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Delaware Bay Fishing Report 8-14-12


<b>Brooklawn</b>

A few summer flounder were  plucked around the 9 and 10 buoys on the southern bay, and a few remained in the northern bay toward Fortescue and north of the port, said Rick from <b>Big Timber Bait & Tackle</b>. Not all seemed to depart the upper bay. Little was heard about weakfish, except about the trout beached from the surf along the Cape May Point jetties in early mornings. Some were boated around the Cape May ferry buoys. Kingfish and spots nipped in the ocean surf at Cape May. Big sharks like duskies and browns swam the bay. In the ocean, tuna fishing was “sketchy,” Rick said. He usually tuna fishes once a week but cancelled because of too few of the fish reported caught. Good fishing for white marlin was on, but a long trip away. Big Timber carries bait and tackle for fishing on all waters from fresh to offshore.

<b>Port Elizabeth</b>

Most customers fished for weakfish and a variety of other catches schooling the bay, including blues, kingfish, small croakers, blowfish and spots, said Sharon from <b>The Girls Place Bait & Tackle</b>. The angling seemed good at places like the 1 buoy, the turn buoys off Maurice River, the E.P. Tower and the Punk Grounds. Lots of shedder crabs were sold for bait for weaks. When customers tried for summer flounder on the bay, they came up with an occasional keeper. Plenty of flounder seemed to remain in the ocean at places including Cape May Reef and Reef 11. The shop was selling an Aquaclear flounder rig very popular with the ocean anglers. It must’ve caught well. When fishing areas with rough bottom like that, rigs will be lost in snags. Many customers, the majority, bought bait and gear for crabbing. The blueclaw catches were good all year, and the end of the season like now is a great time for crabbing. The crabs have grown all season, so some of the largest, meatiest of the year will be around. Shedder crabs and the full supply of baits is stocked. The Girls Place, located on Route 47, just after Route 55 ends, stocks a large supply of baits and tackle. It’s the long, one-story, yellow building on the right, with plenty of parking, including for trailered boats.

<b>Newport</b>

At <b>Beaver Dam Boat Rentals</b> crabbing was good, Linda said. “It’s almost boring,” she said. Great catches were made, like the whole season. The size of the blueclaws was also good, and many were 5 ½ or 6 inches. A new moon was coming up, and crabbing should somewhat drop-off around the moon, because new and full moons usually trigger crabs to shed, and crabs won’t eat while shedding. But not all crabs shed on every moon, and not every moon triggers a shed. August traditionally launches the time of year many consider best for crabbing. They say crabs can be the largest of the year toward the end of the season, because crabs have shed and grown the whole time. But crabbing at Beaver Dam’s been good the entire season. One customer fished today, reeling in a bunch of white perch. Customers at Beaver Dam crab and fish 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. Call ahead to reserve boats, because rentals are busy. Also call in advance to reserve rental kayaks and canoes to paddle up the scenic creek. Kayak and canoe rentals are also busy. The staff loves to teach customers how to crab. Don’t hesitate to visit if you don’t know how to crab. Beaver Dam is also family-friendly, with all the necessities, like bathrooms. The staff is available to host groups like scouts for an educational day of fun. Beaver Dam stocks everything needed for a day of crabbing, from traps, bait and nets to suntan lotion, snacks and drinks. <a href="http://www.crabulousnj.com" target="_blank">Visit Beaver Dam’s Web site</a>.

<b>Fortescue</b>

On the <b>Buccaneer</b> weakfish, blues, kingfish, spots, small croakers, summer flounder and more, a variety of fish, lots, were hooked, Capt. Ralph said. Lots of fun, and fishing was good. It was great, he said. The boat fished just off the first drop-off and at the wreck-buoy slough. If anglers want to catch, now was the time to get on the bay.  Charters on the Buccaneer are only $400, compared with $500 or $600 on other vessels.

Weakfishing somewhat picked up, was pretty good, really, said Capt. Howard from the party boat <b>Salt Talk</b>. Trips, getting out Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday, caught weakfish, blues and a variety of fish including small croakers, spots and blowfish. Some of the weaks were 17 or 18 inches, sizeable. Undersized weaks also swam, but anglers could pick through them for better-sized ones. The croakers and spots were cut up for bait for weaks and blues and were also used for chum. When trips chummed, bluefish would show up. Fewer blues than before schooled along the shipping channel farther from shore. But blues closer to shore were fairly good-sized, up to 3 pounds. Fishing was pretty good, overall. Not many summer flounder remained in the bay. Of the few caught aboard, only one was a keeper, Howard thought. The bay was 85 degrees, about the same as the previous week. Open-boat trips are scheduled daily when no charter is booked. Call to confirm.

<b>Cape May</b>

A trip at Cape May Channel boated a couple of summer flounder and some kingfish and weakfish, and blues were around, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. So a mix of fish swam there. Weakfish likely schooled the bay along the flats and stakes. Croakers, mostly small, were around in the bay and Cape May Canal. Big sharks were fought in the bay.

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