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Delaware Bay Fishing Report 7-10-12


<b>Brooklawn</b>

Deep waters along the edge of the shipping channel churned out a few summer flounder, said Rick from <b>Big Timber Bait & Tackle</b>. Places like near the 19 buoy, Miah Maull and the 9 and 10 buoys gave them up. Nothing was heard about croakers or weakfish from the bay. Small blues schooled the Cape May Rips and inshore of the ocean lumps. On the ocean, flounder fishing was very good at Reef 11 and the Old Grounds. Large flounder and limits were pounded on big baits including 7-inch Gulps or long strips of flounder belly, sea robin, shark or squid. On Delaware River, fishing for small striped bass was good around National Park on top-water lures in mornings and at dusk or on small metal lures like a Hopkins at the island at National Park on the down-current side. Plenty of catfish and carp swam the river. White perch fishing was strong on the river. Back on the ocean, tuna, mostly yellowfins, sometimes bluefins, were clocked around 30 fathoms at places like the Hot Dog. Farther from shore, yellowfin tuna were decked at Wilmington and Spencer canyons. A few white marlin and occasional blue marlin were  landed there. Mahi mahi were taken at places like weed  lines when trips sailed back to shore. Big Timber stocks bait and tackle for fishing on all waters from fresh to offshore.

<b>Port Elizabeth</b>

Summer flounder fishing was probably the best bet on the bay, said Michelle from <b>The Girls Place Bait & Tackle</b>. Nothing specific was heard about the bay’s flounder catches. Nobody mentioned weakfish or croakers, except one customer asked whether croakers were caught. Anglers who knew where to look for resident striped bass, younger stripers that were yet to migrate, could probably catch them. Lots of customers geared up for crabbing during the weekend. A large supply of baits, including minnows and shedder crabs, is stocked. 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>

Crabbing was going well at <b>Beaver Dam  Boat Rentals</b>, Linda said. Plenty of the blueclaws were trapped, and the sizes were excellent. Keepers probably averaged 5 or 5 ½ inches, and a 7-1/2-incher was the largest at the shop so far this season. Crabs shed around the full moon last Tuesday. But the shed was finished by the weekend. Crabs shed to grow on full and new moons, and stop eating then, so crabbing can slow down. But not all crabs shed at once, and not every moon triggers a shed. Most crabs were males currently in Oranokin Creek, where customers crab. Females will become abundant soon in the creek, when they move in from the bay to mate. The shop’s crew likes to see males kept more than females, so females can lay eggs, growing the population. Not much was heard about fishing on the creek, and customers concentrated on the good crabbing. But white perch were seen in the creek. Customers crab on rental boats towed up the 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. Beaver Dam carries everything needed for a day of crabbing, from bait, traps and nets to suntan lotion, bug spray, snacks and drinks. Kayak and canoe rentals are available to paddle up the scenic creek. Crabs for eating are for sale. <a href="http://www.crabulousnj.com" target="_blank">Visit Beaver Dam’s Web site</a>.

<b>Fortescue</b>

A few summer flounder and bluefish swam the bay, said Capt. Ralph from the <b>Buccaneer</b>. Nothing was heard about other fish like weakfish or croakers. But Ralph had heard about weakfish caught in shallows on shedder crabs some weeks ago. Few fished for them in the one-weakfish bag limit. If croakers show up, trips on the Buccaneer will get after them. Charters on the Buccaneer are only $400, compared with $500 or $600 on other vessels.

A couple of trips fished Wednesday and Saturday on the party boat <b>Salt Talk</b>, scooping up a few summer flounder, not many, and a few blues, Capt. Howard said. The trips fished at the Elbow, the Old House and the stakes, and the catches were scattered around all those areas. No place gave up better fishing than another. Not many fish were caught, so determining whether one spot fished better was difficult. The bay was 85 degrees on Saturday’s trip. Boaters landed weakfish close to shore on shedder crabs, weeding through lots of sharks. Not a lot of anglers targeted the trout, because of the one-weakfish bag limit. On one charter boat, trips kept six weaks for the six anglers, catching and releasing more. A few croakers were reported boated on the Delaware side of the southern bay at bottom structure. Open-boat trips are fishing daily on the Salt Talk when no charter is booked and enough anglers want to go. Call to confirm.

<b>Cape May</b>

The bay’s summer flounder fishing seemed hit or miss, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. Someone would report a catch from a place like Brandywine Shoal one day then not so much another. Weakfish swam the bay’s shallow flats. A couple of anglers beached spots from the surf. Croakers schooled Bayshore Channel off Cape May Point. Small blues this time of year school off the point and along the ocean shoals. Flounder fishing was very good on the ocean at places like Reef 11 and the Old Grounds. Flounder seemed to be migrating to the deeper, cooler waters of Delaware Bay and the ocean from the back bays. Still, a couple of good catches of flounder were reported from the Intracoastal Waterway and Cape May Harbor.

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