Been going through my past fishing logs and I could use some insight if anyone can spare any.

As with all data collection, the only way to know for sure about whatever you're after is just to go out and put the time in regardless of fishing reports saying whether or not the action is nonexistent to red hot.

I do not own a boat and I am bound to the sands. The biggest issue I have had in this data collection are the months of July-August. Reading past reports, fish are said to have moved to 50 feet of water due to the water temperature rising. I can understand that.

However, Bluefish run all over, crabs are all over (including the supposed spawning period of Digger Crabs), and other fish easily swallowed by stripers are around the beach.

I want to break the impression I have that July and August are very slow months (pertaining to stripers) and are only decent for boats, but has anyone found otherwise?

Has anyone found a trend where at a certain water temperature the fish just move out and don't come back in or are very inactive? Regardless of what species you are, you gotta eat!

There was an article in SCJ this month discussing just that.

I'm not a subscriber unfortunately

I feel like this year its a total toss up when it comes to shore fishing.for me anyway on the cape: No big blue fish bite in may just little smokers, no big mack bite in june in the ditch, literally no bite in b harbor all spring. All my action was on the south side of the cape early in the spring and then poof nothing last few months down there just resident rats because of the water temp spiking during the heat wave. In short we need a boat LOL. Its been funky I think also I've been just ziggin when they're zaggin

Night time is the right time from shore this time of year. First cold snap after the first week in August usually starts to kick things into gear closer to land.

Night time is the right time from shore this time of year. First cold snap after the first week in August usually starts to kick things into gear closer to land.

agree with the August comment, but i tend to think a NM at the end of the month or a front, or the combination of the two really trigger things.

My deep water aka cooler water spots, when I've been able to get to them, have been better than I can ever remember. Nothing big, but I've caught fish well into the day on plugs under the right conditions/ tides for the last month. Lots of bait, hope it stays....

My buzzards bay report for July and August's OTW deals with the very same ideas. I think you hit the nail on the head zeal, when you said it's best to put the time in. I find July and August to be quite productive from shore, but it's all a night game, and checking logs to fish optimal tidal stages is paramount. Just keep at it man.
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You know last night. I fished a pretty popular cape spot. Totally misjudged the tide stage went down with a half a dozen lively eels found the tide to be slack and decided to stick it out and fish the incoming. Although I would have guessed there would be no bite during this stage of tide. I was pleasantly surprised. Sometimes it takes an accident in a spot you thought you knew to teach you something. #^&#^&#^&#^& luck and I ran out of eels
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With the whacky weather we've had this year, with waters being much warmer than expected for the given time of year, and the natural habit of fish to act and react to those weather events, it's no wonder the fishing has been so unpredictable and unproductive from shore.

If you have a boat and the time to spend on the water, you will be in a better position to find the fish.

I've pretty much given up on fishing this year due to the lack of sufficient time to go where I want, when I want and the weather conditions, overall water temps and general disgrace with the fishing in this state (as a whole) have helped make that decision a hell of a lot easier.



only kidding.....:biglaugh:

I couldn't go as much as I wanted because of committments at work and at home. I have noticed that freshwater locations are way too warm for any real active fishing. Fish just don't want to exert themselves when the water is like bathtub warm.

I wouldn't mind a nice cold spell, enough to cool things down.
You know it's been too warm when after a decent rain like we had last week I spent about an hour just to collect a dozen nightcrawlers when I could usualy get 4-5 dozen in that same time, picking and choosing in the process.

With the way this year has been progressing, I only hope we have a cold enough winter for safe ice fishing!