<b>Newport</b>

Crabbing was slow during the weekend at <b>Beaver Dam Boat Rentals</b>, Linda said. Any reasons were unknown, but fishing was good. Croakers, good-sized, and white perch bit in the creek. A 7-inch crab, larger than any at the shop last year, was trapped the previous weekend, covered in last week’s report. But catches like that, and numbers of crabs, just weren’t seen this weekend.  The 7-incher was now the crab to beat in the season-long contest for the biggest. The rental-boater with the largest will win a free rental next year. Keep an eye out for specials the shop will hold this season that will be posted on Beaver Dam’s website.  Or get on the shop’s email list to be kept informed. One special will be around Fathers’ Day, when customers who reserve boats will get half a party pizza and a liter of soda. Bring dad for lunch, instead of holding another barbecue. A gift certificate special will offer two bags of bait, a new bushel basket with lid, crabbing tongs, a photo and a bag of Hershey’s Kisses with a rental boat, a $90 value for just $70. That’s a gift certificate, so it can be used in the future. Specials will probably also include events like police weekend, fire-fighter weekend, teacher weekend and a fishing tournament weekend. 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. Everything needed for a day of crabbing is available at the store, from bait, traps and nets to snacks, drinks and suntan lotion. The staff loves to teach customers to crab, if customers want.  Take advantage of the Frequent Crabber Card: Rent any size boat four times during the season, and get the fifth trip for only $20 that season. Rental canoes and kayaks are available to paddle the scenic creek. Beaver Dam hosts groups like scouts and family reunions, and 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>

Summer flounder fishing seemed slow, since flounder season was opened Friday, Capt. Howard from the party boat <b>Salt Talk</b> said. Only a few of the fish seemed to be bagged among the fleet, and maybe the season was early for the fish to push into the bay. Some other fish seemed to arrive late this year, after the cold winter. The bay was 65 to 68 degrees, according to the Salt Talk’s gauge. The bay’s drum fishing was good. Not all trips landed drum, and a trip last Tuesday aboard hooked only sharks and skates, no drum. That was at the Punk Grounds, and the fleet found drum closer to shore, toward the Cape May ferry, afterward.  On Friday night, a trip on one boat totaled eight drum, and another landed five. On one of those trips, the drum weighed 60 to 80 pounds. Sizeable drum seemed around. Open-boat trips are fishing for summer flounder daily on the Salt Talk. During this time of year, the trips might only sail around weekends, because of demand. That’ll change as demand picks up, like when schools let out for summer. Anglers can telephone the boat to find out whether enough anglers want to sail on a following day. Charters are fishing for drum or flounder aboard.

<b>Cape May</b>

Fishing for drum was good on the bay, said Capt. Frank from <b>Melanie Anne Sport Fishing Charters</b>. The fish in past days bit in the middle of the bay, in shallower waters during daytime, and deeper at night. One trip aboard tried summer flounder fishing, since flounder season was opened Friday. But no flounder seemed around in the ocean and the bay. Nobody seemed to catch the flatfish in the ocean, and the trip sailed all the way to reefs on the Delaware side of the bay, near the mouth. None of the fluke bit there either, but clams were aboard, in case that happened, and the trip switched to drum fishing on the bay. Two drum were eased in. Another trip that afternoon fished for drum, heaving in two.  The bay was becoming warmer, reaching 65 degrees at some spots on the Delaware side. Some of the other boaters who flounder fished on the ocean switched to sharking, after flounder failed to bite. The sharking was okay, and one of the trips landed a mako.

Seven drum were hauled from the bay Friday night on Kevin Aro’s charter on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>, Capt. George said. Howard Bly’s charter on Saturday night boxed six drum. Drum were yet to bite on another charter Sunday night, when George gave this report aboard the outing in a telephone call. So the angling was slow on the trip so far, and George hoped the fish would turn on still. No drum were hooked on Bly’s charter until late in the trip. Drum were scattered in the bay in past days. One boat might catch them, and another might not. The fish were good-sized, about 50 pounds, and bigger ones could show up. In other news, a couple of charters that sea bass fished on the ocean were heard about on other boats. The crews said the angling was mediocre. Nobody was heard from who fished for summer flounder yet, when George gave this report. But flounder season was opened Friday.

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