Stripers to 48 Inches Stacking the Delaware Bay as Drum Bite Builds

What's Biting

What's Next

With water temps at 56°F and light winds, conditions on the Delaware Bay (NJ side) look favorable for continued strong action through the middle of May. The waning crescent moon this week delivers moderate tidal swings rather than the extreme spring tides of a full or new moon — expect reliable current through channel edges and shoreline structure without the chaotic rips that can scatter fish. Big Dave's Tackle and Higbee's Bait and Tackle both consistently flag early morning and evening moving tides as the prime bite windows, and that pattern should hold through the week as the moon continues to wane.

The striper run should remain the headline act for several more days. Multiple Delaware Bay shops report fish from slot size all the way up through 46–48 inches, and with post-spawn bass still moving out of the Chesapeake and spreading up the coast per On The Water's May 8 migration update, fresh arrivals are likely to keep filtering in. Anglers have real flexibility in approach: bloodworms and fresh clam for bait casters, glide baits and soft plastics for lure anglers. Big Dave's specifically highlights bloodworm bag combos — Vamp Bites and live bloodworm tied in a spawn net — as a standout presentation alongside straight bait.

Black drum are emerging as a compelling secondary target and numbers appear to be growing. Both Hands Too Bait and Tackle and Big Dave's Tackle confirm drum are becoming a more common catch along the bayshore. As water temps continue climbing toward the upper 50s, the drum bite should intensify — fresh shucked surf clams on sandy bottom or near shell-bottom edges are the proven presentation. Plan morning sessions to align with incoming tide edges along the Delaware bayfront.

Summer flounder season opened May 4, and early signals from The Fisherman — Southern NJ are encouraging, with back bays described as loaded with flatfish. Fluke will become more consistent as water temps push into the low 60s. For now, focus on tidal channel mouths and inlet necks where current concentrates bait, using minnow-tipped rigs and slower presentations suited to the still-cool water.

Bluefish have been showing in back-bay creek systems per Pier 47 Marina reports from the Cape May–North Wildwood area, running to 36 inches and mixing in with stripers on soft plastics. If you're getting cut off while chasing bass, add a short wire leader or upgrade your shock tippet.

Logistics reminder: Spicers Creek Boat Ramp (Cape May County) remains closed through May 14 for new dock installation and parking improvements per NJ Fish & Wildlife News. Scout your alternate ramp before you trailer down.

Context

Mid-May on the Delaware Bay (NJ side) typically marks the peak of the spring striper migration. As post-spawn bass exit the Chesapeake and staging fish push northward along the bayshore, warming water and concentrations of forage create the season's best conditions — and 2026 is tracking right on that schedule, if not slightly above average in intensity.

What stands out about this spring is the breadth of exceptional reports. The Fisherman — NJ/DE Surf quotes veteran anglers calling it "one of the best spring bass runs in a long time," with fish stacking every shore from Sandy Hook to Cape May. OTW Surfcasting echoed that sentiment with its "Best April Ever" headline for New Jersey striper fishing, noting that a rebound effect after a particularly cold winter amplified the spring showing once conditions finally turned.

The 56°F water temp recorded at buoy 44009 on May 11 aligns well with typical mid-May Delaware Bay norms. In most years, bay temps climb from the low 50s in mid-April toward the upper 50s and low 60s by Memorial Day, driven by longer days and warming air masses. This year's progression appears normal to slightly conservative — consistent with the late-starting cold snap that suppressed some early-season activity before April's strong reversal.

Black drum staging along the NJ side of the Delaware Bay in May is a seasonal constant, but timing and concentration vary. The current pace of drum reports arriving from multiple southern NJ shops suggests the 2026 drum showing is building on a normal-to-early schedule. In seasons with a strong striper run, drum typically follow on similar forage cues, and this year's overlap of both species at once is consistent with that pattern.

No comparative data in the current angler intel feeds suggests this run will stall before the traditional Memorial Day transition, when attention shifts toward summer fluke and sea bass. The window is excellent right now, and most signals point to another week or more of prime bay fishing before the seasonal changeover begins.