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<b>Port Elizabeth</b>

Anglers reeled up flounder in the northern bay like around the 6 buoy and the Elbow, said Sharon from <b>The Girls Place Bait & Tackle</b>. Croakers also swam around the 6, but not many, and croaker fishing sounded better in the southern bay. Spots were also holding around the 6 and are great baits for weakfish and flounder. The shop is also stocking fresh spots that are eating size. Not much was heard about weakfish, but a few were supposedly brought to the dock at Anchor Marina, but weakfishing was probably a slow pick at best. Some anglers tried for weaks at night under lights at the lighthouses, and they didn’t manage a lot of weaks, but they picked up spadefish. Spadefish are a southern species, more common in Chesapeake Bay, and supposedly bite on clams when anglers figure out the right depth. One customer said short stripers were gathered around Miah Maul and other structure, and Sharon knew that puppy drum were landed around structure, and puppies can be caught throughout the season on clams at certain spots. Nearly all baits are stocked, including shedder crabs, minnows, large bloodworms and usually fresh bunker that arrives every other day. The new Gulp Alive baits are also carried and are the same as the original Gulp scented rubber baits but come in a convenient bucket container filled with scented oil that keeps the baits fresh, instead of coming in the original plastic bag. 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 was a matter of “beating the heat” and being in the right place, said Mike and Mickie from <b>Sundog Marina</b> in an e-mail. Everybody seemed to catch lots, but shorts outnumbered keepers. Lewis Patrick on the SeaScript returned to the dock with 12 flounder to 23 inches taken on drifts between the 6 buoy and the stakes on his favorite bait, Berkley Gulps, and minnows. Ken Fraizer, his wife and his grandson fished south of the 6, bagged only one keeper flounder and spent a bunch of time trying to avoid sharks. Capt. Eric and his wife from the O-Beth, a charter boat from Margate, fished on their anniversary and had a great trip, landing six keeper flounder, including a 9-pound whopper, and eight shorts at Brandywine Light. On Friday Capt. Mike on the Other Lady, a charter boat sailing from Sundog, targeted the wreck buoy and came up with six keepers and a handful of blues on squid, minnows and mackerel. On Saturday he and his wife returned and scored six more keepers to 22 inches at the wreck and the 6. Also on Saturday, Ray Shadow and his wife only grabbed one keeper flounder at the 6.  Shedder crabs, minnows, bloodworms and all the frozen baits are stocked. Sundog’s rental boats are available to crab and fish on Nantuxent Creek, and all rental boaters are offered no less than a dozen free blueclaws. White perch and short stripers can be hooked in the creek.

<b>Dividing Creek</b>

Fifty crabs was the top catch among customers at <b>Wildlife Boat Rentals</b> over the weekend, and two dozen was probably the average, so that’s not bad, Ann said. Maybe one-quarter of the blueclaws were large, and most were just over the minimum size, 4 1/2 inches in width from point to point.  But Ann was seeing some impressive ones. A 23-inch striper was caught and released in the creek just outside Maple Pond. Striper fishing is more common in the creek in spring and fall, but that catch was proof that some of the fish swim the waters all season. White perch can also be picked up in the creek, and so can catfish, and sometimes small weakfish are hooked. Customers can crab from Wildlife’s rental boats, but they can also crab from land nearby. Turkey Point is a popular spot, one of the best in the state, to crab from land and is located right down the road from Wildlife. Ann can point you in the right direction. Police had been keeping crabbers away from Turkey Point a couple of years ago because of a drowning, but lots of legal access is available there, and the police seemed to be allowing crabbers back to the area with no problems this year. Just be careful to stay away from the no-trespassing spots where drainage pipes pass under the road, which are marked by signs. That’s where the drowning took place, and steer clear for safety. Apparently the light was green, and get down there, because this is the height of crabbing season. The hardshells have been through sheds this season that are their growing process, and it’s time to nab the large ones. Wildlife sells all supplies needed for a day of crabbing, from bunker bait, traps, handlines and nets to supplies like bug spray, sunglasses and suntan lotion. Frozen grass shrimp, and fresh ones when available, and minnows are stocked for fishing. Live crabs are sold for eating. Wildlife is open 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. Fridays and 5 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.     

<b>Fortescue</b>

On the <b>Buccaneer</b> flounder and small croakers were reeled aboard, but the flounder were being worked over by now, Capt. Ralph said. “How many can you catch?” he asked. More croakers were apparently moving into the southern bay, so Ralph hoped they would push north or closer to Fortescue. Small blues were also picked among the catch, and they were on the small side of small, and patrons were usually tossing them back. No weakfish were really being caught, and an angler might land four or five if fishing in the right place, but no large body of the trout arrived. If they do arrive, the Buccaneer will chase them.

The <b>Karen Jean</b> was sailing back to port from a charter this evening when Capt. John gave this report, and he said a mixed bag of bluefish, flounder and croakers was hooked. Charters will keep targeting these fish, and if weakfish show up, they’ll also run for weakies.

Croakers bit at Reef Site 2 on the Delaware side of the bay toward Miah Maul, and none were large, but bigger ones will come in as the season progresses, said Dave from <b>Al’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Shedder crabs, bloodworms, FishBites artificial bloods or Gulp fake bloods, all available at the shop, will catch them. Flounder were around, but they were on their way out, and anglers had to work for them, and deeper water around the channels were best. Very few weakfish—only a few here or there—were taken. But small blues were everywhere, including the surf, and sharks were also on tap from the suds to the deep. Sandsharks and 4-foot brown sharks haunted the Fortescue wash, and try tossing out cut bait such as mackerel on a shark rig, available at the shop, for a brawl with these ornery fighters. Fortescue Creek was good for white perch and striped bass fishing. Bloodworms will trick both, and bucktails can also fool the stripers, and the linesiders will hit during both day and night.

<b>Port Norris</b>

Flounder Alley was still the spot everyone targeted for the flatties, said Jeff from <b>Port Norris Marina</b>. No croakers were hitting nearby, but  croakers were biting in the southern bay, and maybe they’ll arrive closer to Port Norris by the weekend. No substantial numbers of weakfish moved in yet. Chris Derr and Rob Fullerton banged five keeper flounder to 21 inches and 20 blues, and Joe T. and Dan C. also took five flatbacks plus 10 small blues and five weakfish. Nathan Margoline, 11, hauled in a 6-1/2-pound, 25-inch flounder, his first big doormat. Shedder crabs, minnows and all the usual baits are well stocked.

<b>Bivalve</b>

Flounder were scattered all over, and customers found some at the number 1 buoy, some at Miah Maul and some at other places, and no particular place seemed to hold most of the fish, said Pat from <b>Longreach Marina</b>. No croakers were being seen, but apparently croakers were hooked farther north, and Pat hoped they would spread closer to the nearby area. Frank Jones and Fred Kimble limited out on stripers and caught bluefish and tog, so apparently they fished the rocks around the lighthouses, and that’s probably where they landed the stripers. Donald Hought and Jim Wood Jr. scored five weakfish from 4 to 5 pounds but weren’t saying where. Kim and John Plummer bagged eight flounder to 25 inches farther north like around the wreck buoy. Anglers and their catches also included: Gary Wilson, Marion Kennedy and Gary Harbs, 8 flounder; Robert and Charles Lewis, 6 flounder, a weakie and a 3-foot shark that was released; Ross DelRossi Sr. and Jr., 2 flounder, 2 blues and a sea bass; Rich Jillard, Frank Przelomiec and Scott DeLari, 6 flounder; Wayne and Ryan Day, 3 flounder to 26 inches; and Joe Crist and Frank Flashel, 4 flounder from 19 ½ to 21 ½ inches. Longreach Marina’s Annual Kids Fishing Tournament takes place Saturday, August 11.

<b>Dennisville</b>

The Pin Top and the Egg Island Flats started putting out flounder, and 60-Foot Slough was giving up a bunch of small weakfish, not many keepers, mixed with croakers, said Tim from <b>Captain Tate’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Wildwood Reef was loaded with porgies and sea bass, and trollers at the inshore lumps in the ocean could come across bonito, Spanish mackerel and as always bluefish. Bluefin tuna fishing was starting to be good at places such as Massey’s Canyon, 19-Fathom Lump, the East Lump and the Cigar. Most inshore lumps were holding a few, and Kevin Bolger bagged two bluefins, one in the slot limit larger than 47 inches and one in the slot limit smaller, at Massey’s Canyon. Live spot on the bottom drew the strikes for Kevin, and a bite couldn’t be bought on cut bait. Kimmel Schaefer from Schaefer Fireworks fought three 80- to 100-pound yellowfin tuna to the boat at the Elephant Trunk. Good-sized mahi mahi were around, and tuna were also hitting farther offshore at the canyons, and so were blue marlin. Paul May caught a blue, and Tim believed the billfish came from Baltimore Canyon. Tim wasn’t asked about the types of bait stocked at the shop. But last week Rusty from the store said live spots were going to be available, and plenty of other baits are carried, including shedder crabs, minnows, frozen spearing, mackerel and herring.

<b>Cape May</b>

Flounder fishing was spotty, but the fish were showing up in the bay a little better than before, and the 9 and 10 buoys put out some keepers, and Brandywine Shoal also gave up some, said Matt from <b>Jim’s Bait & Tackle</b> in a fax. Flounder anglers were also taking the run to Reef 11 and the Old Grounds to try for bigger flatties. Croakers filled the bay in pretty decent numbers at Bayshore Channel and around Brandywine Slough. Surf fishing was a little slow, but croakers, herring and occasional flounder could be taken at Higbee’s Beach and Sunset Beach. Bonito and Spanish mackerel showed up at different times at the Northeast, Middle and East lumps and Sea Isle Ridge. First thing in the mornings was best, and spoons and small feathers did the trick. Tuna fishing was good both inshore and offshore.

Lots of croakers of mixed sizes were pulled aboard off Cape May Point on the <b>Canyon Clipper</b>, and more and more of the hardheads will appear as the season progresses, Capt. Stan said. The boat was sailing for flounder at Cape May Reef and doing well, and the bite at the Old Grounds picked up a little. Tuna fishing was pretty decent on the vessel at 19-Fathom Lump, where charters landed one or two bluefins per trip, and mahi mahi were mixed in. The boat did no bluefish trolling in the ocean recently, but the bluefishing is available.

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