decent north west wind. Worked the north side of the jetty and couldn't get a strike. Talked to several anglers that were fishing from the jetty and heard of no fish.

Wet hands were freezing. Had to dip them in the water and dry them off to keep them warm. It was just about dark and I was thinking of leaving early when I saw a guy on the end get a couple of bass. I didn't want to get in his way so I worked at the end of the jetty where I got my first bass and then a second.

Saw him get about 5 more and as soon as he left I moved around to that side where he left. The fish came up to the surface where they were blitzing on spearing and it was a fish on every cast with the smallest 16 inches and the largest 26 1/4 inches.



Action stayed good to about 6:45 p.m. when at that time the moon became bright and white and the action stopped dead. Most fish caught on bunker fly and I got my last one on my new rattler mullet, which seemed to have good action.

While catching fish I didn't feel the cold and I had the whole place to myself as everyone else headed in. Worked it till 7:00 p.m. when it seemed as bright at daytime and I was started to feel the cold and getting hungry.

Had a super night and ended the with 9 bass. I hope this it the start of some good action to come. By the time I got back to the dock my hands were so cold I could hardly do the dock lines. Guess it is time to break out the gloves next trip.

[CapeMayRay]

Decided to go out a little earlier today. Called Peter and we left the dock around 3:30 p.m. and found the water at the marina super dirty and 45 degrees. As we headed out to the inlet we found the reason for the filthy water. They had a big dredge working on deepening the inlet and the were pumping to the beach front.

Got out with another cold westerly wind and started working the north side of the jetty on the ocean side. The water was fairly clean and 47 degrees. There was about 10 people fishing off the rocks, but most were fishing the inlet side.

After about 15 minutes I had one hit and landed a 22 1/2 incher on the same bunker fly I caught on yesterday, using 300 sinking line. It was good and bad. Now everyone shifted to the north side of the jetty after they saw me land my fish.

It made it more difficult to fish as we now had to work around their lines. We kept working the rocks and the bunker fly seemed to be the ticket as I had a few misses and hooked another about the same size.

I was giving Peter a hard time about changing to a bunker fly and offered him one of mine. Finally he did for a while, but soon changed back to a chart/yellow fly where he caught two.

Hoping for a mini blitz like last night where were waiting for it to get dark. We were treated to a beautiful sunset as the temperature dropped and it got dark.

We again had the whole place to ourselves, but no mini blitz tonight. We did pick up 4 more bass in the 22 to 23 inch size all on bunker flies with a couple of misses and just like last night the action seemed to die when the moon got bright and white. It was so bright, I swear you read a book.

We were cold and had enough fun for the night with a total of 7 bass and headed back to the dock at 6:45 p.m. Never saw and fish taken by anyone on the jetty, other than tog and all our fish were hooked within 10 feet of the rocks.

The dredge was still working and looks like they will be working 24-7. Bad news was when we got back to the dock it was dead high tide. With the dredging the water was brown and filthy. If it keeps up it looks like fishing the back bay is going to be a problem as the water will never clean up. Also on the outgoing tide the water outside the inlet is going to be super ugly.

[CapeMayRay]

It was such a beautiful day with no wind, I called Peter to go fishing. With the tide going out we decided to try the back bay as I hadn't tried it for a while. Water looked pretty clean and the two points we tried looked perfect but no signs of bait or life.

We next worked the inlet rocks for about a half hour. Saw some spearing there but could not get a bite. We decided to head north up the beach looking for birds or bunker etc. Went all the way up to Stone Harbor. Then went out a mile or two and worked our way back to the inlet. Only saw a few herring gulls here and there and a mess of sea ducks.

Came back to the inlet just as the tide was changing and found a good sized pod of peanut and mid sized bunker. Worked them hard up, down and in between depths and nothing and there were no signs of anything working them.

We Worked the rocks and I was able to get three bass 22 to 22 1/2 inched on a bunker fly with 300 sinking line.



Finally convinced Peter to use one of my bunker flies but it never happened for him. He had one fish on and lost it. Looked like the action was ready to pick up but we were going out to dinner and told the wives we would be in early.

[CapeMayRay]

Was working around the house today. It was cloudy and a light wind off the ocean. Looked like perfect striper weather. Peter and I decided to do a quick 2 1/2 hour trip. Got to the boat a little after 3:00 p.m. with a slight drizzle, but warm.

Tried to work the north, ocean side of the inlet jetty but there was a decent sea swell with the wind and waves pushing us toward the rocks. We fished it for about 1/2 hour, but with the tide and the wind it was more effort than it was worth.

Decided to work the Cape May beach front structure which was more sheltered and usually pretty good this time of year. Water along the beach was 47 degrees and no signs of bait. Water was pretty good looking considering they were pumping the beach area with dredged sand from the inlet. I had one hit and miss on my bunker fly.

Just before dark we moved to the ocean side of the south jetty, where Peter nailed two small bass on his favorite little yellow fly.

I had another hit and miss and ended the afternoon skunked. Conditions looked so good. Drizzle, clouds, darkness, but no bait and very few fish. Just one of those days. Just as a rode Peter yesterday about needing a bunker fly, he got me back today praising his yellow epoxy head fly. We had a good time, but he went home a little happier.

Usually get some decent size bass this time of year, but so far it has been all small stuff. Any day now! I hope.

[CapeMayRay]

Had a charter that couldn't make it Friday morning. Was going to go out in the afternoon with Andy or by myself as it was going to be sunny and calm. Got a call and had to up to Cinnaminson for a family emergency and take care of some stuff.

Was able to get back this morning to do my afternoon charter. Had a one person spin trip. Yesterday they said it was to be warm and calm. It was fairly warm but at noon when we left the dock the wind was honking 15 to 20 mph. and it never felt very warm.

Fished the back bay on the leeward sod banks to try and hide from the wind. Could hide from it anywhere. Found 50 degree water and we worked the last of the incoming tide with just one strike and a couple of followers. As soon as the tide started out we worked the same area at the mouths of small creeks and had action. Charter asked me to join in. He had 6 bass on a swimming plug and I had 3 on a bunker fly. All small to 22 inches.

We had about an hour left and with no let up in the wind so I anchored up and we put some clam baits on and got 3 more bass for client to 31 inches.


Sometimes you got to do what you got to do if you want striper for dinner. We stayed out a little longer than normal, but the pretty sunset and keeper bass made it feel a little less windy. Had a bouncy ride back in the dark. Bass had nothing in it's stomach where the two other small bass that we got on bait were thick and had bellies.

[CapeMayRay]

It was calm and no wind today but very foggy. Mid afternoon I decided to give it a shot. Called Andy from the club. He was busy so I went out myself. Looked like a perfect fishing day.

Worked the last of the incoming tide at the Inlet. Thought I might find bait and fish against the rocks. Water was fairly dirty on the north side and a zillion tog fishermen, so working the rocks on the north side was impossible. Picked one bass off the north side and two off the south jetty. Only had 4 hits and fish were 21 to 23 1/2 inches and there was only a little bait around. That was three fish in three hours of casting. One on a bunker fly, on on Peters yellow epoxy fly and one on a olive/white spearing and lost two flies to all the ropes that are starting to accumulate on the rocks from the tog fisherman that anchor up. In a couple weeks the jetties will look like Moby Dick with all the ropes.



Fog would get really thick at times and there was a fair amount of traffic going in and out with a dredge and pipes in the mix, but the seas were light and it was warm. Just wet from all the fog.

At the beginning of the out going I went into the back bay and saw a friend get two small bass on rubber jig head baits. Just as it was getting dark I moved to the back flats to fish a favorite creek on the out going. Got two more small bass up to 22 inches, on medium bunker fly, but with the darkness and fog I could hardly see the bank I was fishing and called it a night. With just GPS and no radar had to take it easy getting back cause it was thick.

[CapeMayRay]

Got out with Andy from the club this morning. I bit chilly and a good breeze from the northwest. With the start of the out going tide we decided to work the back bay flats. Water was 47 and fairly dirty, but not too bad.

We both start with bunker flies and intermediate line. After a half hour I had one swirl without a hit. Came to a creek mouth and Andy changed to a clouser and on the first cast got a small bass maybe 23 inches. Fought nice and Andy was lucky he didn't snap his rod. As he was getting read to land it, it took off.





He got it in and we thought it was the start of a great morning. We fished another good little creek mouth and nothing. Whole time from the start we saw zero baitfish.

Moved to another point with a nice rip but in wind. Anchored up and worked it good. I had one hit and a miss.

Decided to work the inlet rocks or beach front with the westerly wind but found the water brown with about 6 inches visability. Probably left over from the storm, plus the dredge was pumping up on the beach with a watery mix going into the ocean. Met up with Ken Kelly from the club and he said he had no luck in the nasty water, so we called it an early morning.

[CapeMayRay]

It was a tough week. I didn't have many charters last week the ones I had scheduled were on the nast gale wind days and then we had the holiday.

Did get out on a personal trip today. It was a very slow day. Weather and tide were great. Started on the outgoing and found 2 small bass 18 and 21 inches on chart/white deceiver feeding where surface water was draining off a sod bank. Worked three nice looking current lines at the mouths of creeks and had one fish swirl. Tried two other points in the back and nothing.

With the water really pushing and getting very brown I set up to bait fish with clams and bellies. Set up close to a friend so we could talk while fishing. He had two small fish to about 21 inches and I had only one bite without a hook up. First time I have ever bait fished for bass with out catching. Water was cold, brown with a lot of weed but a beautiful warm day.

Heading out tomorrow with a friend in his 21 foot Sea Craft to see if we can find some fish off the beach front.

[CapeMayRay]

Went to the forbidden zone with a couple of friends looking for some bluefish action on the fly rod. Fished the 5 fathom bank area hoping to find bird activity, but it was just too nice a day. We released one 26 bass and caught a few nice blues with a two bite offs. Overall fishing was slow.



Bucktails and jigs worked, but with the fly rod and heavy sinking line I got zero. We were fishing 40 feet plus water and all the action we had was right down on the bottom. Only saw a few birds here and there. I think it was just too nice a day and it was even warm on the water. Way too nice for this time of year.

[CapeMayRay]

Two beautiful days and I was up at my dad's house doing some work. Got back this afternoon and it was sunny, warm and no wind. Gave Andy a call to see if he wanted to try for a couple of hours, but he had a dinner meeting and couldn't go.

Left the dock a little after 4:00 p.m. with the tide out a couple of hours. Decided to try outside the inlet and see if any fish had move down. Everyone was heading in as I was going out. Water was very brown from the dredge working in the inlet but near the rocks at the end of the north jetty the water was decent with no sea swell or wind.


Fourth cast with bunker fly on sinking line I nailed a 26 inch bass. Five casts later I got a 25 1/2 incher. About 25 casts later I had a fish swirl after my fly close to the boat and that was it.



Perfect conditions. I worked the rocks into the beach and back twice without a hit or any signs of fish. Worked the other jetty without any luck. After dark it was getting foggy so I headed in and was home by 6:15. Just must of been at the right place at the right time.