<b>Port Elizabeth</b>

Weakfish, good-sized, reportedly swam the bay, said Sharon from <b>The Girls Place Bait & Tackle</b>. The shop’s netter found some beautiful ones last week. Not much was heard about summer flounder from the bay. Most of the flatfish seemed to gather in the northern bay early last week. Lots seemed to be throwbacks, and not a lot seemed to be keepers. But no customers talked about fishing for them during the weekend.  Ocean fishing for flounder seemed to pick up in past weeks at places like Cape May Reef, Reef 11 and the Old Grounds. Some customers nailed them to 9 pounds. Croakers and spots schooled the bay. Little was heard about kingfish from the bay, and kings might’ve remained, but sometimes they depart by now. Many sharks like browns, required to be released, swarmed the ocean and bay. Customers bought supplies to catch and release them on the bay. On the ocean, friends bailed a great catch of tuna, at Baltimore Canyon, Sharon thought, on sardines while chunking. Looking ahead, anglers usually begin fishing the bay’s fall migration of striped bass in the third week of October. The fish could be caught that early, depending on water temperature and weather, and Sharon’s landed them then. Trips will at least begin trying for them then, but the fishing usually amps up during the first couple of weeks of November. Still, the bay’s anglers boat stripers the whole summer at Brandywine Lighthouse. Those fish are probably non-migrating, resident stripers. Many are throwbacks, but some are keepers, and anglers can reel in quite a few, and they use bunker for bait. Crabbing seemed to improve, and this was a good time of year for crabbing. Crabs will probably shed in September for the final time this year. Once they stop shedding, they become fuller with meat, preparing for winter. Plenty of minnows are stocked, and shedder crabs are on hand. Live shedders will probably become scarce sometime in September. But the store will keep stocking frozen, salted shedders. Mullet began to school, and the shop will try to stock fresh mullet this weekend. That can be great bait for flounder or nearly any fish. Many customers wanted 4- and 6-ounce Spros, and the bucktails or jigs became difficult to obtain, probably because of demand. Spros are popular for flounder fishing, including in deep waters like at the Old Grounds and reefs. 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>

With the full moon coming on, crabbing began to drop off, but that was expected, said Linda from <b>Beaver Dam Boat Rentals</b>. Today’s catch was much better than expected, but the moon was affecting crabbing overall. Full and new moons can trigger crabs to shed and mate, and they refuse to eat then, slowing down catches. But the moons don’t always cause that, and not all crabs shed or mate at once, so some can always be caught. Most customers could expect to catch one to three dozen keepers during the full moon. During the weekend, between moons, better crabbing was expected, but cool nights seemed to affect catches. But crabbers all had a great time, Linda said, and Beaver Dam supplemented catches by providing customers additional crabs. The blueclaws came from ones Beaver Dam sells when available. Crabs were currently good-sized, and plenty were 5 and 6 inches. A 6-3/4-incher remained in the lead, like last week, for the season-long contest for the biggest. The year’s rental boater with the largest will win a free rental next year. For anglers, croakers and white perch were hooked pretty steadily, and squid was best bait. Big cownosed rays roamed the waters. 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. Rental boats should be reserved ahead of time, because they can book up. Catch the Football Widows Special, on the Sundays of September 15 and October 6 and 13, when Eagles football games will start at 1 o’clock. Any rental boat with no men – with only women and/or children – will get a dozen free crabs on those days, when the boat is reserved ahead. Take advantage of the Frequent Crabber Card to rent a boat four times and get a fifth rental for only $20 this year. Beaver Dam carries everything needed for a day of crabbing, from traps, bait and nets to snacks, drinks 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, and can offer an educational day about the environment. Crabbing will be available daily through Labor Day. Afterward, crabbing will be available Fridays through Sundays. Columbus Day will be the final day of crabbing for the year. <a href="http://www.crabulousnj.com/" target="_blank">Visit Beaver Dam’s Web site</a>.

<b>Fortescue</b>

Probably more than a thousand croakers and spots were angled on a trip last week on the <b>Buccaneer</b>, Capt. Ralph said. Only one of the anglers fished for summer flounder, but he bagged a 24-incher and a 21-incher, among throwbacks. The outing fished inshore of the wreck buoy slough. Trips are sailing for these fish and will steam for striped bass this fall.

Summer flounder fishing was pretty good, nothing spectacular, but the fish were decked every day, enough to keep things interesting, said Capt. Howard from the party boat <b>Salt Talk</b>. Trips fished the same places as before, he said. Previously, the boat fished the stakes and near the Elbow. Sunday’s trip stuck close to shore near False Egg Island Point, because of winds. Flounder bit there, too. Of course, many of the flounder were throwbacks, like everywhere. Trips, like before, first fished for croakers and spots that filled the bay at most places. Anglers used them for good flounder bait, but some kept the ones large enough to eat. The bay was 78 to 79 degrees, and might become no warmer this year, unless an extended heat spell happens. Flounder remained in the bay longer this season than during some years, especially in the northern bay near Fortescue, where the boat fished. Water temperatures were currently good for flounder, and only became high for them, in the high 80s, during a heat spell in July a moment. During some years, water temperatures remain high longer in the middle of summer, seeming to make flounder depart for the cooler ocean. The fish will migrate to the ocean sometime. Open-boat trips are fishing for summer flounder daily when no charter is booked. Anglers can telephone to confirm.

<b>Cape May</b>

<b>Fins and Feathers Outfitters</b> fished the bay this past week, Capt. Jim said. Croakers, spots, kingfish and blues were angled, and most summer flounder were hooked toward the Elbow, on the northern bay, like aboard the previous week. But the most recent trips also found fish, mostly croakers, kings and blues, at 60-Foot Slough, in the southern bay. The flounder were a bunch of throwbacks, many of them just a quarter-inch undersized. Tons of brown sharks and dusky sharks swam the bay. They’re required to be released, but those species are sizeable, so they’re fun, and customers seem to like catching them. Fins and Feathers is also fishing for warm-water fish like bluefin tuna and mahi mahi on the ocean within 30 miles from shore. They can pop up at places like East Lump or the Cigar this time of season. Fins and Feathers fishes the ocean from Avalon, where the boat is docked, and trailers the boat to fish Delaware Bay from wherever’s convenient, like Cape May or Reed’s Beach. Fins and Feathers offers a variety of outdoor adventures throughout the year, including duck and goose hunting on the bay, when the seasons are opened. Anglers can even enjoy a combo of striped bass fishing and waterfowl hunting over a series of days on the bay. Trips also fish for salmon and steelheads on upstate New York’s Salmon River from Jim’s lodge, and fly fish for trout on Pennsylvania’s streams like the Yellow Breeches.

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