<b>Brooklawn</b>

Catches of summer flounder somewhat picked up for boaters launching from the Reeds Beach area and Maurice River, said Rick from <b>Big Timber Bait & Tackle</b>. They fished at places including at the stakes, off the E.P. Tower and near Miah Maull. Good catches of flounder were scooped from the ocean at the Old Grounds and Reef 11.  Weakfish, fewer than before, bit in the bay surf at Cape May Point on bloodworms under a bobber or, at dusk or in early mornings, on popper lures. Along the coast, blues swam the inlets and schooled the ocean shoals. Farther out, yellowfin tuna fishing was on from Lindenkohl Canyon to farther south. Spencer Canyon produced a great bite. Blue marlin were hooked at Wilmington and Baltimore canyons during the weekend. Rick heard about two landed and several hooked that got off. Big Timber stocks bait and tackle for fishing on all waters from lakes to bays to offshore. 

<b>Port Elizabeth</b>

Fishing overall seemed somewhat to improve during the past couple of weeks, said Sharon from <b>The Girls Place Bait & Tackle</b>. The bay’s bigger summer flounder seemed to hold in deeper waters like 30 or 40 feet or more. One angler talked about catching the fluke inshore of 14-Foot Light. Flounder fishing was very good on the ocean at the Old Grounds and Reef 11, when the weather allowed boaters to sail there. A customer’s trip clocked 12 large flounder on the ocean. Days were sometimes beautiful on land, but windy for boating. Weakfish and kingfish were picked from the bay. Drop-offs 5 miles off the turn buoys off Maurice River were a place to find them. Nothing was heard about croakers yet this season, except about 3-inch croakers in streams like Dividing Creek. A few spot fish were showing up. Crabbing was good. All the baits are stocked, including fresh bunker, shedder crabs, bloodworms, minnows and a large selection of frozen baits.  The Girls Place is located on Route 47, just after Route 55 ends. It’s the long, one-story, yellow building on the right, with a large parking lot, including plenty of room for trailered boats.

<b>Newport</b>

At <b>Beaver Dam Boat Rentals</b>, crabbing was good, Paul said. The season’s been good for catching the blueclaws, and that continued in past days. Inexperienced crabbers averaged a half-bushel, and experienced ones busheled out or came close. Plenty of healthy sized crabs were around, and one group of experienced crabbers kept only crabs 5 ½ inches or larger, filling three-quarters of a bushel basket with them, tossing back the smaller ones. Bunker and chicken seemed to work equally for crab bait today, and sometimes one will catch better than another. Some crabbers brought fishing rods on the rental boats lately, but crabbing was so good, they never really used them. So not a lot was heard about fishing, but one customer who docked at the shop for supplies reported landing two 15-inch summer flounder from the creek. He also saw a couple of schoolie striped bass in the waters. Customers at Beaver Dam crab from rental boats towed up Oranokin Creek, running past the shop. The staff checks on them every hour, and if crabbers want a break in the meantime, they simply cell phone the shop to be picked up. Crabbing this week became available daily at the shop, and was previously available on weekends. Beaver Dam carries all the supplies needed for a day or crabbing, from traps, nets and bait to snacks and drinks. Fishing bait and tackle is also on hand. Kayak and canoe rentals are available to paddle the scenic creek.  <a href="http://www.crabulousnj.com" target="_blank">Visit Beaver Dam’s Web site</a>.

<b>Fortescue</b>

A trip with eight anglers reeled in seven keeper summer flounder to 4 ¾ pounds and maybe 18 throwbacks Wednesday on the party boat <b>Salt Talk</b>, Capt.  Howard said. A few flounder were bagged on trips, and the bay was 83 degrees on Friday. After rains and winds on Saturday night, the waters were 79 or 80 degrees Sunday. Trips fished for flounder from the stakes closer to shore to farther out along the edge of the shipping channel between the Old House and Miah Maull. When tides were running, trips fished shallower. When tides slowed, the boat was moved to the deeper waters. A few bluefish sometimes popped up in catches. Open-boat trips are fishing for summer flounder daily when no charter is booked. Call to confirm.

A few summer flounder were plucked on the <b>Buccaneer</b>, but the fishing was slow, Capt. Ralph said. Sometimes blues grabbed the flounder baits. The boat fished near the Old House and all around the bay. Ralph heard about weakfish caught in shallow waters on shedder crabs. One weakfish is the bag limit, but some of the trout seemed around. Nothing was heard about croakers in the bay so far this season. Ralph talked with boaters who fished all over the bay, including at the Anchorage on the Delaware side, where croakers often show up first in a season. When croakers show up, trips aboard will get after them. Charters on the Buccaneer are only $400, compared with $500 or $600 on other vessels.

<b>Cape May</b>

Summer flounder were angled from near 14-Foot Light, Miah Maull and Brandywine, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. Reports began to roll in about kingfish and croakers at Bayshore Channel. Weakfish were also hooked there and from the nearby surf, like along the bay’s jetties in Cape May. In other waters, good catches of flounder were shoveled up from the back bay and, on the ocean, the Old Grounds and Reef 11.

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