<b>Port Elizabeth</b>

Striped bass seemed to perk up a little in the surf, inlets and back creeks, said Sharon from <b>The Girls Place Bait & Tackle</b>. The mullet migration that started seemed a reason, and the stripers weren’t large, but the activity seemed a good sign. Anglers will probably start fishing the bay for stripers around the first of October. A few boaters might’ve fished for summer flounder on the bay and elsewhere, but nobody reported a trip in windy, rough weather. Even Monday was blowing strongly. Some would probably be trying for the flatfish, if not for the weather, because this is the final week of flounder season that will be closed starting Sunday. Fish that were around included snapper blues in bays and back waters and white perch in brackish rivers. Customers still bought supplies for crabbing, but how they fared was unknown. Crabbing this year was the slowest in a long time. Steep prices for crabs for eating was an indication. Sharon could tell that the catch was off for commercial crabbers, when she saw the number of crabs they docked, when she bought bait like bunker. Plenty of fresh bunker is stocked, usually arriving three or four times a week. When striper fishing kicks in, fresh bunker will be obtained every time the baitfish is available. Fresh bunker is the most popular bait for striper fishing on the bay. The supply of shedder crabs is almost finished for the year. A few were stocked Saturday or Sunday, and a few arrived at mid-week. A few green crabs started to be carried for blackfishing, though one blackfish is the bag limit, because anglers kept asking for the crabs. If anglers want a larger supply of green crabs, they can telephone the shop to order them. The blackfish limit will be raised to six starting November 16. The government started asking anglers not to dispose in water the seaweed that bloodworms are packed in. The seaweed carries non-native species like crustaceans that can be invasive. 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>

A few crabs were trapped during the weekend at <b>Beaver Dam Boat Rentals</b>, nothing to get excited about, Linda said. Crabs were shedding and mating, though that was unusual. The blueclaws usually shed and mate around new or full moons, but the moon was waning during the weekend. Shedding and mating can slow crabbing, because crabs won’t eat while doing that. Commercial crabbers said catches were “busy” a moment and then slowed, because of shedding and mating. Crabs were good-sized, and crabs shed to grow throughout summer, and can reach peak size by this time of year. Fishing was great on the creek, reeling in croakers, spots, sea bass and striped bass. Sea bass season is closed, so the fish must be released, and are usually undersized in back waters like that anyway. But anglers catch them and let them go for fun. Most stripers are throwbacks in the creek, but sometimes one is a keeper.  Because fishing’s been so good, the shop is holding a special on fishing every Sunday. A dozen bloodworms and a pint of minnows are gratis with the rental of any size boat. If anglers know the prices of those baits, that’s a great deal. Boaters for the special are towed to different water that’s faster and deeper than crabbers are usually towed to, if anglers want. That’s better for fishing. The first of that special was held this 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 store to be picked up. A 7-inch crab, caught on the shop’s first day of crabbing this year, is the crab to beat in the season-long contest for the largest. The rental-boater with the biggest will win a free rental next year. The boats are available Fridays through Sundays through Columbus Day weekend, and will be available on Columbus Day itself, a Monday. Calling ahead to reserve the vessels is suggested, because the boats can become full. After Columbus Day, the boats will be unavailable, until they become available again next year. The shop is open daily for crabbing and fishing supplies. The store also keeps a boat ramp for duck seasons that are coming up. The hunting is great on the creek. Beaver Dam carries everything needed for a day of crabbing, from bait, traps and nets to snacks and drinks. Fishing baits stocked include minnows the store raises. That makes the baitfish larger than at most shops. Rental kayaks and canoes are available to paddle the scenic creek, and this can be a beautiful time of year for that, crabbing and fishing. This weekend was beautiful on the creek, even if wind blew strongly for boaters on open water like the bay. That wasn’t an issue at Beaver Dam, and this coming weekend is also supposed to be beautiful. Check out <a href=" http://shop.beaverdamboatrentals.com/" target="_blank">Beaver Dam’s online store</a> for gifts, or purchase a gift certificate, including for the holidays. A 15% discount is available for either, when customers request.

<b>Fortescue</b>

A few summer flounder still bit for anglers on the party boat <b>Salt Talk</b>, Capt. Howard said. A trip at mid-week with a few anglers landed two keeper flounder and a dozen throwbacks, and some banded rudderfish and bluefish. The fish were found along the shipping channel near Miah Maul in 34 feet. Not many keeper flounder seemed to swim closer to shore. Weakfish gathered along the lighthouses, and Howard knew about a trip that got into them while anchored. Howard fished just off Fortescue Creek on the bay on a buddy’s boat for fun, and they hooked a dozen weaks to 18 inches, including their limits of one apiece. So the trout also swam close to shore. Open-boat trips are slated to fish daily on the Salt Talk, but might only run on certain days this time of year, because of demand. Weekends can be most likely, and sometimes Howard has regulars who like to fish on Wednesdays. Anglers can telephone the boat to confirm whether a trip seems likely to sail.

<b>Cape May</b>

Good catches of summer flounder were heard about from a couple of trips that fished toward Miah Maul last week, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. That was when boaters could sail between rough weather. Flounder were boated on the ocean at Reef 11 and the Old Grounds, but also on the ocean close to shore off Wildwood. Good catches of the flatfish were also made in Cape May Inlet. Kingfish, weakfish and croakers should school the channel off Cape May Point, like they usually do. Plenty of croakers were banked along the Higbee’s Beach jetty. A few striped bass began to be found in the surf, because of mullet that migrated to the water. A couple of keepers were bagged when northeast wind blew-in the bait. Bluefishing could be good in the surf for snappers to 1- or 2-pound tailors. Blackfish chomped along the ocean jetties. In the back bay, stripers bit well along bridges, because of mullet, peanut bunker and spearing that schooled.

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