<b>Port Elizabeth</b>

Customers boated a variety of fish from the bay, including a few throwback striped bass and some croakers, kingfish and weakfish, said Sharon from <b>The Girls Place Bait & Tackle</b>. Some spots were around, too, she thought. A few customers said they still decked summer flounder from the bay. One even caught puppy black drum from the bay, probably along the lighthouses or structure like that. Nobody mentioned fishing the ocean for flounder. Strong wind prevented flounder fishing at ocean reefs and wrecks currently, and anglers hoped to reach those places before flounder season is closed starting Sunday. White perch fishing was good on Maurice River, like all summer. Anglers hope for a good striped bass migration this fall. No migrating stripers were heard about from farther north in the state yet, and the season was early. The migration usually gets under way now at Rhode Island and Long Island. Stripers migrate to the local area from north in fall, heading south for winter. Stripers currently caught from the bay were younger, smaller stripers, living locally, yet to migrate. Crabbing went pretty well, and lots of frozen bunker was sold for crabbing bait. Baits stocked include minnows and bloodworms. Fresh bunker arrives almost daily. A few shedder crabs are stocked, and the supply is tapering for the season. Crabs will stop shedding soon through winter. Eels will probably begin to be carried next week. 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 lots of activity during the weekend at <b>Money Island Marina</b>, Bruce said. Some good-sized summer flounder were docked from the bay. Not a lot, or few and far between, but flounder still swam the bay. Lots of bluefish swarmed the bay. Many white perch were boated on Nantuxent Cree, running past the shop. Only a few of the perch were nabbed from the dock, the shop’s Facebook page said. But croakers seemed to show back up along the dock, and a few, good-sized, were landed there, it said. Was a good weekend, Bruce said. The marina features a boat ramp, boat slips, dry-dock boat storage, a fishing dock, 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. A 12-foot aluminum boat with a 6 h.p. outboard is available to rent to fish the creek. The rate is $40 for 3 hours and $80 for a full day.

<b>Newport</b>

Crabbing somewhat improved this weekend, compared with the previous weekend, at <b>Beaver Dam Boat Rentals</b>, Paul said. Catches this weekend were spotty, but better than the previous weekend, when crabs shedding and mating seemed to affect catches. This weekend, one boat would trap 50 keepers, and another would trap five. Crabs caught were either large or small. A bunch of the large were 6 inches, and a 6-3/4-incher was the largest this year at the shop, so far. The rental-boater with the year’s largest wins a free boat rental next year. Crabbing currently was better than last year at this time, and the catches seemed to be improving each year. That’s after Hurricane Sandy in the fall of 2011, and a severely cold winter in 2012 to 2013, affected crabbing. Eight inches of ice formed on Oranokin Creek, where customers crab, that winter. The crew from shop never saw ice that thick on the creek before. Cold like that can kill many crabs. Only 2 inches of ice formed on the creek this past winter. Small crabs began to appear in the creek that came from Delaware Bay. They move to the creek, seeking warmth, as the bay cools, and could bode well for next year’s crabbing. The crabs were entering the creek like they should. If they survive winter, they should begin to grow when the creek warms back up, boosting the population for crabbing. Weather was windy on the creek this weekend, especially on Sunday, and that didn’t help crabbing. Customers who fished this weekend landed croakers. White perch also swam the creek. Customers crab and fish on rental boats towed up Oranokin Creek. The staff checks on them each 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. All the vessels should be reserved ahead of time, because they can book up. All the vessels will be available on Saturdays and Sundays through Columbus Day weekend. They’ll also be available on Columbus Day, Monday, October 12. Afterward, they’ll no longer be available, until next spring. Although the vessels are available on weekends, Beaver Dam is open daily for supplies. The shop stocks everything needed for crabbing, from bait, traps and nets to drinks, snacks and suntan lotion. Visit <a href=" http://www.crabulousnj.com/Home_Page.php" target="_blank">Beaver Dam’s website</a>.

<b>Fortescue</b>

Summer flounder, lots of small bluefish, a limit of one weakfish per angler, forty more weaks released and kingfish were pounded on a charter Saturday on the bay with <b>Erica Leigh Charters</b>, Capt. Tom said. Great catch, and the fish seemed to be biting toward the tops of tides and the beginning of outgoing. They hit pretty non-stop during that time on the trip, fun fishing, and hardly any junk fish were in the mix. The trip was able to fish at the same spot the whole time, and probably 25 boats fished the area then. The anglers with Erica Leigh seemed happy. Weather was gorgeous. Looking ahead, fall striped bass charters are beginning to book aboard already that will fish the bay.

Back to Top