<b>Westville</b>

Not a lot was heard about large summer flounder from the bay, said Rick from <b>Big Timber Bait & Tackle</b>. Mostly small ones were talked about. But he’d probably fish for them on the southern bay, like near the 9 and 10 buoys. Weakfish schooled the bay near the 1 buoy. In the ocean surf, spots, croakers and kingfish nipped. White perch bit in creeks, especially from Fortescue to the north, like toward the Salem nuclear plant. Some of the best fishing along the coast was for flounder on the ocean at Reef 11, the Old Grounds and Cape May Reef. Bucktails and Gulps seemed the best tackle. Uncle Josh Meat, too. Farther from shore in the ocean, tuna mostly swam south or north. The Hot Dog and Massey’s Canyon were probably the nearest they held. Washington Canyon harbored them. Near the store, catfish, not huge, but 6 and 7 pounds, sniffed out nightcrawlers in Delaware River, or practically any bait with odor. Big Timber stocks bait and tackle for fishing on all waters from fresh to offshore.

<b>Port Elizabeth</b>

From <b>The Girls Place Bait & Tackle</b>, Sharon was away during the weekend, she said. But previously a mix of fish including croakers, spots, weakfish and kingfish were boated from the bay, and so were summer flounder, sometimes keepers. No details like locations were heard about flounder fishing. She was aboard a trip at the mouth of Dividing Creek last week, when she gave that week’s report over the phone. The anglers on the trip ended up bagging a limit of one weakfish apiece, releasing lots of throwbacks. Lots of big spots were caught on the outing, and all these fish bit on outgoing tide. Once incoming started, only oyster crackers were hooked, though during outgoing, none was. Not one crab was landed, though traps were set out for them. Still, crabbing improved a lot at inland waters like tidal creeks and ponds. Sharon knew about anglers who tried for flounder on the ocean at Cape May Reef last week. But they didn’t catch well. Minnows were stocked, and shedder crabs arrived every day. Bloodworms were somewhat scarce, but more are supposed to arrive today. 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>

Crabbers plucked plenty from the creek at <b>Beaver Dam Boat Rentals</b> during the weekend, Linda said. Many trips totaled three-quarters of a bushel. One family busheled out on Sunday. Many crabs caught were good-sized, and two tied at 6 ¾ inches remained in the lead for the season’s biggest, like in previous weeks. The year’s rental boater with the largest will win a free rental next year. Lots of contenders – 6-1/4- and 6-1/2-inchers – came in, and today’s new moon will trigger crabs to shed. Once they shed, they’ll grow 1 ¼ inches. “So, look out,” Linda said. A new leader could take over. Full and new moons often trigger crabs to shed, and crabbing can slow when that happens, because crabs refuse to eat when shedding. But not all moons trigger sheds, and not all crabs shed at once, so some can always be caught. Effects of the shed usually last 4 to 5 days. They can last a shorter time, but usually not longer. For anglers, a good run of croakers swam the creek. One trip reeled in 16 on Monday. 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. This coming Saturday was already booked up. 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. One group made reservations for a bachelor party soon. Beaver Dam each year is open for crabbing at least through Columbus Day. Afterward, the hours open for crabbing depend on weather. When crabbing is no longer offered for the year, the shop is still open for duck hunting, turkey check in and seasonal outdoor supplies. <a href="http://www.crabulousnj.com/" target="_blank">Visit Beaver Dam’s Web site</a>.

<b>Fortescue</b>

Summer flounder fishing was pretty good, said Capt. Howard from the party boat <b>Salt Talk</b>. No real large numbers of keepers were boated, but each trip landed keepers, and catches included good-sized flounder. Trips fished the stakes and the rips, like before, and now also fished a little north of there. The rips are an area of rough waters, because of uneven bottom, and are sometimes called the Miah Maull rips. They’re located inshore of Miah Maull or between the stakes and the Maull. Trips, like before, first anchored to catch croakers and spots. Some anglers kept them to eat, but the croakers and spots were often used for good flounder bait. That worked out well. Then trips drifted for flounder. The croakers and spots could be found nearly anywhere in the bay. A few kingfish and bluefish were mixed in with catches. Three throwback cobia were caught and released. One was 36 inches, an inch smaller than keeper size, probably 15 pounds. The other two were in the low 20 inches. The bay’s temperatures dropped to about the low 80s. Waters were 79 degrees on Sunday morning. The low temperatures might’ve helped flounder fishing, and the bay previously reached the high 80s, during July’s heat wave. The mouth of Fortescue Creek still needed to be dredged since the hurricane, forcing trips to fish around the tides, so the boat could reach the bay from the marina, on the creek, and return to the marina afterward. Open-boat trips are fishing for summer flounder daily when no charter is booked. Anglers can telephone to confirm.

<b>Cape May</b>

Boaters began to report fairly good catches of summer flounder from the 9 and 10 buoys and 60-Foot Slough, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. Off Cape May Lighthouse and at Sunset Beach were the places to surf-rod for flounder. Lots of spots and some croakers and kingfish skittered the surf. A few weakfish remained in the waters, after they were especially abundant earlier in the season. Nick and a friend in the surf clammed 50 spots, a couple of kingfish and a 3-pound weakie. Seven redfish, the southern species, caught from the surf were heard about, and anglers hope more show up. They did last year, unusually. Nick is trying to stock fresh mullet, a favorite bait for them. Mullet this time of year grow large enough to begin to be seen schooling bays and back waters. They’ll grow larger, then enter the ocean in late summer and fall, becoming forage for the southern migration of striped bass and bluefish. Minnows, bloodworms, green crabs and all frozen baits are carried.

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