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<b>Port Elizabeth</b>

Sharon from <b>The Girls Place Bait & Tackle</b> heard about a couple of anglers who limited out on weakfish over the weekend off the Club House at Fortescue, she said. Anglers were also bucktailing weaks at the lighthouses and picking up the trout at the jetties in the surf at Cape May. Plenty of flounder kept getting boated in the bay, but no reports about them came in during the weekend. Customers were buying fresh clams, so they were apparently drum fishing in the bay. Shedder crabs for weakfish bait and fresh clams for drum and stripers are stocked. Minnows were scarce locally, but no matter, because The Girls Place has got them. Bloodworms are carried, and large bloods are usually always stocked Wednesdays. Sandworms are also available, and large ones are also stocked Wednesdays, and sands are uncommon in South Jersey but popular up north, and flounder will suck them down. Salted herring strips and vacuum packed herring are carried, and that’s also a great flounder bait and difficult to find. Mackerel is in the freezer, and the shop sells all kinds of squid, including strips that the staff cut themselves and keep in shedder oil. Cuddlefish, creatures that look like a squid and are sometimes called squid fillets, are also kept, and they provide a large, white piece of flesh that looks just like squid but a little thicker. They come already cleaned and can be conveniently sliced up for large strips that look and feel no different than squid strips. The Girls Place is located on Route 47 just after Route 55 ends, and it’s the long, one-story, yellow building on the right. There’s a large parking lot with plenty of room for trailered boats.     

<b>Newport</b>

Fishing improved this past week with rising temperatures, and bay boaters landed flounder and blues, and Nantuxent Creek anglers caught stripers, perch and blueclaw crabs, an e-mail from Mike and Mickie from <b>Sundog Marina</b> said. Fish were exploding around the docks, chasing baitfish, and small blueclaws were showing up in the traps in the creek and up the side creeks. Neil Strang and Lewis Patrick fished the bay offshore of the 6 buoy and bagged a 17-inch flounder and a 19-inch flounder on minnies and mackerel. Reiner, Jim Greg and Wayne on the Ask O Medes fished the 6 and went 5 for 8 on flounder and scored 4 blues on the same baits. Mike Demarco tried the Wreck Buoy and grabbed two keepers including a 24-inch, 5-pound doormat and a 17-incher and four shorts on shedder crabs. Rental boats are available to fish and crab on the creek from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. seven days a week. The shop is open 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day and is carrying shedders, bloodworms, a long list of all the frozen baits and Berkley Gulps, and minnows, scarce this season throughout the state, are likely to be carried by the end of the week.

<b>Dividing Creek</b>

One group of customers who bought bait crabbed at the pond and netted 50 keeper blueclaws, said Ann from <b>Wildlife Boat Rentals</b>. A rental boater over the weekend nabbed eight, but windy weather was putting a dent in the action. Still, the crabs were there. Wildlife is fully stocked with all supplies and bait for crabbing and also with fishing gear and bait.

<b>Fortescue</b>

Flounder were sometimes pulled from the first ditch off Fortescue, said Dave from <b>Al’s Bait & Tackle</b>. The bay was loaded with snapper blues, and more and more weakfish were starting to show up. A couple of anglers limited out on weaks Thursday, and structure in 15 to 20 feet was the place to try for the fish. Some anglers cast bucktails for the weaks, and others dunked shedder crabs, and shedders are stocked. A few weakies were also beached at the Fortescue surf, and bloodworms or shedders will fool them, and white perch could also be landed there on bloods, FishBites bloods or Gulp bloods, and natural bloods are stocked, and so is a full selection of FishBites and Gulps. Not much was heard about weakfishing at the lighthouses at night yet, but anglers were starting to look for those fish. No croakers arrived yet, and drum fishing died off. A few boaters bagged drum Friday night, and the size of the fish seemed to decline, and a 40-pounder was the biggest Dave knew about.

On the <b>Karen Jean</b> anglers were reeling in a mix of flounder and bluefish, Capt. John said. No weakfish were landed on the vessel’s trips so far this season, but others sometimes landed weaks, and if weakfishing turns on, the boat will certainly sail for them. Eventually charters will also fish for croakers.

A drum trip Saturday night produced none of the fish, and a trip Monday night caught two that were probably 40 and 60 pounds, and the <b>Buccaneer</b>’s drum season is now finished, Capt. Ralph said. It was a good season with plenty of catches, and the fish were nice-sized. Charters will now try fishing for flounder and blues, and Ralph will see what happens. Flounder fishing wasn’t great and was spotty, and don’t believe those who say they land 60 or 80. Those reports are probably from party boats anyway with lots of anglers, and they have to weed through a load of throwbacks. Ralph was asked whether weakfish were biting. “Weakfish?” he asked. “What are they?” But actually he did hear about weakfish hooked at Miah Maul or the Elbow, but that might’ve been catches by one or two anglers. Still, he’s going to try weakfishing next week, and he likes fishing for them at night. Anglers at night cast speck rigs to the weaks and work them like bucktails with no bait.

<b>Port Norris</b>

Ed Tyers, Alex Alampi Jr. and Heather King boated seven keeper flounder to 23 inches and released 15 throwbacks, said Jeff from <b>Port Norris Marina</b>. Bennett Greene and Barry Gordon bagged five keepers to 19 inches and let go 20 throwbacks, and Bob Cairo nabbed three keepers to 6.15 pounds and 10 shorts. Mike Zollinas and Mike Zollinas Jr. hooked four keeper flounder, a bunch of throwbacks and five blues. The weekend was fairly slow, because Saturday blew, and Bay Days took place and kept some anglers from showing up, and the weather was good for Bay Days. Very few drum seemed to bite anymore, and a charter boat at the marina landed none last night. Few weakfish also seemed to be caught, but shedder crabs are stocked for weakfish when they do start biting. Minnows are stocked for flounder, even though minnows are scarce in the area. Fresh bunker is no longer being stocked for now, but frozen bunker is on hand for crabbing and such. Frozen squid, mackerel and shucked clams are also carried.

<b>Bivalve</b>

A few weakfish were apparently picked up at the lighthouses, said Capt. Marty from the <b>LegalEase</b>, and he heard about none boated in open water yet, like at the number 1 buoy. Flounder kept biting toward the 19 buoy, 14-Foot Light and Miah Maul, and a friend bagged a good number at the first drop-off straight past the 2 and 3 buoys, and recommended that Marty fish there. A charter on the LegalEase on Thursday will likely run to the Old Grounds in the ocean off Delaware for sharks, sea bass and flounder. Not much news was rolling in about the Old Grounds yet, but he’ll see what happens, he said. One of the things he likes about the area is that it gives up a variety of species, even triggerfish.

Bay Days took place over the weekend and kept lots of anglers away, but drum were boated at Tussy’s Slough, and flounder were scattered about, and a few weakfish were checked in, and one batch came from the Elbow, said Pat from <b>Longreach Marina</b>. A date was set for the Longreach’s 11th Annual Kids Fishing Tournament, and it will be held Saturday, August 11, featuring lots of prizes for the young anglers. Minnows, the favorite flounder bait, were scarce, but fresh shedder crabs and frozen mullet and squid were stocked, and those are good flounder baits, and a 24-inch flattie was checked in that attacked squid. Frozen clams are also carried. Customers and their catches included: Jim Wood Jr., Kyle and Bailey Gleason, Bill Whitehead and Donald Haught, 7 drum to 80 pounds; Bob Helms and Travis Hawk, 7 weakfish, including a 9-pound 5-ouncer that Bob tackled; Bob Helms on another trip, 98-pound drum (a big one!); Claire and Rich Andrus, 4 weakies 25 inches apiece on one day, 4 more on the next, and the sizes of the second ones was unknown; Tom and Scott Sebastian and Jim Melley, 3 drum to 68 pounds; 9-year-old Dalton Storms, 24-inch, doormat flounder, the one mentioned above that inhaled squid; and Mr. and Mrs. McCann, 2 nice flounder.     

<b>Cape May</b>

Will Saunders’ party from Philly Transit Police boated three drum on the <b>Sea Fox</b> on the Jersey side of the bay Sunday evening, and a couple of others were lost, Capt. Gary said. The fish bit on the change of tide toward the last couple hours of daylight in 63-degree water. The anglers watched two or three other drum chase the hooked fish being reeled in, and the ones that chased wouldn’t hit clam baits tossed to them, but they were zipping around quickly. Drum charters will continue to be accepted through the next couple of weeks. The boat competed in the JCAA Fluke Tournament on Saturday and placed 5th at the Cape May port with a 4.75-pounder pulled up at the Old Grounds. But the fishing at the Old Grounds was slow, and besides the winning fish, a 3-pound sea bass and spiny dogfish hit. The Sea Fox this Saturday will compete in the Ladies Invitational Bluefish Tournament benefiting breast cancer treatment. In addition to drum and flounder charters, charters are currently available for sea bass, bluefish and sharks. Tuna trips will be added a little later.

Anglers with <b>Copacetic Sportfishing</b> were putting together good catches of flounder in the bay in 20 to 30 feet on squid, spearing and minnows, Capt. Mike said. Probably 1 in 3 was a keeper to 22 or 23 inches or 3 ½ or 4 pounds. No blues were hooked among the flatties, and the water was in the upper 60s. The boat will compete Saturday in the Ladies Invitational Bluefish Tournament benefiting breast cancer treatment, a strictly trolling event. Besides flounder charters, bluefish charters are available that troll the fish on Clark spoons and cedar plugs, and charters are also sailing for sea bass and sharks, and all of this fishing is in full swing.

Drum trips on the bay are finished for the season on the <b>Canyon Clipper</b>, unless someone still wants to charter for them on the boat, Capt. Stan said. But the boat was sailing for sea bass and flounder lately, and a good number of sea bass, including big ones, were taken at McCrae’s Shoal and Cape May Reef. Flounder were getting boated both in the bay and in the ocean, and lots were throwbacks, and keepers weren’t really being bailed yet, but some were bagged, and bigger ones were caught at the Old Grounds. Charters are about to start running offshore for sharks and tuna, and the boat will compete in Jim’s Bait & Tackle’s Shark Tournament this weekend. Now’s the time to fight makos. “That’s for sure,” Stan said. Makos and threshers were already caught, and not much was heard about tuna yet, but a few were found. 

Drum fishing was winding down on the <b>Down Deep</b>, and two more drum trips are scheduled, but charters are starting to want to target other species, though drum might keep biting through mid month, Capt. Bob said. The drum aren’t finicky, but they’re turning on for an hour or an hour and a half when they’re biting. Andy Gomeringer’s party landed seven nice drum. Kevin High’s party caught bluefish, flounder and sea bass in the ocean. Bill Gallagher’s gang was aboard to compete in the South Jersey Shark Tournament this weekend and fought two brown sharks to the boat 30 miles offshore, and shark charters are now available. Bob also marked lots of tuna on that trip, and the anglers didn’t try for tuna, because they were hunting sharks, but Bob wouldn’t hesitate to charter for tuna now, because the marks were that good. The boat will compete this Saturday in the Ladies Invitational Bluefish Tournament benefiting breast cancer patients. 

Capt. George from the <b>Heavy Hitter</b> competed in the South Jersey Shark Tournament from Cape on Friday and Saturday as a guest on the Erika Sue with owner Norm Morrison and crew, George said. On Friday they fished at the Arlene wreck, but the water was green, off color and even smelled raunchy, so they headed to 19-Fathom Lump, and only bluefish hit. On Saturday they fished the northern tip of the Elephant Trunk and nailed a 150-pound mako, and other sharks appeared but grabbed no baits, and one was hooked for a moment but got off. On both days the water was in the high 60s to 70 degrees. George saw boaters coming back to the dock Saturday and Sunday with drum catches from Delaware Bay, and a charter asked to go either drum fishing or bluefishing next week, and George will wait and see how the drum bite is going. Plenty of bluefish should be around, and the Heavy Hitter will compete Saturday in the Ladies Invitational Bluefish Tournament. Charters are available for drum, flounder, sea bass, blues and sharks, and tuna fishing will start next.

Anglers on the <b>Miss Chris</b> were bagging flounder to 4 pounds on trips 8 a.m. daily, a fax from the boat said. Jimmy Castie nabbed a 4-1/4-pounder, and Tom Plentif took a 4-pounder. Nighttime drum trips were good for fish to 65 pounds including a number of limits. Walt Hickson limited out on drum to 67 pounds, and Dan Little boated drum 66 pounds and 45 pounds, and Steve Ramon limited out on drum to 64 pounds. On the <b>Lady Chris</b> patrons were landing mixed bags of flounder to 3 pounds and small bluefish on two 4-hour trips daily.

In the bay black drum kept biting at Tussy’s Slough late in the day and well past dark, and loads of small bluefish tore up baits there, said Matt from <b>Jim’s Bait & Tackle</b> in a fax. “Honker” stripers were coming from the surf, and Joan Connor caught her biggest-ever linesider, a 41-pounder, at Sunset Beach on Thursday on fresh clam, and Tim Holloway weighed in a 22-pounder that he dragged onto the sand at Baltimore Avenue. The Wildwood Crest beaches were giving up a good run of 1- to 3-pound blues on mullet or mackerel. The JCAA Fluke Tournament took place over the weekend, and those who fished the Old Grounds for the flatties found seas fairly rough but still managed to pull nice fish. Tony Mosloskie fluke fished along the Intracoastal Waterway behind Wildwood Crest and took first place with a 6.63-pound flattie. Noel Beale fished the Old Grounds and won second places with a 5.57-pounder, and Rick Shindel won third with a 5.21-pounder. Even the tenth-place fish was a respectable 3.73 pounds Shark fishing came on fairly strong, and lots of threshers were fought. The area along the 20-fathom line south of Cape May was productive, and a few of the good spots included the 19-Fathom Lump, the Jacob Jones wreck, the Hooper wreck and Massey’s Canyon. Harry Peterson conquered a 175-pound mako at the South Pawl on Wednesday, and Harry Matthews took a 193-pound mako at the Northern Pacific wreck the same day. Jim’s Bait & Tackle’s 25th Annual Shark Tournament takes place this coming Saturday, and that should be prime time for makos. The South Jersey Shark Tournament was held this weekend, and plenty of makos and threshers were weighed in.

Flounder bit in the bay at the Anchorage, the 19 buoy and north of  Bug Light and also were hooked at Cape May Point, and the Old Grounds held a few of the flatbacks, said Capt. Fred from <b>Harbor View Marina</b> in a fax. Drum fishing remained strong for bruisers to 70 pounds at the Pin Top and Tussy’s Slough, and many boaters limited out. Mako sharks to 160 pounds and threshers were caught over the weekend. Action farther offshore also began during the weekend with yellowfin tuna and mahi mahi boated at Baltimore Canyon and bluefin tuna picked up there in 40 to 50 fathoms inside the tip. Closer to shore, sea bass could be bagged at Cape May Reef, and bluefish ravaged the Cigar, and smaller ones invaded Cape May Point and Cape May Inlet.

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