<b>Westville</b>

Weakfish were heard about from places like the stakes and near the number 1 buoy and lighthouses like Flat Top, said Rick from <b>Big Timber Bait & Tackle</b>. Summer flounder were scooped up from areas like near Flat Top or that area of the bay. Kingfish kept biting along the shipping channel. Along the ocean coast, flounder and kings were banked from the surf, and the waters warmed drastically in past days in hot weather. Bucktails and Gulps socked the flounder in the surf. Tuna began to be boated at places like the lumps along 20 fathoms. The fish were chunked and trolled, and livelined spots caught when trips chunked. Rick waited for tuna fishing to pick up, after finding none on a trip previously. He’s getting back after them now. Big Timber stocks bait and tackle for fishing on all waters from fresh to offshore. 

<b>Port Elizabeth<b>

Several customers said the bay’s summer flounder fishing improved, and they scored well Sunday and Monday, said Sharon from <b>The Girls Place Bait & Tackle</b>. Several limited out, and some anglers thought a school of bigger flounder moved into the bay. Maybe the fish tried to escape the ocean that southern winds kept cold this season. No specific locations for the flounder catches were mentioned. But Sharon imagined usual places harbored the fish, like near Miah Maull, around the shipping channel and at Flounder Alley. Flounder catches were encouraging, and Sharon hopes they continue. Friends fished for flounder on the ocean at Cape May Reef, bagging seven, fewer than previously. Not a lot was heard about sizeable croakers in the bay. But smaller croakers were around, and the shop’s netter found lots of spots in the bay. Croakers, spots, kingfish and weakfish remained in the bay. One customer totaled 19 kings east of the 19 buoy. Nothing was heard about bluefish, but small blues probably swam the bay like usual this time of year. Crabbing seemed hit or miss. Some crabbers caught keepers, and others hardly did. Lots of throwback crabs skittered around. Crabbing will probably improve, and maybe rains kept dumping freshwater that affected crabs. The weather now was extremely hot, but that probably wouldn’t diminish crabbing. Crabs prefer warmth. Minnows were usually stocked, but the supplies been up and down. On some days, they were difficult to obtain, and on others, they weren’t. Minnows ran out on Sunday morning, Sharon thought, and couldn’t be obtained again until Monday morning. Shedder crabs and bloodworms are carried. The full supply of frozen baits, including mackerel that works well on flounder, is stocked. 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>

The season’s first limit of crabs, a bushel, was trapped at <b>Beaver Dam Boat Rentals</b>, Linda said. Ed Brown from Delaware nabbed them, and crabbing was good. Lots of trips on the boats nabbed three-quarters of a bushel, and the sizes of the blueclaws was impressive. Two customers are tied for catching the year’s biggest crabs so far: both 6 ½ inches. The rental-boater with the largest for the year will win a free rental-boat trip next year. Chicken caught crabs best Monday, but both chicken and bunker have been catching. One customer showed up with chicken feet for bait, but that won’t catch. Fishing was very good for croakers and white perch on clams, bloodworms or squid. The shop tries to keep frozen clams and squid stocked, and large minnows are carried for summer flounder fishing, like on the bay. Beaver Dam’s customers crab and fish from rental boats towed up Oranokin Creek. 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. Take advantage of the Frequent Crabber Card to rent a boat four times and get a fifth rental for only $20 this season. Beaver Dam carries everything needed for a day of crabbing, from bait, traps and nets to drinks, snacks and suntan lotion. Rental kayaks and canoes are available to paddle up the scenic creek. Crabs for eating are sold when available. Beaver Dam hosts groups like scouts and family reunions. The staff can offer an educational day about the environment.  <a href="http://www.crabulousnj.com/" target="_blank">Visit Beaver Dam’s Web site</a>.

<b>Fortescue</b>

More keeper summer flounder than before began to be netted this past week on the party boat <b>Salt Talk</b>, Capt. Howard said. The fishing wasn’t bad, and the bay’s temperatures dropped a few degrees to 82 or 83 degrees last week, after rains. The flounder were decked at the stakes, the rips inshore of Miah Maull and the drop off down to about 30 feet on the way to the Maull. The bay was full of croakers, some big enough to keep, and spots that trips cleaned up on. Sometimes kingfish and blues were mixed in. Trips moved around, catching wherever the boat fished. The outings anchored at first, bucketing croakers and spots.  Some anglers kept them to eat, and the fish were also kept for good bait for flounder. Then trips drifted for flounder, and the fishing was pretty good. No weakfish were hooked aboard in a couple of weeks. Trips had to fish around tides to return to port through the mouth of Fortescue Creek. The mouth was shallow since the hurricane, so sometimes trips had to stay out later than usual. Open-boat trips are slated daily when no charter is booked, and anglers can telephone to confirm.

<b>Cape May</b>

Two boys, their dad, a girl and her dad jumped aboard during the weekend, Capt. Jim from <b>Fins and Feathers Outfitters</b> said. To put the kids on action, the trip fished Delaware Bay. Fins and Feathers is also currently fishing the ocean. The anglers had a blast catching croakers, kingfish and small summer flounder on squid on the bay. Then Jim took them to fight and release 3- and 4-foot sharks on the bay. Cut up croakers and other fish that were hooked previously on the trip were fished for the sharks, probably browns, required to be let go. The sharks swarmed all over, like Jim knew they would. The kids loved the fishing, with light tackle, saying it was better than on TV. Lot of fun, Jim said. The trip fished from 14-Foot Light and Miah Maull to Fortescue, and the croakers, kings and flounder pretty much swam all over the area. Most flounder seemed gathered toward Fortescue, and the fleet, including party boats, fished there. Fins and Feathers is also fishing for flounder on the ocean from Avalon at places like Cape May Reef. Jim heard little about the fishing in past days, and a previous trip found slow fishing there, covered in a previous report. But the fishing could be picking up, and this is the time of year. Jim will also charter for bluefin tuna and mahi mahi at places like East Lump this summer on the ocean. Fins and Feathers offers a variety of outdoor adventures, including fishing on Delaware Bay and on the ocean. The boat is docked at Avalon, and to fish Delaware Bay, is trailered near wherever fishing’s best, like Cape May or Reed’s Beach. Jim also guides duck and goose hunting on Delaware Bay when the seasons are opened, and anglers can even enjoy a combo of striped bass fishing and waterfowl hunting on the bay over a series of days. Fins and Feathers also guides salmon and steelhead fishing on upstate New York’s Salmon River from Jim’s lodge, and guides fly-fishing for trout on Pennsylvania’s streams like the Yellow Breeches.

Weakfish caught were heard about from old haunts like the flats and near Bug Light, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b> late last week in a phone call. Weaks bit along the surf jetties and along the Intracoastal Waterway in the back bay. Larger croakers hung around Bug Light more than other places. But croakers and spots could be located nearly anywhere. Croakers, spots, kingfish and weaks swam Cape May Channel. More flounder than before would probably start to gather there, Nick said at the time. A few flounder started to be axed then along the jetties at the end of Cape May Canal, or the Cape May ferry jetties, as they’re called, located near the ferry. Little else was heard about flounder from Delaware Bay at the time, but that might’ve changed since. Flounder were winged from the back bay along the Intracoastal Waterway. Anglers thought flounder would’ve departed there already, but the cold ocean, caused by southerly winds, seemed to keep them in the back bay. Reef fishing for flounder, like at Cape May Reef, Reef 11 and the Old Grounds, seemed to pick up on the ocean and was great. 

Back to Top