<b>Port Elizabeth</b>

A mix of weakfish, blues and other fish like spots schooled places like the Punk Grounds and off Reeds Beach and East Point, said Sharon from <b>The Girls Place Bait & Tackle</b>. If anglers caught them somewhere in past years, the fish were probably there now. Some of the weaks were good-sized, and not just little ones swam. Reports about summer flounder boated near Miah Maull rolled in a week or so ago. But one trip would grab some, and another wouldn’t, and weather since then prevented many trips. Much of the past week was windy, and the storm came through last Tuesday. When boaters could reach the ocean, flounder seemed to be caught. But the ocean held a swell much of the time. The bay’s striped bass anglers usually “begin to get serious,” Sharon said, in mid October. Currently reports were heard about stripers, a few of them keepers, hooked from the back bays, like at Brigantine, only at night. The fish seemed to be juvenile, non-migrating stripers, getting active in cooler waters. Crabs were trapped, and the blueclaws were probably getting ready to migrate to the bay from the creeks to spend winter. Shedder crabs for bait were becoming scarce, and crabs typically shed less frequently starting now, and they stop shedding through winter. A few shedders are stocked, and are bought quickly. Frozen shedders are on hand. 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>

Crabbing was slow during the weekend, for unknown reasons, said Linda from <b>Beaver Dam Boat Rentals</b>. Catches are usually good that time of year, and were throughout the season. Sometimes customers nabbed a couple of dozen keepers in a trip during the weekend, but they normally would’ve piled up lots more. Many customers fished, and the catches were good. The anglers landed throwback striped bass and a variety of fish like spots, white perch and croakers, had a good time. Customers crab and fish from rental boats towed up Oranokin Creek, running past the shop. The staff checks on them every hour, and if customers want a break in the meantime, they simply cell phone the shop to be picked up. The boats will be available Fridays through Sundays and Columbus Day, Monday, October 8, and afterward will be unavailable through winter. But the shop will remain open daily for crabbing and fishing supplies, kayak and canoe rentals by appointment, duck hunting from the boat ramp, and turkey check ins. The shop is running a special on boat rentals on Fridays: $25 off trips from 6:30 a.m. to 12 noon on any size boat. A special will also be available on the Sunday and Monday of Columbus Day weekend: rent a boat, and get a free rental on the same size boat in June. The specials are included on Beaver Dam’s Web site. Lots of kayaks and canoes are currently being rented, and paddling the scenic creek is beautiful in fall. Making an appointment to rent them is required. Beaver Dam carries everything needed for a day of crabbing, from bait, traps and nets to snacks and drinks. Beaver Dam hosts groups like scouts and 4H for an educational, fun day. <a href="http://www.crabulousnj.com" target="_blank">Visit Beaver Dam’s Web site</a>.

<b>Fortescue</b>

A few trips got out during the past week on the party boat <b>Salt Talk</b>, and the same mixed bag of fish remained in the bay as before, Capt. Howard said. Catches aboard included mostly weakfish and blues but also other fish like small croakers. The fish schooled together like they’d been, but seemed to move farther south after last week’s storm. The boat was traveled south on the bay, instead of near Fortescue, for better catches. Howard tried a little drifting for summer flounder during the weekend, but winds blew strongly, and he switched to angling for the other fish on anchor. But a trip on a charter boat was heard about that landed 11 flounder the other day between the E.P. Tower and Miah Maull. The bay during the weekend was 74 degrees, and will probably keep cooling in the cooler days and nights. The bay will probably need to dip into the 60s for the season’s first striped bass catches. Trips will go after stripers when the run of the fish takes off. Open-boat trips are slated daily when no charter is booked, and call to confirm.

<b>Cape May</b>

Weakfish, croakers, kingfish and blues, lots of fish, were reeled from the Punk Grounds on Saturday on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>, Capt. George. Action was non-stop, and many of the weaks were good-sized, to 20 inches. The anglers kept their limit of one apiece, releasing the rest. The kingfish were large, and about a dozen were kept. The croakers were hand-sized or small, and some could’ve been kept if anglers wanted, but instead the hardheads were used for bait, cut into strips. The blues were 2 pounds. The anglers had originally planned to steam offshore for tuna, but forecasts called for rough seas and winds offshore. The bay was somewhat rough at first on the trip but calmed.

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