<b>Port Elizabeth</b>

A few good reports rolled in about summer flounder fishing on the bay, said Sharon from <b>The Girls Place Bait & Tackle</b>. Several customers boated keepers, and improved flounder fishing, including a better number of larger flounder taken, is not uncommon for this time in August and in September. The catches came from places including off Egg Island Point and the southern bay, and were a little encouraging. More croakers appeared in the bay than before, including near Egg Island Point and in the southern bay. Larger croakers than before seemed more abundant, too, and weakfish schooled off Thompson’s Beach. The bay’s life seemed improved a bit. Flounder fishing will probably pick up somewhat, because bigger flounder usually show up in waters like this, late in the season, and more people will probably fish for flounder, because flounder season will be closed starting September 27. A few more flounder were reported boated at ocean reefs than before, too. Sharon is probably going to fish toward the end of the week, probably working the reefs for flounder first, then heading into the bay for croakers and maybe kingfish. Crabbing’s been improving, and many customers have been pleased with crabbing. Commercial crabbing probably amped up, too, Sharon guessed, and crabbing had gotten off to a slow start this year. All baits are stocked, including minnows and bloodworms. Shedder crabs arrive nearly every day. Fresh, shucked clams are carried on weekends, and if anglers want a bushel of clams in the shell, the store can probably provide them, if anglers telephone a few days in advance. Baits like clams in the shell are carried when in demand, like when striped bass fishing is happening.   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>

Was a good weekend of summer flounder fishing on the bay from <b>Money Island Marina</b>, Bruce said. Some keepers were docked, and a few boats were skunked that fished for flounder, of course. Customers caught “a little bit of everything,” the shop’s Facebook page said. Lots of small striped bass were played on Nantuxent Creek, running past the shop. Watch a video of bunker schooling the creek on Sunday that stripers foraged on. A couple of keeper stripers, just legal-sized or 28 inches, were landed from the dock. A group of anglers Sunday from Philadelphia played stripers from the dock on the shop’s fresh, flash-frozen bunker, and said they’d be back. Fishing for white perch and croakers was so-so from the dock this weekend. Two trips returned with croakers from the creek on a small aluminum boat in past days. The vessel was similar to the store’s rental boat with a 6 h.p. engine that’s available for only $20 for three hours. The marina features a boat ramp, boat slips, dry-dock boat storage, gas, bait and a few items of tackle. Bait stocked currently usually includes minnows and frozen bait, like spearing and mackerel. Live grass shrimp are usually carried on weekends. A bushel of fresh bunker is normally kept on ice on weekends to sell.

<b>Newport</b>

Crabbing wasn’t bad, considering the new moon, said Paul from <b>Beaver Dam Boat Rentals</b>. New and full moons can trigger the blueclaws to shed. Did they shed? Paul was asked. “Oh, (heck) yeah,” he said, and crabs also mated, and the moons can trigger that, too. Crabbing wasn’t good Sunday, and crabbing hasn’t been as good as Paul would expect. But a couple of trips returned with three-quarters of a bushel of crabs apiece, and the average catch of keepers was probably in the high teens to two dozen, in past days. The crabs were good-sized, and plenty of 6-inchers were around. A 6-3/4-inch crab was in the lead for the contest for the season’s largest. The customer with the largest wins a free rental-boat trip next year. A commercial crabber said that last week was his season’s first when he could offer jumbo crabs. His catch included seven crabs that were 7 ½ inches. Crabs refuse to eat when shedding and mating. But not all crabs shed at once. No customers fished seriously in past days. Linda from the shop called this “forced family fun month.” Crabbers were often groups of people, including many who never crabbed before, let alone fished. But a few sizable croakers were hooked. A few white perch were landed, and schoolie stripers definitely swam the creek. 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. Rental kayaks and canoes are available to paddle the scenic creek. Reserve all the vessels ahead of time, because they book up. Beaver Dam carries everything needed for crabbing, from bait, traps and nets to snacks, drinks and suntan lotion. Beaver Dam can host groups like scouts and family reunions, and can provide an educational day about the environment. Visit <a href=" http://www.crabulousnj.com/Home_Page.php" target="_blank">Beaver Dam’s website</a>.

<b>Cape May</b>

Surf anglers slid in croakers and kingfish from Delaware Bay to the ocean, said Joe from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. Party boats hooked a few near Cape May Point, at the confluence of the bay and the ocean. Summer flounder were sometimes beached from the bay’s surf. A few blackfish snapped along the ocean’s jetties. Nothing was heard about boating for flounder on the bay. Reef 11 and Cape May Reef on the ocean were the hot spots for that. Flounder were nipped from the back bay toward Cape May Inlet and in the main channels, mostly. Baitfish around included small mullet. Smaller baitfish showered along bridges that Joe figured were bay anchovies. Someone last week talked about lots of spearing schooling. No peanut bunker were mentioned, but a few small spots, 4 or 5 inches, were seen.

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