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Delaware Bay Fishing Report 5-29-12


<b>Port Elizabeth</b>

Not a lot happened on the bay, but summer flounder fishing showed potential, said Sharon from <b>The Girls Place Bait & Tackle</b>. Anglers sometimes said flounder fishing began to improve at the 19 buoy. Sharon thinks the fishing is about to become better. Otherwise many flounder hooked were throwbacks. But some anglers began to land better catches of keepers. Drum fishing seemed slow, at least on the Jersey side of the bay, and demand for clams for the fishing slowed. The fishing was better on the Delaware side, Sharon guessed. A few drum were boated on the Jersey side at Tussy’s Slough, the Pin Top and inshore of 14-Foot Lighthouse. Lots of skates and sharks bit. Sharon was fishing the back bay at Strathmere when she gave this report today on the phone. A keeper flounder, a couple of throwbacks and a keeper weakfish were reeled in so far. Winds against the tide hampered the drift at the moment. All baits are fully stocked, including fresh clams for drum fishing, and a large variety of flounder baits. Anglers should call ahead to ensure a supply of baits like a bushel of fresh clams for drum fishing. 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 this weekend was “just short of phenomenal,” Paul from <b>Beaver Dam Boat Rentals</b> said. The numbers of the blueclaws, and the sizes, were the best he ever saw in the early season. Large crabs had been abundant at first this season, because of the warm winter. Two weekends ago, large ones were scarce, after the weather had turned cooler. But better-sized crabs were back this weekend. Lots of 6-inchers were trapped, and a couple of 7-1/2-inchers were already seen this season. But crabs this weekend were a good mix of sizes. Experienced crabbers nabbed a bushel, and less experienced grabbed three-quarters. One first-time crabber plucked four dozen keepers. Fish jumped in the creek, but wouldn’t bite. They turned out to be gizzard shad. Small croakers 3 to 4 inches swam around. Crabbers at Beaver Dam are towed up Oranokin Creek, running past the shop, on rental boats. The staff checks on them every hour. If crabbers want a break in the meantime, they simply cell phone the shop to be picked up. Crabbing is available at Beaver Dam on weekends and will be available daily starting Monday, June 25. But the shop is already open for crabbing and fishing bait and tackle and more. <a href="http://www.crabulousnj.com" target="_blank">Visit Beaver Dam’s Web site</a>.

<b>Fortescue</b>

Sometimes drum fishing caught, and sometimes it didn’t, said Capt. Ralph from the <b>Buccaneer</b>. Two drum were bagged on a trip aboard the other night. None was pumped in during a trip aboard Sunday night. Another trip was headed out for them Monday. So, a few drum were biting. Ralph is a pioneer of drum fishing, running charters for them since the 1960s, before the rest of the fleet. Charters on the Buccaneer are only $400, compared with $500 or $600 on other vessels.

A couple of trips fished for summer flounder on the party boat <b>Salt Talk</b>, Capt. Howard said. One ran on Monday, and another did on Sunday, and the flounder catches were slow. Maybe the fish were yet to migrate into the bay in numbers. But they could at any moment this time of year. Bluefish were hooked on one of the trips “to the north,” Howard said. Monday’s trip for flounder fished the offshore edge of the stakes and between there and the rips, at Miah Maull, and along the shipping channel, then “came back in,” Howard said, to finish the angling. Some of the flounder were very small, the size of a hand. One was a 21-inch keeper on the trip. A few drum seemed to be hooked off Delaware’s Slaughter Beach. Howard knew about one party boat trip that fished at Tussy’s Slough on the Jersey side, managing a drum or two. Open-boat trips are fishing for summer flounder daily when no charter is booked. But open trips might only fish on weekends this time of year. Call to confirm.

<b>Cape May</b>

Trips sailed for drum on the bay and sea bass on the ocean on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>, Capt. George said. A trip with George Parker’s group so far had boated one 50-pound drum, when George gave this report Sunday evening over the phone on the outing. Big cownosed rays were fought. Harry Moore and Brian Allen’s trip Saturday evening cracked three drum to 50 pounds. Tom Ebecke from Newfield’s Accresce Nursery’s trip loaded up on sea bass Friday. Sea bass bagged were mostly 13 to 15 inches but weighed up to 4 pounds. Lori and Bill Rossiter’s 4-hour trip Saturday morning sailed for sea bass close to shore, because of limited time. They bagged probably a dozen sizeable ones, releasing lots of small sea bass. Deep waters farther from shore put up the best sea bassing. Good tuna fishing was happening. A friend’s trip smoked 14 yellowfin tuna 40 to 50 pounds.

Delaware Bay’s drum fishing was slow toward the end of the week, but one or two managed to be boxed per trip, said Capt. Bob from the <b>Down Deep</b>. Trips aboard fished for them on the Delaware side of the bay, and Bob was aware about no substantial drum catches on the New Jersey side. Large cownosed rays bit on drum trips. Most of the drum were small, but Jack McQuinn’s 75-pounder was a highlight aboard. Bill DeMoore’s charter last week on Monday hauled in “some nice drum,” Bob said. Randy Rosch’s trip eased aboard a few. Sea bass fishing on the ocean was outstanding, some of the best in years. Trips for them are available. Nothing was heard about summer flounder. In offshore waters, lots of yellowfin tuna were trolled at Baltimore Canyon. Someone from the dock ran a trip that axed 10 or 11 on Saturday. Nothing was heard about sharks. 

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