<b>Port Elizabeth</b>

Some customers said keeper summer flounder became scarcer in the bay, and some said they still scored well on keepers in the water, said Sharon from <b>The Girls Place Bait & Tackle</b>. When boaters had the weather to reach the Old Grounds, in the ocean off Delaware, they seemed to catch flounder fairly well. The bay’s larger croakers swam deeper water, like 30 or 35 feet. Kingfish were mentioned nabbed from the ocean surf, but kings do gather in sandy areas in the bay, including toward Bug Light and off East Point. Nothing was heard about weakfish from the bay, since commercial netters picked up the trout, including large, in spring. But the lack of news was probably because of where netters fished and what they targeted now. A few customers headed to fish for triggerfish along structure like ocean jetties this weekend. None mentioned blackfish that can hover along jetties and bridges. One blackfish could be kept starting July 17, and the store is stocking no green crabs for bait for them, because of no demand in the one-fish limit. But other bait including clam and blueclaw crab can work on the tautog. Many customers fished for sharks like browns, required to be released, in the surf, buying bait like bunker for that. Some fished for the sharks three or four times a week, and one subdued a 100-pounder. The angling can be fun, and the sharks that can be bagged are good-eating. Be careful about the shark regulations. Crabbing somewhat improved for recreationals. It also did for commercials, and they trapped well on some days, not on others. The supply of shedder crabs for fishing bait was hit or miss, depending on commercial crabbing. Plenty of minnows are stocked. The Girls Place, located on Route 47, just after Route 55 ends, carries a large supply of bait and tackle, and is the long, one-story, yellow building on the right. It’s on the way to the bay.

<b>Newport</b>

At <b>Beaver Dam Boat Rentals</b>, crabbing was good last week, Linda said. Then the new moon was during the weekend, and that can affect crabbing. But crabbing’s been good overall for customers. Monday was windy, but two trips crabbed on the rental boats, and one returned with 30 healthy-sized keepers, including several 6-inchers. Crabbing seemed on the right track this season, and the last shed probably boded well. Crabs shed to grow, and new and full moons can trigger the blueclaws to shed. They won’t eat while shedding, so that can affect catches. But not all those moons trigger shedding, and not all crabs shed at once. Shedding lasts several days, and this coming weekend will be between those moons. Fishing on the creek during the weekend was “light,” she said. But the moon could’ve also affected that, and fishing can be influenced by moons in ways too complicated to describe in this report. Still, croakers were hooked. 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 need a break in the meantime, they simply cell-phone the shop to be picked up. Only a couple of days remain for law enforcement workers to receive a 25-percent discount on the rental of any size boat this month. That’s because law enforcement won a crabbing contest between them and emergency workers during Fourth of July week. The tournament will be held again next year, so emergency workers can get even, Linda said! Customers should telephone to reserve rental boats ahead of time, because they do fill up, especially on weekends, especially in August.  Check out <a href=" http://shop.beaverdamboatrentals.com/" target="_blank">Beaver Dam’s online store</a> for gift items. “Like Christmas in July?” Linda was asked. Yes – or August, she said. These could make great gifts for birthdays or other occasions, or to get ahead on holiday giving. Gift certificates for crabbing can, too. Or pick up a certificate for yourself to plan ahead. Rental kayaks and canoes are available to paddle the scenic creek. Beaver Dam hosts groups like scouts, birthday parties and family reunions, and can offer an educational day about the environment. The crew would be happy to discuss. Cumberland County 4H will hold a camp at Beaver Dam in late August, and space remains, as far as Linda knew, and contact the 4H if interested. The shop is still stocking minnows, and they’re large, because the baitfish are raised at the store. Take note, summer flounder anglers.

<b>Fortescue</b>

The number of keeper summer flounder seemed to drop off recently, said Capt. Howard from the party boat <b>Salt Talk</b>. Throwbacks still bit well enough, and small bluefish sometimes jumped on the bait meant for flounder. Croakers were nabbed  aboard when the boat fished closer to shore. For flounder, trips fished at the stakes a little, like before, but the better fishing seemed to move to between the stakes and the Old House recently. One trip fished the deep around the shipping channel, because the anglers wanted to try, though Howard told them sharks and skates were likely there. That’s what bit: sharks and skates. Plenty of bunker schooled the bay, and the water was 81 degrees along the surface, according to the boat’s gauge, if that was accurate. Open-boat trips are fishing for summer flounder daily when no charter is booked. 

A few summer flounder to bag were still around, and the catches of them still slowed, said Capt. Mike from the party boat <b>Bonanza</b>. But a few were taken aboard every day, and the keepers hooked ranged up to 22 to 24 inches. “But the shorts are shorts,” he said. Flounder still swam the stakes and the northern part of the Ditch, and some boats still fished those areas. But the Bonanza mostly fished farther up the bay, toward the wreck buoy. Most boats fished there and west of the stakes or “out front.” If New Jersey’s size limit were 16 inches for flounder, like Delaware’s, all customers would bag a keeper. A few bluefish were hooked aboard, and a few croakers schooled around. “Nothing great yet,” he said about the croakers. A couple of small cobia were seen. A date was yet to be set for special trips to fish the Old Grounds in the ocean for flounder, only because Mike’s been busy. But that fishing should kick off in August, and the Old Grounds is an area of rocky bottom off Delaware that can attract flounder, including sizable, and other fish mixed in, like sea bass. The Old Grounds trips fish each year on the vessel, and reservations are required. Open-boat trips are fishing the bay daily for flounder when no charter is booked.  

<b>Cape May</b>

Big croakers were nabbed from Delaware Bay, off Cape May Point and on the back bay along the Intracoastal Waterway, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b> on Thursday. Large summer flounder to 26 inches were sometimes wrenched from the back bay. Thirty or 40 flounder hooked in a trip might be throwbacks there, but there was action. Delaware Bay’s flounder fishing kind of tapered off through Thursday. Ocean flounder fishing sounded similar then, like it tapered off. Some of the shop’s customers fished for the flatties at Miah Maul on the bay and Cape May Reef on the ocean, catching none. They dinged the fish on the back bay, though. But weather was supposed to improve last weekend, probably creating better boat drifts to put up some of the fish, Nick expected. Kingfish roamed the surf, and a couple of redfish were heard about from the beach. Tailor blues 2 to 3 pounds sometimes popped into the surf, and big brown sharks, required to be released, were fought from shore at night. One blackfish could be kept starting July 17, and divers said the jetties were loaded with the tautog. Triggerfish sometimes gathered along jetties. Sheepshead were banked along Delaware Bay’s jetties in the town.  Minnows, green crabs, fresh clams and bloodworms are stocked.

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