Fishing reports
Last week's wind scrubbed the sod banks in the back bay resulting in water clarity on a par with green pea soup. I fished the inlet Saturday on the outgoing tide without a strike. Fishing was so poor that I made no attempt to fish the next day. What a mistake, the water clarity improved and another Captain fishing the same location on the same tide caught sixteen stripers on a fly. The fish are in the area.
Week of October 9, 2011
Water clarity is much improved and water temperatures are in the mid sixties. Saturday's charter resulted a dozen bluefish caught on light tackle and one striped bass in the 20"-22" class. Fish were taken on the top of the incoming tide. I fished by myself on Sunday afternoon for an hour before high tide and landed five striped bass. All fish were taken off the end of the jetties at Cape May Inlet. There was lots of bird activity off the end of the inlet as bluefish continue to feed on baitfish. Overall conditions are much improved and I look forward to improved fishing in the weeks ahead.
Week of September 11, 2011
Weather continues to be an issue for the last several weeks. Hurricanes, rain and a back bay algae bloom have resulted in discolored water and poor fishing. Very little bird activity and small 6"-8" bluefish are the only activity. I would expect the conditions to remain the same for the next week. Looking forward to improved conditions by months end.
Weeks of August 7 and 14, 2011
The weather has been the issue the last two weeks, several trips had to be cancelled due to thunderstorms. When we were able to get out the fishing was good. Bluefish continue to be taken in good numbers on flies, metal lures and swimming plugs. Baitfish continue to be thick around the jetties.
Weeks of July 24 and 31, 2011
Bluefish continue to be abundant outside the Cape May Inlet with daily limits of 15 fish per angler a common occurance. Striped bass are also present in good numbers. Keeper size striped bass are mixed in with the bluefish. Flounder are being taken on Berkley jerk baits fish slowly on the bottom. Schools of bunker have been sighted around the jetties. Bluefish have been pushing bait up against the jetties with the resulting feeding frenzies. Both bluefish and stripers are being taken on light tackle and fly gear. Novice and experienced anglers are both doing very well.
Weeks of July 10 and 17, 2011
Bluefish have been abundant outside of Cape May Inlet. Fish continue to be in the 16-18" class and are real sport for the ultra-light tackle and 7wt fly rods. Stripers continue to be taken along the jetties on bucktails tipped with plastic worms. Water temperatures are in the high sixties and the fish are holding in the deeper water. High tides have been during the mid day and back bay action has slowed due to the higher water temperatures. Flounder and Stripers are still being taken on Berkley Gulp baits worked slowly on the bottom.
Week of July 3. 2011
Monday's charter was an experienced fly fisherman. We landed six bluefish off the north jetty, but the fish were small (16-18' class). We moved to the backcountry, but there were no stripers to be found. Water temperature was in the high sixties, water clarity was fair. We worked all sides of Jarvis Sound and did not move a fish.
Friday's charter was cancelled due to pending thunderstorms.
Week of June 26, 2011
The back bay water temperature is starting to rise into the low seventies. Monday's charter was challenging until we were able to find cooler waters. Total fish count was two stripers, three weakfish and two flounders (both shorts). Stripers were taken on top water plugs with the rest of fish taken on Berkley Gulp Jerk Shads. Water clarity was superb, baits could be seen 3-4 feet below the surface.
Saturday's trip limited out on Bluefish (15 fish) off the tip of the north jetty. Fish were taken on metal lures and light tackle. Weakfish , flounder and croakers were taken on Berkley Gulp Jerk Shads along the oceanfront. Fishing for back coutry stripers was slow with no fish taken.
Week of June 19, 2011
This weeks charters continued to enjoy good top water action. Stripers have been taken surface plugs in the back country on light tackle. Bluefish have been on the move in backcountry, ambushing bait one minute and disappearing the next. It is a "hit or miss" situation with the bluefish. Flounder (shorts) have been active along the ocean fronts. Sunday's charter landed one striper and one bluefish, Monday's charter missed a few fish but landed two stripers and two flounder. Water temperatures are on the rise causing the fish to seek cooler water in the deeper water depths.
Week of June 5, 2011
Lots of baitfish in the back country, the bluefish an d stripers are pushing the bait up against the sod banks. Stripers and bluefish in the 18"-22" class are being taken on both swimming and jerk baits as well as top water plugs. Thursday evening charter landed five stripers and two bluefish.
Week of May 29, 2011
Stripers continue to be taken in good numbers during the incoming tides along the jetties and the outgoing tides in the back country. Sunday's charters had stripers taken on swim baits and plugs along jetties and surface plugs in the back country.
Baitfish are present in increasing numbers leading to an increase number of stripers and bluefish in the back country.
Flounder fishing has been fair, not seeing a lot of "keeper" fish being caught.
Week of May 22, 2011
Thursday's charters was a light tackle charter, with the wind out of the south at 10-15 knots we were limited to fishing the inside of the Cape May inlet. Stripers in the 20-24 inch class were being taken on swimming plugs (black and purple colors) fished next to the jetty. We hooked up on five stripers and landed four during the first hour and half of a four hour charter. The wind picked up and we moved to the back bay. A gainst a strong wind we landed one 18''-20" bluefish at the outflow of a one of the small creeks. Not much signs of bait fish in the area, stripers have been feeding on small crabs and mantis shrimp. Looking forward to improved fishing with water temperatures in the mid sixties, we just need the winds to lie down.
Week of May 8, 2011
Striped bass continue to be taken along the jetties and the oceanfront, most are shorts with a few keeper size bass taken. Saturday and Sunday's trip had 3-4 hook-ups each but equipment failures (broken leaders and open gap hooks) prevented the larger fish from being landed. Atlantic Herring have moved in the areas along the jetties, but bluefish are sparse.
Saturday was the opening day for flounder, most reports indicate a number of short fish being caught.
Week of May 1, 2011
The weather finally made it possible to get out on the water on Saturday. The water clarity was poor, water temperatures were in the mid- fifties and the wind was tolerable. Fished the top of the tide and the outgoing flow without a hit.
Sunday's conditions improved with better water clarity and lower wind speeds. Taug season closed on Sunday and the crowds were gone from the anchorage around the jetties. Stripers, both keeper and schoolie size, were being taken along the jetties and oceanfront and the afternoon incoming tide. Capt. Ray Szulczewski, fishing by himself, landed 11 stripers on a chartreuse and white clouser.
This is a good sign this early in the season. Lets hope the weather cooperates and gives us a chance to enjoy the fishery.
