<b>Brooklawn</b>

Weakfish schooled, including off the Club House and buoy 32, said Rick from <b>Big Timber Bait & Tackle</b>. A few summer flounder remained in areas like near Miah Maull, the 9 and 10 buoys and the Punk Grounds, but not in numbers like expected. Small bluefish roamed the bay. Crabbing was exceptional this year, including at Dividing Creek and Maurice and Cohansey rivers. On the ocean, good fishing for flounder was clubbed at Reef 11, especially along the railroad cars.  Small bluefish traveled the ocean, and cobia held at 5-Fathom Bank, Sea Isle Lump and Sea Isle Ridge. Weakfish sometimes schooled at the inlets under birds working the waters. Tuna fishing had been good closer to shore, including at 19-Fathom Lump, but became “iffy,” Rick said. But big game fishing took off at Poorman’s  Canyon during the weekend. One trip landed 30 white marlin and eight yellowfin tuna. Big Timber stocks bait and tackle for fishing on all waters from fresh to offshore.

<b>Port Elizabeth</b>

Most summer flounder seemed to be bagged at the Old Grounds, said Sharon from <b>The Girls Place Bait & Tackle</b>. That’s in the ocean off Delaware, and any flounder in the bay seemed mostly small, at least in the traditional areas they’re usually caught. Weakfish swam the bay’s shallows, and small blues schooled the bay a while now. That’s common this time of year, and small croakers held in the bay. Crabbing went well, and lots of crab supplies were sold. Butterfish and sardines kept being sold for tuna fishing offshore. All baits are fully stocked, including shedder crabs and minnows. 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>

After crabs shed around last week’s full moon, catches picked back up, “were back in form,” said Linda from <b>Beaver Dam Boat Rentals</b>. Full and new moons can trigger the blueclaws to shed, and crabs won’t eat when shedding, making them difficult to catch. But not all crabs shed at once, and not all moons trigger a shed, and not a ton of crabs shed on last week’s moon. “It wasn’t bad,” Linda said. Catches now seemed plentiful, and sizes were good. One customer on Monday only kept crabs 5 ½ inches or larger, a sizeable blueclaw. For anglers, croakers, white perch and striped bass bit in the creek. A 25-inch striper, a throwback, but large, was landed. Juvenile stripers can school waters like the creek this time of season. They’re usually smaller than the 28-inch size limit, but fun to catch and release. 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. Lots of customers rented Beaver’s Dam’s kayaks to sightsee on the beautiful creek. Beaver Dam is available to host groups like scouts or summer camps for a fun, educational day. The staff is also eager to teach crabbers how to catch. Reserve a rental boat, and let the shop know you’d like to learn. Beaver Dam carries everything needed for a day of crabbing, from bait, traps and nets to suntan lotion, snacks and drinks. Crabs for eating are for sale.  <a href="http://www.crabulousnj.com" target="_blank">Visit Beaver Dam’s Web site</a>.

<b>Fortescue</b>

Weakfish, blues, croakers, a mixed bag of fish, were crushed on trips Saturday and Sunday on the <b>Buccaneer</b>, Capt. Ralph said. “So fishing’s good,” he told this report’s writer. “You ought to get down here.” The angling made for excellent days aboard. The croakers were mostly small, so Ralph wouldn’t specifically target them on trips, but a few were kept, were large enough. Most croakers were cut up for bait, and when croakers were used for chum, lots of blues tore up waters. The trip Sunday found a school of croakers, and when they were used for chum, the blues moved in. Quite a few blues schooled the bay. “You’d think they’d eat the bottom of the boat,” Ralph said about the number of blues that showed up on one of the trips. Some of the weakfish were good-sized. Catches included 18- and 19-inchers aboard. Charters on the Buccaneer are only $400, compared with $500 or $600 on other vessels.

When the party boat <b>Salt Talk</b> fished closer to shore, weakfish, blues, spots and small croakers were wrangled aboard, Capt. Howard said. The spots and croakers were cut up for bait for the weaks and blues. Bloodworms and shedder crabs also caught the weaks. When the vessel fished farther off, toward the Elbow and north of there, blues were beaten. A few trips sailed aboard in the past week, and when crowds were smaller, the boat could be anchored closer to shore for the weaks and other fish. When crowds were larger, the boat was drifted for blues. Fishing was good, and not many summer flounder were heard about by this time of season. One of the other party boats ran into two or three, and one flounder was hooked on anchor on the Salt Talk. Boats are usually drifted to fish for flounder. The bay was 84 or 85 degrees. Open-boat trips are slated daily when no charter is booked. Call to confirm.

<b>Cape May</b>

Summer flounder roamed the bay’s deeper channels, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. Flounder were boated from Cape May Channel, and other fish including weakfish, kingfish and small croakers might’ve scurried around there. Weaks probably schooled the bay’s flats, relatively close to shore, and small croakers, occasional larger ones, were around in different parts of the bay. Lots of baitfish including spots and peanut bunker swam the bay. Surf anglers beached good catches of flounder at Cape May Point. Spots and kingfish were banked from the ocean surf. Small blues bit for boaters off Cape May Point nearly every day.

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