<b>Port Elizabeth</b>

Weather was often rough for drum fishing, including during the weekend and Monday, said Sharon from <b>The Girls Place Bait & Tackle</b>. Anglers in larger boats might’ve fished for them, and quite a few customers bought bait to go. But little was heard about results. The fishing was probably good, and was before, from Tussy’s Slough to the Pin Top, or that general area. Catches usually last to the full moon later this month. Weakfish and croakers swam the bay. Croakers usually appear first on the Delaware side, but the netter’s been finding them on the New Jersey side. Sharon can tell when the netter is locating weaks and croakers, because bunker the netter supplies then include smaller ones, because a smaller mesh size is used. Nothing was heard about summer flounder from Delaware Bay. But anglers scored good catches of flounder from back bays during the weekend, apparently because of warmer, shallower waters. More customers crabbed than previously, but crabbing seemed tough around Delaware Bay. Crabs began to be plucked from back bays, again because of warmer waters, apparently. A commercial crabber nabbed hardly any from Delaware Bay.  Everything was starting late this year, Sharon said. A few shedder crabs began to be stocked for bait. Fresh clams and fresh bunker are carried when available, and telephone ahead to order them to ensure supply, especially for amounts like a bushel of clams for drum fishing. The clams and bunker were available in past days. Minnows have been carried so far, though minnows are scarce around the state. The shop’s supplier’s been providing them. The Girls Place, located on Route 47, just after Route 55 ends, stocks a large supply of bait 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 improved during the weekend at <b>Beaver Dam Boat Rentals</b>, Paul said. Most boats with experienced crabbers totaled a half-bushel, and inexperienced crabbers trapped fewer. The blueclaws included good-sized ones, up to 5 inches, and a fair number of 6-inchers. About 10 throwbacks, 4 inches, were caught and released for every keeper, customers said. But that was good, because they’ll become keepers, 4-1/2-inchers, or larger, up to 5-1/2, after the next shed. Crabs often shed on the full and new moons each month. Crabbing can slow down then, because crabs won’t eat while shedding. But not all crabs shed at once. Last week’s warm spell and the weekend’s waning moon apparently helped crabbing, after a slow start in cold weather, like 38-degree mornings, and the full moon, previously. The rental boats only became available for crabbing the previous weekend, Memorial Day weekend,  for the season. Fish, mostly croakers and schoolie striped bass, but also spots, swam the waters, for those who wanted to fish. The season was early for croakers and spots, but they were around. They were large for the back-waters, like 12- to 15-inch croakers. Customers crab and fish from rental boats towed up Oranokin Creek. The staff checks on them every hour, and if crabbers want a break in the meantime, they simply cell phone the store to be picked up. Beaver Dam carries everything needed for a day of crabbing, from bait, traps and nets to snacks, drinks and suntan lotion. Crabs for eating are sold when available, but are currently unavailable. Though crabs were trapped in Beaver Dam’s shallow back-waters, commercial crabbers pulled their pots from deeper waters like Delaware Bay. They switched to catching toads or harvesting oysters or something else, until crabs pot better in the deep. They’ll probably try again in a week, Paul figured. Rental kayaks and canoes are available to paddle the scenic creek. Beaver Dam is open 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, and will be open daily starting Saturday, June 22.  <a href="http://www.crabulousnj.com/" target="_blank">Visit Beaver Dam’s Web site</a>.

<b>Fortescue</b>

Quite a few drum held in the bay, Capt. Ralph from the <b>Buccaneer</b> said. He couldn’t know how long they’d stay, and anglers aboard a trip toward the end of the week hooked six drum, landing one, at the Pin Top. Losing that many drum was unusual, and the fish were muscled in too quickly. Ralph wasn’t asked whether the fish broke off or pulled the hooks. He began chartering for drum in the early 1960s, before the rest of the fleet. He encourages his anglers to hold the rod, instead of placing the rod in the holder, to feel the bite. Though drum are big, reaching 70 or 80 pounds, the bite can be subtle. But once a drum is hooked, a fight is on. The only summer flounder Ralph heard about were hooked while boaters fished for striped bass far up the bay. Boaters who targeted flounder farther south in the bay at usual spots found none or few. Maybe flounder were yet to move into deeper bays like Delaware Bay. Fishing for the fluke also seemed slow in deeper bays in the rest of the state. Low water temperatures seemed the reason. The hope is that the bay’s flounder fishing should turn on as waters warm. Charters on the Buccaneer are only $400, compared with $500 or $600 on other vessels.

<b>Cape May</b>

Drum fishing was pretty good on the bay, Capt. George from the <b>Heavy Hitter</b> said. Eleven drum, including some big, to 75 or 80 pounds, were boated Saturday on Jay Allen from the pipe insulator’s union’s charter. The rest of the drum weighed 30 to 50 pounds. On a trip Sunday, the fishing was a little slow, but four drum were iced, and all were large, about 70 pounds. Austin, Shane, Candy, Debra and Danny were the anglers. Both trips fished the New Jersey side of the bay, and George heard nothing about summer flounder.

A few striped bass, including large, were dragged from the surf along the ocean and Delaware Bay in Cape May last week, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. Thirty-pounders and bigger were sometimes whacked, and mostly fresh clams caught on the ocean, though some anglers fished fresh bunker there. Mostly fresh bunker did the job on the bay, but fresh clams gave a chance to hook a drum there.  Drum fishing was super for boaters at Pin Top and Tussy’s Slough on the bay. One angler parked right on Pin Top’s coordinates, landing nine drum himself. Summer flounder fishing was good on the back bay, along the Intracoastal Waterway. Not much was heard about flounder from Delaware Bay and the ocean. Fresh clams and fresh bunker are stocked when available. Bloodworms and minnows are usually on hand.

Back to Top