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Delaware Bay Fishing Report 8-30-16


<b>Port Elizabeth</b>

Many weakfish were reportedly boated from the bay, said Sharon from <b>The Girls Place Bait & Tackle</b>. Croakers, too, and the croakers schooled off Reed’s Beach. Not much was heard about summer flounder from the bay or anywhere. But those who targeted flounder picked some, she thought, she said. She meant including on the bay, apparently. Some bigger flounder are usually caught in September. Nothing was heard about spots, surprisingly. Spots usually show up in late summer. But fish were around to be caught in the bay and elsewhere. In Maurice River, white perch fishing was great. A friend bailed lots, and they were big, up to 2 pounds. Sharon hopes for good fishing for migrating striped bass this fall. The friend fishing for perch pulled a few stripers, including a keeper, from the river. Resident stripers, young, yet to migrate, always swim the river. Crabbing was fairly good, and many customers bought supplies for crabbing. Crabs will stop shedding for the season soon, and crabs can become heavier, full of meat, then. When crabs shed and grow a new shell, less meat can fill the shell at first, until the crab itself grows, filling the shell. 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>

Not so many summer flounder were seen from the bay locally, but catches of blues and weakfish were encouraging, said Tony from <b>Money Island Marina</b>. Not a lot of reports rolled in about the weaks, but a couple of anglers who targeted them found good-sized ones, 20-some inches, a better population of large weaks than in some time in the bay. Nantuxent Creek, running past the shop, was loaded with throwback striped bass mostly 18 to 24 inches, occasionally bigger. Sometimes a bare treble hook, without bait, could be cast into the water to land a striper. Tony only saw that many in the creek a few times in the past that he remembered. A few white perch, sometimes a croaker, were reeled from the creek. More might’ve been, if anglers could’ve gotten a hook past the stripers. Customers fish the creek including from the marina’s fishing docks. No spots were seen yet this season, though spots can show up now during some years. The shop’s working on plans to raise spots. Enjoy a <a href=" https://www.facebook.com/events/101302236993630/" target="_blank"> Fall Feast Barbecue and Aquaculture Talk</a> from 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, September 17, at the marina. The marina’s been holding barbecues and talks this season that’ve been a success. The marina features a bait and tackle shop, a boat ramp, boat slips, dry-dock boat storage, fishing docks and gas. The fishing docks, $5 per adult and free for kids, can offer angling for white perch, small striped bass, and croakers, at different times of year. A 12-foot aluminum boat with a 2.5 h.p. outboard is available to rent to fish the creek.

<b>Newport</b>

Crabbing was good, Paul from <b>Beaver Dam Boat Rentals</b> said. Catches ranged from a dozen keepers to a bushel and averaged two to four dozen. Fewer were 6 inches than before, but plenty of decent-sized, including many 5-1/2-inchers, were trapped among throwbacks. Some crabbers tossed back smaller keepers to keep larger. A trip that fished landed two 5-gallon buckets of white perch. The anglers were pleased, Paul said, and customers crab and fish on rental boats towed up Oranokin Creek, running past the shop. Rental kayaks and canoes are also available to paddle the scenic creek, and reserve rentals ahead, because they book up. Crabbing will be available daily through Monday, Labor Day, and afterward will be available Saturdays and Sundays through Columbus Day weekend, weather permitting. That’s an annual schedule, and sometimes fall weather closes in, forcing crabbing to end before Columbus Day. Crabbing would also be open on Columbus Day itself, a Monday, if weather allows. Though crabbing will only be available on Saturdays and Sundays after Labor Day, the store will remain open daily for supplies, like every year. Hunters also stop by after Labor Day, including for duck-hunting on the creek, during duck-hunting seasons. The store stocks everything needed for crabbing, from bait, traps and nets to snacks, drinks and suntan lotion. Beaver Dam can host groups like scouts and 4H, including for an educational day on the water, and events like birthday parties and family reunions. Visit <a href=" http://www.crabulousnj.com/Home_Page.php" target="_blank">Beaver Dam’s website</a>.

<b>Fortescue</b>

Weakfish, blues and blowfish were pounded Saturday from the bay with <b>Erica Leigh Charters</b>, Capt. Tom said. The fishing was excellent, and the trip had to move at first. Then the catches just took off, including double-headers. About 35 weakfish were released, after the anglers limited out on the fish. The weaks were big, including 20 to 22 inches, some of them 4 or 4 ½ pounds. The blowfish were a somewhat surprising catch, and many of the puffers schooled. Tom had just had blowfish for dinner, when he gave this report in a phone call. Was a good day of fishing, and the anglers were happy, he said. Tide didn’t seem to matter, or the fish seemed to bite no matter the tide stage. The boat’s mate returned on another trip, and caught the fish again.

<b>Cape May</b>

Summer flounder seemed to be boated on the bay farther north, like toward Fortescue, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. More was heard about flounder caught on the ocean and in the back bay, because of the shop’s location. But weakfish and croakers schooled the bay at 20-Foot Slough and Brandywine. Kingfish, croakers, small flounder, small weaks and tons of blues swam Cape May Channel. In the surf, the same fish were sometimes banked from Poverty Beach on the ocean to Delaware Bay. Cape May is at the confluence of the ocean and the bay. Large sharks were fought from the surf at night. Mullet began to be seen in the surf and back bay. Snapper blues should chase them in the surf soon, and maybe the mullet will attract red drum to the surf. The drum, the southern species, showed up there in late summer in recent years. Pelagics like Spanish mackerel could be found in the inshore ocean. Mahi mahi held from 5-Fathom Bank in the ocean to offshore. For offshore boaters, waters seemed to begin clearing a little. One angler landed a yellowfin tuna at Baltimore Canyon. Lots of white marlin seemed to hold at Wilmington Canyon’s north end last week. Again, water seemed to begin to clear there and at Lindenkohl Canyon. Crabbing was excellent.

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