<b>Brooklawn</b>

Boaters reported tugging in striped bass very close to shore, inshore of number 1 buoy and at the stakes, said Rick from <b>Big Timber Bait & Tackle</b>. A few stripers were boated at the 32 buoy farther up the bay. The bay’s stripers were mostly hooked on bunker heads. Surf fishing for stripers slowed a bit around Cape May, including at Poverty Beach, 2nd Avenue and the Cape May Canal or ferry jetties. Stripers, mostly throwbacks, bit in Delaware River. Lots of 22- to 25-inchers schooled downstream from Walt Whitman Bridge. Bloodworms and sandworms were popular baits. Drum fishing somewhat improved off Delaware’s Slaughter Beach. Not much was heard about drum on the Jersey side of the bay. Little was heard yet about summer flounder fishing on the bay. Good catches were heard about from the back bay at Absecon farther north. Sea bass season opened during the weekend, but seas were rough for boaters to sail the ocean for them. Big Timber carries bait and tackle for fishing on all waters from fresh to offshore.

<b>Port Elizabeth</b>

Drum fishing seemed all about the bay off Delaware’s Slaughter Beach, said Sharon from <b>The Girls Place Bait & Tackle</b>. Nothing was heard about catches from the Jersey side. But the weather was rough in northeast winds, canceling many trips. Many bait orders were cancelled. A larger striped bass population than before seemed around. Some were reported boated on the southern bay and in the ocean. Surf anglers talked about a bite around Wildwood. Bigger stripers than before seemed to be caught. Summer flounder seemed yet to migrate into the bay in numbers. But, again, weather affected fishing. Flounder seemed to swim the back bays along the coast. Kingfish appeared in the ocean surf. Sea bass season opened during the weekend. White perch were plucked from Maurice River. Fresh clams are stocked but became difficult to obtain, because the winds kept clam boats from sailing. Clam boats were back out today in calmer winds, but anglers should call to order the clams ahead of time. Fresh bunker is usually stocked, and minnows and all the frozen baits, including a large variety for flounder, are on hand. Shedder crabs are now at the shop. Located on Route 47, just after Route 55 ends, The Girls Place is the long, one-story, yellow building on the right, with a large parking lot, including plenty of room for trailered boats.

<b>Newport</b>

Crabbing became available on weekends at <b>Beaver Dam Boat Rentals</b> this weekend, and crabs were caught, Paul said. Inexperienced crabbers nabbed a half-bushel, and experienced ones grabbed a bushel, and catches were off to a good start. The crabs weren’t as big as Paul expected, because jumbos started to be surprisingly abundant earlier this season, when weather was warmer. But weather cooled, and most crabs were smaller during the weekend, but a few were jumbos, and a 7-1/2-incher was nailed. Though the new moon was this weekend, and moons can trigger the blueclaws to shed, none seemed to shed, and the season was early. Crabs did shed once already this season. Beaver Dam’s customers crab on rental boats towed up Oranokin Creek, running past the shop. The staff checks on them once an hour, and if crabbers want a break in the meantime, they simply cell phone the shop to be picked up. No customers fished the creek during the weekend. Paul heard about tiderunner weakfish that had been beached from the Fortescue surf previously. Then horseshoe crabs covered the shore, putting an end to the effort. Crabbing is available on weekends and will become available daily in late June at Beaver Dam. However, crabbing will also be available this Monday for Memorial Day. The shop is currently open daily for crabbing supplies, crabbing and fishing bait, and more. Bait includes large minnows for summer flounder fishing, and frozen bunker for crabbing. <a href="http://www.crabulousnj.com" target="_blank">Visit Beaver Dam’s Web site</a>.

<b>Fortescue</b>

Not a lot happened aboard, and weather was rough, and few anglers showed up at the docks, said Capt. Howard from the party boat <b>Salt Talk</b>. Ten anglers joined a trip for summer flounder on the boat Sunday, but weather remained rough, with strong winds, and the angling was very slow. The trip began fishing near the Old House, because another boat ran across bluefish there the previous day. No blues, no birds working the waters, showed up. The trip then drifted at Cross Ledge, then somewhat farther up the bay, then ended up at the stakes. A few drum were reported caught from the southern bay on the Delaware side. Howard tried fishing for drum on the Jersey at the 19 buoy once in the past week, but nothing was doing. Flounder fishing could become better any time, at this point in the season, and drum fishing could take off since the new moon has passed. Open-boat trips are fishing for summer flounder daily when no charter is booked. But the trips might only run on weekends this time of year, and call to confirm. Charters are available, including for drum.

<b>Cape May</b>

Was a good week of drum fishing on the bay on the <b>Down Deep</b>, Capt. Bob said. The fish seemed to be spawning, not biting, around Thursday night or Friday, but lots of drum swam the waters. The fish were marked, and were heard booming. The Swarner party “went in the daytime,” Bob said, aboard, and the trip clubbed only one 30-pound drum. But Mike Venditto’s charter heaved in quite a few drum to 50 pounds. Curt Roesnweig’s crew clocked four or five drum to 60 pounds. On the Barr charter, eighth-grader Leah Breden pumped in a 60-pound drum. Nothing was heard about summer flounder in the bay.

Drum in the bay would bite a couple of days, turn off a day or two, bite again, and so on, so the fishing was fair, said Capt. T.J. from <b>Legal Limit Charters</b>. That was on both the Jersey and Delaware sides of the bay. Charters are fishing, and see <a href=" http://www.legallimitcharters.com/open-boat.php" target="_blank">Legal Limit’s open-boat page</a> online.

On the <b>Heavy Hitter</b> Howard Bly’s charter cranked in a couple of drum Friday on the bay in nasty seas, Capt. George said. Bly also sailed for drum with his group Saturday on the boat. The charter’s drum weighed up to 70 pounds. Nothing was heard about summer flounder from the bay.

Surf fishing for striped bass was on, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. A bunch were banked last week, mostly on clams, all around Cape May, including at Poverty Beach, Cape May Point, 2nd Avenue, Higbee’s Beach and at the Cape May Canal or ferry jetties. Incoming tides seemed best at Poverty then. But some anglers did the job on outgoing at the Point at the time. A couple of reports said kingfish were bloodwormed from the surf. Weakfish showed up at the rocks at Higbee’s, getting hooked fairly steadily on bloodworms and nightcrawlers floated under bobbers. Most seemed to weigh up to 4 pounds, but a 10-pounder was heard about. They weren’t small. Drum fishing was good on Delaware Bay on the Delaware side. But one customer heaved in a 60-pounder on the Jersey side at 20-Foot Slough. The back bay was the place for summer flounder fishing. One of the crew from the shop bagged two keepers there in the morning. But flounder are usually found in Delaware Bay at places including Brown Shoal and Brandywine by now. Fresh clams and bunker are stocked when available. Bloodworms, minnows and all the frozen baits are carried.

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