<b>Port Elizabeth</b>

Anglers were talking about a few weakfish picked up a couple of miles south of the Turn Buoys, off Thompson’s Beach and inshore of Bug Light, said Sharon from <b>The Girls Place Bait and Tackle</b>. Everybody was now mostly waiting for striped bass season, and bay anglers will probably start seriously looking for the stripers by the first weekend of October or around Columbus Day. A few customers were already catching some keeper bass, none big, usually around 28 inches, and usually up the creeks. Maybe the fish could also be found at the lighthouses and structure in the bay. Nobody talked about flounder fishing over the weekend, and windy weather probably kicked up seas and kept most from sailing to the most productive flounder spots like the Old Grounds in the ocean. But flounder season closed today. Nothing was heard about croakers. Shedder crabs are still in stock at the shop, and minnows should remain on hand as long as the store stays open this season. The store also carries a large supply of other baits, including a full selection of offshore baits, and order the offshore baits a couple of days 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>Dividing Creek</b>

Crabbing bounced back this weekend after a brief lull, and catches were good again, said Ann from <b>Wildlife Boat Rentals</b>. Some customers nabbed 3 ½ or 4 dozen keeper blueclaws, and nobody seemed to claim less than a dozen, and everybody was happy. Those who caught the least probably put out the least effort or had old traps and so on. The sizes of the hardshells were also large, and some big monsters were coming up. So it was very good. Even Ann crabbed off the dock between customers and managed 42 of the critters. Crabbing season is in high gear, and this time of year traditionally gives up the biggest blueclaws, because they’ve gone through sheds throughout the season and have reached their largest sizes before heading to the mud for the winter when the weather turns cold. Go crabbing now or hold your peace until next year, and now is probably the best chance for good catches. Wildlife will remain open through September before closing for winter, and the shop is open 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. The store carries all supplies needed for day of crabbing, including bait, traps, hand lines and even items such as bug spray, suntan lotion and sun glasses. Live crabs are also sold for eating. Fishing bait and tackle are also carried, and no more fishing bait will probably be re-stocked this season, so whatever is on hand will be carried until it’s sold out. Anglers fishing Dividing Creek can catch small croakers, sheepsheads, blues, stripers and other species.

<b>Fortescue</b>

Fishing stayed about the same as before, and a few weakfish were around, and small blues could be fought, Capt. Ralph from the <b>Buccaneer</b> said. His striper charters should begin during the second half of October.

Catches weren’t very good over the weekend, but anglers on the <b>Karen Jean</b> boated a few flounder, a few blues and some weakfish, Capt. John said. The flounder came from the edge of the shipping channel, and the weaks bit off Fortescue. No croakers were pulled aboard, but a few croakers were swimming close to shore. Flounder season closed, so charters will now concentrate on weaks, blues and croakers until they start sailing for striped bass after mid October.

Weakfish were reeled in around the 6 buoy, said Ed from <b>Al’s Bait & Tackle</b>, and everybody he spoke with who tried for them landed a few. He caught eight keepers in 3 hours, and a few good anglers limited out. Bug Light was also putting out weaks, for those who wanted to travel. But locally the 6 was the popular spot, and for example the E.P. Tower only gave up sharks. Croakers also bit at the 6, and Ed nabbed six nice ones on the same trip, and large spots also schooled the area. The bay’s fall migration of stripers should kick off by the third week of October, but plenty of short stripers could be found up the creeks or in the evenings along the lighthouses. Ed’s son Dave, who usually gives the report for Al’s, was landing quite a few small stripers up Fortescue Creek, and Ed has caught and released 40 or 50 per trip at the lighthouses, where plugs or fresh bunker will take them. The shop is still carrying shedder crabs, and some minnows are left but probably won’t be re-stocked once they run out, because flounder season closed. 

<b>Bivalve</b>

Customers seemed to catch a few more weakfish than before whenever the anglers could fish between rough weather, said Pat from <b>Longreach Marina</b>. Either forecasts for bad weather or bad weather itself often kept people from fishing. The weaks seemed to bite close to shore, including between the number 1 buoy and the coast. Anglers and their catches included: Anthony and Al Albano, 10 weakies, a 5-1/2-pound flounder, a bunch of blues, croakers and spots, a good catch; Brad Phillips and Mark Hoffman, 6 weakies, two more nice ones that were lost, and lots of spots; Travis Phillips, 2-pound weak; George Banks, Al Trav and Joe Urick, 4 keeper weakies among 25 that were hooked, including some that would’ve just made keeper size but were tossed back in case they shrank on the way home, and 20 large perch; John and Pete Hitchner, 50 perch including 20 that were kept; and Pat Rebecca and Mike Storm, 19-inch weak, 22-inch weak and lots of throwbacks. Shedder crabs are still stocked for bait, and minnows will probably be on hand the rest of the week until they run out, because flounder season is closed. All the usual frozen baits are also stocked.

<b>Dennisville</b>

Weakfish kept biting 4 to 6 miles off Reed’s Beach, and previously most were larger with small ones mixed in, but now small ones dominated with larger ones mixed in, and falling tides were the times to catch them, said Tim from <b>Captain Tate’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Croakers swam mostly off the ocean beaches, such as along the Wildwood lump off the Ferris Wheel and off Cape May Inlet and Hereford Inlet. Small blues were abundant throughout the bay, and spots were mostly caught toward Fortescue in the bay. Ocean surf fishing for striped bass was starting to pick up, and the mullet run was beginning, and the baitfish were showing up thick at the inlets. Flounder fishing had been good at the ocean reefs until the season closed today. But sea bass held at the reefs and wrecks, and some flounder anglers will turn their attention to them. Tuna fishing was pretty good at night at Lindenkohl, Spencer and Baltimore canyons.  Live shedder crabs are still stocked, though they’re becoming scarcer, and frozen shedders are on hand. Minnows will be carried for a while longer, and live spots are being sold. The shop is now beginning to offer spots in bulk for striper anglers for special prices. Fresh clams are starting to be carried, especially for surf angling for stripers, and fresh bunker will be available toward the end of September or beginning of October for striped bass fishing.

<b>Cape May</b>

Surf fishing was starting to pick up a little, and more bluefish and small stripers were hitting at Poverty Beach, said Matt from <b>Jim’s Bait & Tackle</b> in a fax. Glen Knight was fishing the suds at Alexander Avenue on Friday morning when he got a surprise: He landed a 25-pound black drum that took a clam on a croaker rig. Kingfish, small blues and a few weakfish were sometimes hooked at the beaches and jetties at Cape May Point.

Back to Top