<b>Pennsville</b>

Flounder fishing kept turning out catches, no let up, and lots were throwbacks, but some were keepers, said Matt from <b>Shag’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Anglers might be scarcer in the height of summer, but the fishing stayed the same. Most customers sailed for the flatties from Fortescue. Small croakers pushed all the way up to the Delaware River at Pennsville and Salem. They’ll bite squid, clams or nearly any bait. Lots of spots schooled the river, and anglers hooked them on bloodworms, like fishing for white perch. The perch, catfish and a few blues roamed the Big D. Small stripers could always be found in the river, and larger ones to 32 inches will begin to be caught from the waters when the weather cools. Where they come from was unknown, and maybe they’re always around but get more active in cooler waters.  Shedder crabs are stocked, and fresh bunker is on hand once in a while. The weather was getting hot to keep the menhaden. Bloodworms, nightcrawlers, trout worms and frozen baits are carried.

<b>Newport</b>

The full moon triggered crabs to shed as expected last week, and like always, crabbing dropped off during the shed, said Paul from <b>Beaver Dam Boat Rentals</b>. Blueclaws that are shedding will refuse to feed. But not all crabs shed at once, so some can always be caught, and no crabbers caught none during the molt. Catches began to pick back up on Sunday, and by Monday customers averaged a half-bushel per trip. The shed is good for crabbing, because the blueclaws shed to grow. Full and new moons often, but not always, cause the crabs to shed, until the weather becomes cold, when the crabs retreat to Delaware Bay to burrow in the bottom through winter. So only a few sheds were probably left in the season, and the crabs were approaching their biggest size of the year, and they were already good-sized. Some customers fished, angling up white perch from Oranokin Creek, where Beaver Dam is located. Interestingly, many crabbers found small flounder in the crab traps. Crabbers and anglers get towed up the creek in Beaver Dam’s rental boats, and the staff checks on them every hour. But if the rental boaters want to take a break in the meantime, they simply cell phone the shop, and the staff picks them up. Kayaks and canoes are also available to rent for sightseeing on the creek. Beaver Dam carries everything needed for a day of crabbing, including all different types of traps, hand lines, nets, bait, bug spray, suntan lotion, drinks and snacks. The shop is open 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. Customers should call ahead to reserve rental boats, kayaks and canoes to ensure they’re available. Beaver Dam is available to host groups like scouts for nature education. A gazebo with a grill is available for events like birthday parties and family reunions.

<b>Fortescue</b>

Flounder and small blues, great catches, got drummed up from the bay, said Capt. Ralph from the <b>Buccanneer</b>. The flatties could be found at the Elbow, and the blues were stacked up in a stretch inshore of the shipping channel south of the Elbow. Croakers schooled along the first drop-off from Fortescue, but they were small. The party boats sailed for croakers on the southern bay on the Delaware side. A trip with four anglers on the Buccaneer put five keeper flounder in the box, among 50 throwbacks. The keepers were good-sized, probably up to 22 inches. So the flounder fishing held up, but nobody could know how long the flatties would stay before leaving for the ocean. They already stayed longer than usual, so don’t delay. Flounder season also closes in a few weeks.

 Waters right off Fortescue served up flounder, steady catches, good fishing, at places such as the first drop-off, the 6 buoy, the Wreck Buoy and the Elbow, said Dave from <b>Al’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Lots of croakers, a mess, were bailed at the first and second drop-off. Anglers just started to talk about weakfish getting hooked. Maybe few of them looked for weaks before, but the trout were found in the shallows close to shore and also at the lighthouses. Anglers at the lighthouses bucktailed for the fish, and Dave wasn’t asked how they fished in the shallows, but fishing with shedder crabs is a favorite. Bluefish, a little bigger than before or 1 to 2 pounds, swam everywhere. Lots of spots, large ones, were around, especially along the Fortescue surf, and beach anglers filled coolers with them. The beach fishing was rather productive for spots, croakers, flounder, blues and a few decent-sized weaks. Bloodworms and shedder crabs were the favorite beach baits. A bunch of white perch could be claimed from Fortescue Creek, and the creek was loaded with peanut bunker. Crabbing gave up good catches, quite a few. Shedder crabs are stocked, are floated right at the shop, so they’re ripe and ready. But the shop asks that anglers call ahead to order shedders. Minnows, high-quality bloodworms and all the baits are stocked.

<b>Bivalve</b>

Customers from <b>Longreach Marina</b> boated flounder at the number 1 buoy, Miah Maul and near Egg Island Point, Pat said. A few small blues were checked in, and croakers were occasionally seen here and there. Scott Goransan from Millville docked two weakfish along with four flounder and eight croakers. Anglers and their catches also included: Tom and Jack Kelly, Philadelphia, six quality flounder; Ryan, Connor and Jim McLaughlin, Franklinville, two flounder and three blues; Chuck and Matt Umba and Terry Johnson, West Deptford, seven keeper flounder among 19 shorts tossed back and two healthy-sized blues; and Stone, Forrest, Audrey, Gabriel, Dominique and Denise Hassinger, Franklinville, a 25 keeper flounder--wow!--to 26 inches. The marina’s annual Kids Fishing Tournament was a success during the weekend. The winners in the flounder category were: 1st place, Hunter Reese, 5-pound 12-ounce flounder; 2nd place, Melissa Reese, 5-pound 1-ouncer; and 3rd place, Kyle Plummer, 4-pound 10-ouncer. The winners in the weakfish division were: 1st place, Dylan Dowd, 2-pound weak; and 2nd place, Anna Heines, a 10-ouncer. Billy Wetherby won third place in the weakfish division with a 1-pound 4-ounce blue, because only two weaks were entered. Chase Westergam and Anna Heines were winners of the drawings for boys and girls bikes. The marina is stocking plenty of minnows and is carrying shedder crabs when available. Frozen baits including mackerel, spearing and squid are also on hand.

<b>Cape May</b>

The bay around the 9 and 10 buoys and Brown Shoal, on the Delaware side across the channel from the buoys, held flounder last week, said Bill from <b>Jim’s Bait & Tackle</b>. He heard no news about the area since the weekend, only because he was away from the shop. He assumed that the flatties kept biting farther up the bay toward the Maurice River Cove and Little Egypt, too. In the surf croakers and a few kingfish were nabbed anywhere from Higbee’s Beach on the bay to Cape May Point at the confluence of the bay and the ocean. Clams and squid will attract the croakers. Small blues schooled off the point and sometimes swam into the nearby surf.

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