<b>Port Elizabeth</b>

Summer flounder fishing seemed to pick up somewhat on the bay, said Sharon from <b>The Girls Place Bait & Tackle</b>. Better reports about a few keepers bagged rolled in than before. This week’s heat wave slowed news a little. But if wind lets up like this week, that could help anglers fish more. Wind often blew relentlessly, previously this season. Take caution when heading out in the heat. Friends scored well on flounder, landing good-sized to 8 pounds, at ocean wrecks at reefs, like Cape May Reef. Sharon planned to fish the ocean for the flatfish in the next days.  A bunch of anglers sharked for species like browns on the bay. Browns are required to be released. In the surf, a few more kingfish seemed to be landed than before. Crabbing was a bit better than previously. When crabbing along waters like ditches, reportedly crabbing was better, the closer to the bay. Plenty of bait including minnows and fresh bunker is stocked. The bunker arrives almost daily, and customers use the menhaden for both crabbing and fishing. Strips of the bunker make good flounder bait. The strips are popular on jigs or rigs like a Tap Dancer. 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>Money Island</b>

Lots of croakers and a few flounder were landed, nothing spectacular, said Bruce from <b>Money Island Marina</b>. He saw no bluefish during the weekend. A few boats fished, and weather was hot. The heat is supposed to break after today. The marina features a boat ramp, boat slips, dry-dock boat storage, gas, bait and a few items of tackle, like locally made sinkers and hand-tied striper rigs. Bait stocked currently usually includes minnows and, on weekends, live grass shrimp. Frozen bait like spearing, squid and bunker is on hand. The shop tries to keep a bushel of fresh bunker on ice on weekends to sell.

<b>Newport</b>

At <b>Beaver Dam Boat Rentals</b>, crabbing was slowly improving, Paul said. The quantity was less than he wanted, but bigger crabs than before were sometimes trapped. Six-inchers, the largest this year, so far, were nabbed. Boats returned Monday with 15 to 20 keepers, but the keepers were big, mostly 5 ½ inches or larger, and few were small. The new moon was on Thursday, and crabs did shed then. Full and new moons can trigger the blueclaws to shed, and shedding can slow crabbing, because the blueclaws won’t eat while shedding.  But not all crabs shed on every moon. One trip focused on fishing Saturday, landing 26 croakers and 20 white perch, both good-sized. Fishing picked up. The creek looked healthy, and was good and salty. Lots of minnows and small striped bass swam along the dock.  The creek previously held lots of freshwater from rain, and that can slow crabbing, because blueclaws prefer saltwater. Customers crab and fish on rental boats towed up Oranokin Creek, running past the shop. The staff checks on them every hour, and if crabbers want a break in the meantime, they simply cell-phone the store to be picked up. Rental kayaks and canoes 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. Visit <a href=" http://www.crabulousnj.com/Home_Page.php" target="_blank">Beaver Dam’s website</a>.

<b>Fortescue</b>

The bay’s summer flounder fishing “came on” more than before, said Capt. Tom from <b>Erica Leigh Charters</b>. The fish weren’t clustered anywhere, really, and swam shallow, deep and everywhere. But fishing picked them up sometimes, and some better-sized were docked Saturday. One of the boat’s mates won a tournament at Fortescue with a 5-pound 8-ouncer. Another in the contest weighed 2 ounces less. So, some better-sized showed up. Another angler on Saturday loaded up on 40 or 50 croakers close to shore. Small blues schooled the bay. A charter was supposed to fish for flounder today with Erica Leigh.

<b>Wildwood</b>

Trips with <b>Fins & Grins Sport Fishing</b> fished for blues at Cape May Rips about an hour and then sharked, up the bay, Capt. Jim said. The fishing was good, catching blues 2 to 3 pounds. The sharking tagged sand tigers, required to be let go, and other sharks for NOAA, releasing the fish. The sand tigers weighed up to 250 and 300 pounds. Sometimes a shark will be hooked that’s allowed to be kept, by law, and the fish will be steaked up, if anglers want. The fishing’s a chance to fight big fish without the long trip offshore. A few summer flounder began to be bagged from the ocean, and Jim will start running flounder trips there. Things are looking up, he said. Trips are also trolling blues at ocean shoals, and occasional mahi mahi, bonito and Spanish mackerel can be mixed in. Anglers never know what might grab the line. Even cobia could. Special trips can target cobia, casting eels to buoys that cobia gather around. Fins sails for any species available or whatever events passengers would like, such as bachelor parties. Fins fishes every day, and reservations aren’t required but suggested. Telephone for availability. All trips, including on Delaware Bay, sail from Wildwood at the slip, in the back bay, along the ocean coast.

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