<b>Port Elizabeth</b>

Weakfish were bagged over the weekend, including on spots, said Sharon from <b>The Girls Place Bait & Tackle</b>. Spots swam the bay, and a few croakers could be found, and the bigger ones hovered around deeper water. Flounder fishing was supposedly decent the weekend before last. One angler checked in a puffer, an infrequent catch in the bay, that he landed off East Point. Another hooked five keeper stripers in the bay on mackerel. Fresh spots and strips of spots are in supply at the store, and shedder crabs were a popular bait at this time of year. Shedders were difficult to find lately, and apparently the shed had been “off,” but a bunch were being delivered this week. Shedders are always stocked each day, but the amount wasn’t as much as usual. Sharon guessed that the shed picked up, because more seemed available now. The shop also carries a large stock of other baits for the bay and also provides a full range of offshore baits, such as butterfish and sardines. Offshore baits should be ordered in advance. 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>

Despite the weather, a few reports about good catches came in, said Mike and Mickie from <b>Sundog Marina</b> in a fax. Reiner Schmidt and crew on Thursday bagged 17 flounder, including a 25-incher that won the pool, and a few sharks and skates were mixed in. Minnows and Gulps were the baits. Lewis Patrick and Shigeru Mukoyoura on the same day fished off the Old House and boated four flounder to 22 inches on minnows and Gulp new penny shrimp. On Saturday Ray Shadow and friend scored two keeper flounder to 23 inches off the Old House and a keeper weakfish at the 6 buoy. Capt. Mike Goodenough on the Other Woman, sailing from the marina, ran a charter two Sundays ago that produced seven keeper weakfish, 10 croakers and lots of throwbacks at the 6 buoy on shedder crabs. Perch fishing in Nantuxent Creek was the talk of Newport, and coolers were filled to the brim in no time, and a 1-1/2-pounder was weighed in. The whiteys bit shedders and bloodworms, and crabbing stalled for the moment, and four to six dozen was the average catch. The shop’s rental boats are available to fish or crab on the creek, and rental boaters receive no less than a dozen free blueclaws. Striped bass to 24-1/2-inches were being seen around the docks, so keepers should show up soon. Bloodworms, shedder crabs and frozen baits are stocked, and Sundog opens at 6 a.m. for boat rentals, bait, gas and all boating and fishing supplies.  

<b>Dividing Creek</b>

The storm last week dirtied Dividing Creek, even through the weekend, and that hampered crabbing a little, but customers from Friday to Sunday still nabbed 1 to 3 dozen keeper blueclaws per trip, said Ann from <b>Wildlife Boat Rentals</b>. Nobody did great, but the catches weren’t bad, and everybody seemed happy. Wildlife sends out coupons to past customers that are used to redeem a dozen free crabs, so that provided even more hardshells for dinner. Ann sometimes also slips new customers a coupon when they stop by. The water should be clearing, and crabbing should continue to dole out plenty of catches possible at this time of year, the peak of the season. The crabs grow to their largest sizes by the end of summer and fall, gaining bulk on every shed that usually occurs on the full moon during each of the warm months. No shedders were seen yet this weekend, although the full moon took place Monday. Ann did see a number of monster-sized crabs come from the dock this weekend. Nobody fished the creek this past week, but several stripers including a keeper were pulled from its waters the previous week. Other fish including perch and catfish also show up at times.  Wildlife will extend its hours this coming Labor Day Weekend, opening the doors Friday through Monday. The hours Friday and Monday will be 6 a.m. to 3 p.m., and the hours on the weekend will be 5 a.m. to 3 p.m. Afterward the shop will be open 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays through the last weekend of September. Wildlife carries all supplies needed for a day of crabbing, from bait, traps and nets to items such as suntan lotion, bug spray and sunglasses. Fishing tackle and bait are also on hand, and live crabs are sold for eating.

<b>Fortescue</b>

Anglers on the <b>Buccaneer</b> scored a good catch of flounder in the bay the other day, nailing 15 keepers to 23 inches and probably six times as many throwbacks, Capt. Ralph said. But the flatties seemed to be working their way out of the bay and into the ocean. A couple of blues and no croakers were also landed. Plenty of blues could be hooked, and croakers were probably swimming the lower bay but were absent near Fortescue. Ralph heard that some boaters in the past days picked up weakfish, especially near the 6 buoy, and a couple returned with 20 of the fish.

Weakfish were hooked at the 6 buoy, and they were hitting toward the top of the tide and when the current was running well in the mornings, said Dave from <b>Al’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Lots were small, but anglers could limit out, and larger ones swam closer to the Club House, but fewer were found there than at the 6. Shedder crabs as always were the bait of choice, and the shop raises its own shedders and carries plenty. Bluefishing was good, and the speedsters were larger than before or 3 to 4 pounds. Croakers were all over, and Dave fished yesterday and caught croakers and blues. Not as many small croakers were on tap as before, and previously customers were saying larger ones bit in the lower bay, but lately customers were fishing near Fortescue, so no word was heard about the southern bay. Porgies and spots were also picked up when anglers were weakfishing near Fortescue, and the porgies and spots hit bloodworms and shedders. Flounder were still boated from Flat Top to Miah Maul. Surf fishers at Fortescue definitely saw action with kingfish, spots, croakers and weakfish at times. Fishing in general woke up since the storm.    

<b>Bivalve</b>

More weakfish than before were reeled up, and places they bit included the number 1 buoy, the E.P. Tower and Miah Maul, said Pat from <b>Longreach Marina</b>. Flounder and blues were also among the fish customers brought back to the dock. Anglers and their catches included: Jim Wood Jr. and Kevin Dick, 6 weakies 19 inches apiece and a flounder; Jim Wood Jr. on another trip with his dad and John Baglio, 6 weakies; Ross DelRossi and Fred Edwards, 9 flounder, all 22 inches apiece except an 8-1/2-pound, 27-inch doormat; John and Kim Plummer, 4 keeper weaks bagged and 11 shorts released, 3 croakers, 3 blues, 3 spots; Bob Barnhart and Bud DeSantis from Atco from the Square Circle Fishing Club, 4 flounder to 20 inches and lots of throwbacks; Roger and Vivian McCann, 12 blues 4 to 5 pounds each and 2 flounder; Dalton and Mike Storms, 18-1/2-inch flounder, 18-inch flounder and some really nice blues; Ziggy Lisinski Jr. and III, 16 weakies to 22 inches and 8 blues before noon; Adam Laspee, 17-inch flounder and lots of throwbacks; Chuck Ramirez and John McGowan, 20-inch flounder, 17-inch weakie, 12 croakers; Matt Butcher, 21-inch flounder; 7-year-old Steven Taylor, 2 weakfish, 1 blue, 12 perch; and Rob Battalini and Mark Mangli, 4 big flounder, 10 big croakers. Shedder crabs, minnows and a full supply of frozen baits are stocked.

<b>Cape May</b>

On the <b>Heavy Hitter</b> a charter fished the lower bay along the channel on Saturday and caught flounder--a bunch of throwbacks but a couple of bigger ones to 5 pounds--a mess of blues, including two or three at a time, and probably 25 oyster crackers, Capt. George said. John Stonick, Mike Lindsner and Paul Brennan were the anglers. On Sunday a charter fished along the ocean beaches and hooked a load of croakers and a bunch of blues, and a brown shark was also landed, and a bigger one broke off. A flounder was also reeled in that a shark bit in half. The Heavy Hitter’s first overnight canyon charter for tuna is on the books for this Friday to Saturday.

Last week’s weather kept all but tournament anglers docked, and flounder fishing started back up slowly after the storm, probably because of a big swell, said Matt from <b>Jim’s Bait & Tackle</b> in a fax. Smaller flounder bit at first, but catches improved substantially in the ocean at the Old Grounds and the Ben Franklin Bridge rubble as the weekend progressed. Capt. Lyle Rutty fished the Old Grounds on Saturday and limited out on flatties to 8 pounds. The bridge rubble produced nice fish for those who were willing to sacrifice a few rigs. Mike Sowicz fished there on the Down Deep and weighed in an 8.62-pound flounder, and Tim Harding fished at the rubble and checked in an 8.02-pounder.

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