New Jersey · Jersey Shore
STRIPED BASS FISHING
IN CAPE MAY
Cape May is an outstanding destination for striped bass fishing, with peak season in April, May, October and good catches in September. Book a charter and target striped bass with local experts.
About Striped Bass Fishing in Cape May
The iconic striper is the most sought-after gamefish on the Atlantic coast. These powerful, line-ripping fish migrate from the Chesapeake Bay to New England each spring and fall, creating legendary fishing opportunities from Virginia to Massachusetts.
Striped Bass — called "stripers" or "rockfish" in the Chesapeake — are the most iconic gamefish of the Atlantic coast. Their silver body with bold black horizontal stripes, powerful build, and aggressive feeding make them a favorite from Virginia to Massachusetts. The spring and fall migrations create legendary fishing runs as massive schools move along the coast. Stripers are found in both salt and fresh water, and the Chesapeake Bay serves as the primary nursery for the Atlantic population. They are excellent eating, with firm, white, mildly flavored flesh.
Scientific name: Morone saxatilis
Striped Bass Seasonal Calendar — Cape May
Month-by-month availability for striped bass in Cape May, NJ.
How to Catch Striped Bass in Cape May
Techniques & Bait
Live bait (bunker/menhaden, eels, mackerel) fished on a fishfinder rig or chunk rig near structure, rip currents, and drop-offs is the most consistent technique. Trolling umbrella rigs and tube-and-worm behind planer boards covers water during migrations. Casting topwater plugs (Pencil Poppers, Atom Poppers) into blitzing schools on the surface at dawn/dusk is the most exciting striper fishing. Fly fishing with Deceiver, Clouser, and Grocery Fly patterns during the fall run is world-class. Live eels drifted at night around rocky structure is the go-to for trophy fish.
Recommended Tackle
Medium to medium-heavy spinning rod (7-9 ft), 4000-6000 reel, 20-40 lb braid, 30-40 lb fluorocarbon leader. For surf casting: 10-11 ft surf rod, 6000+ reel, 50 lb braid. Fly: 9-10 weight rod with intermediate line.
Best Inshore Fishing Spots in Cape May
Top spots where local captains target striped bass and other inshore species.
Cape May Harbor Back Bays
The back bays behind Cape May Harbor are a maze of tidal channels, marsh islands, and grass flats that hold striped bass, weakfish, and flounder throughout the season. These sheltered waters warm quickly in spring, drawing the first waves of migrating gamefish into the estuary. Drifting bucktails and live bait along the channel edges on outgoing tides produces consistent catches from May through November.
Cape May Canal
The Cape May Canal connects Delaware Bay to the Atlantic Ocean, funneling powerful tidal currents through a narrow man-made waterway that concentrates baitfish and predators. Striped bass, bluefish, weakfish, and flounder stack up along the canal's bulkheads and bridge pilings during tidal changes. Night fishing under the canal's bridge lights is a local tradition that produces trophy-sized striped bass during the fall run.
Jarvis Sound
Jarvis Sound lies between the Wildwood barrier islands and the mainland, providing a vast expanse of shallow inshore water laced with tidal creeks and marsh edges. Flounder, weakfish, and striped bass feed across the sound's grass beds and along oyster-studded shorelines from spring through fall. The sound's protected waters offer excellent light-tackle fishing on days when ocean conditions are too rough for open-water trips.
Delaware Bay Flats (Cape May Side)
The Delaware Bay flats along the Cape May shoreline feature shallow sand and grass bottom that attracts massive schools of weakfish, striped bass, and flounder during seasonal migrations. The annual horseshoe crab spawn in May and June draws enormous concentrations of baitfish, triggering a feeding frenzy among predators along the bay beaches. Wading anglers cast to cruising stripers along the bay shore during some of the East Coast's best spring fishing.
Other Species in Cape May
More fish you can target while visiting Cape May.
Striped Bass Fishing in Cape May — FAQ
The peak months for Striped Bass fishing in Cape May are April, May, October, November. During these months, Striped Bass are most active and abundant in the Cape May area.
Striped Bass fishing charters in Cape May are typically inshore trips. Prices vary by trip duration and group size. Most charters include all gear, bait, licenses, and fish cleaning.
Live bait (bunker/menhaden, eels, mackerel) fished on a fishfinder rig or chunk rig near structure, rip currents, and drop-offs is the most consistent technique. Trolling umbrella rigs and tube-and-worm behind planer boards covers water during migrations. Casting topwater plugs (Pencil Poppers, Atom Poppers) into blitzing schools on the surface at dawn/dusk is the most exciting striper fishing. Fly fishing with Deceiver, Clouser, and Grocery Fly patterns during the fall run is world-class. Live eels drifted at night around rocky structure is the go-to for trophy fish.
No — when you book a charter in Cape May, your captain provides all required New Jersey fishing licenses as part of the trip.
Striped Bass regulations in New Jersey include minimum size limits and bag limits that vary by season. Your captain will know the current regulations and ensure compliance.
While targeting Striped Bass in Cape May, you may also catch Tautog, Bluefish, Fluke, Black Sea Bass, False Albacore. Many charter trips target multiple species for the best action.
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