<b>Newport</b>

Crabbing seemed to slow down because of cool weather, said Paul from <b>Beaver Dam Boat Rentals</b>.  The moon was also full during the weekend, and that can affect the blueclaws. The rental boats will be available for crabbing on weekends starting May 19 and daily starting in late June. But previously this season crabbers already caught the blueclaws from roads and shore, earlier than usual, because of the warm winter. Striped bass were reported banked from the beach of the bay at Fortescue. White perch were plucked from Maurice River all the way upstream to Millville. One angler totaled 45 big ones. The shop is already open daily for supplies for crabbing and fishing. The crew plans to increase the supply of fishing baits this year, and big minnows are already on hand for summer flounder fishing. The shop’s been busy with turkey check-ins.

<b>Fortescue</b>

The season’s first drum trips are set for Wednesday, Friday and Sunday on the <b>Buccaneer</b>, Capt. Ralph said. A few small drum began to be decked from the Delaware side of the bay. A trip aboard Saturday fished for striped bass on the bay, but striper fishing seemed to shut down for everyone that day. Maybe the full moon affected the fish. Ralph heard nothing about summer flounder since the season for them opened Saturday. Charters on the Buccaneer are only $400, compared with $500 or $600 on other vessels.

A trip with a small crowd scoped out summer flounder fishing on the bay on the party boat <b>Salt Talk</b> on Sunday, Capt. Howard said. But catches were slow, and the time of year was early, and waters were cool. Flounder season opened on Saturday. The trip fished at the stakes and at the rip off False Egg Island Point, and most of the fish, not many, were hooked toward Miah Maull. But Howard was glad to see a few flounder, more than he expected, from the bay, and the population should build. A few drum were reported caught off Delaware’s Slaughter Beach on the bay during the weekend. The Salt Talk will probably start fishing for drum next week. Trips will keep flounder fishing aboard, too. Open-boat trips sail daily when no charter is booked, but open trips might only sail on weekends at first during the season, because of demand. Call to confirm.

<b>Cape May</b>

The season’s first drum trip fished aboard the bay Saturday on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>, and three drum 30 or 40 pounds were heaved in, Capt. George said. Another might’ve been lost, and the charter – Mary Brown’s trip with Lori, Melanie, Becky, Christy and Ted  – fished on the Delaware side of the bay, leaving the dock at 12 noon. The fish bit around 4 p.m., and most boats seemed to total 2 to 5 drum. One came up with 7, and two large drum showed up on one vessel. So the fishing was a start, George said, and the drum were heard booming all around, were noisy. George heard nothing about summer flounder on this opening weekend of the fluke season.

Drum were pulled in from the bay on Saturday morning with <b>Legal Limit Charters</b>, Capt. T.J. said. The fish, landed on the Jersey side, weighed 15 or 20 pounds. “First-run fish,” T.J. said. Smaller drum often bite at first during the season. T.J. heard about drum boxed Saturday night on other boats, but didn’t know whether the fish came from the Jersey or Delaware side.

A couple of trips drum fished aboard the bay in the past week on the <b>Down Deep</b>, and the fishing turned on pretty well, Capt. Bob said. The Kapitza charter tugged in six drum, and the Shannon charter wrenched in “some nice drum to 40 or 50 pounds,” Bob said. Another trip aboard was out for drum Sunday evening with Capt. Greg at the helm, when Bob gave this report over the phone from land. Bob heard nothing about summer flounder on this opening weekend of the season for them. A charter on the boat was supposed to flounder fish during the weekend but decided to drum fish instead. An opening is available for a drum charter this Saturday because of a cancellation when the charter had to go overseas.

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