<b>Port Elizabeth</b>

Customers were busy with gearing up for drum fishing over the weekend, and they seemed to catch pretty well, said Sharon from <b>The Girls Place Bait & Tackle</b>. The opening of flounder season didn’t pan out as well as it should’ve or as people hoped. Lots of throwbacks and few keepers bit, and the new, larger, 18-inch size limit was tough. Waters were colder than normal, but that probably didn’t affect things. Flatback anglers probably targeted the 20 and 40 lines, and some probably hit the Southwest Line and Cross Ledge. Maybe better flounder fishing could be found in shallow waters, because that was where striped bass were located, and weakfish, although waters were probably too cold for them to bite on hook and line, were likely to be found shallow, like along the sod banks. But the stripers were reeled up from off East Point and from the northern bay above Fortescue in close or on the shallows at both spots, on bloodworms, bunker and even mackerel. One customer dunked frozen mackerel off East Point and came up with stripers. Commercial netters kept reporting finding weaks, so some were at least around. Weaks were also beached from the surf along the jetties at Cape May on floated bloodworms. Shedder crabs, the favorite bait for weaks in the bays, are now stocked, even if they’re small at this time of year. Other baits stocked at the shop include fresh bunker, fresh clams, bloodworms and frozen herring. Fresh herring is carried when available, usually toward weekends. The store keeps a large variety of bait, just about anything needed. 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>

The parking lot was full with anglers Saturday who fished for flounder and striped bass, but winds against the tide made tough fishing, said an e-mail from Mike and Mickie from <b>Sundog Marina</b>. Still, Capt. Mike Goodenough on the Other Women showed off a catch of 20 flounder. Jerry Cohen and crew caught and released three short flounder. Another angler scored two sizeable stripers on the Delaware side of the bay. On Friday George Boland and crew got a workout from 14 drum, keeping one and releasing the rest. A rental boater fished for perch and reeled in scores, and the rental boats can also be used for early season crabbing. Bloodworms, fresh bunker and minnows are stocked, and fresh clams can be ordered and arrive on Thursdays. The boating safety course required in New Jersey will be offered at the marina’s waterfront café from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. June 4 and 5, and call to reserve.

<b>Dividing Creek</b>

A few crabs, mostly small ones, skittered around, but they’ll grow bigger, probably in another couple of weeks, said Ann from <b>Wildlife Boat Rentals</b>. A guy across the street nabbed 10 including about four keepers in an overnight pot. The blueclaws probably underwent the first shed of the season, and they grow with each shed, often taking place around the full moons. So business at Wildlife was just getting under way for the season, and the shop will be open Saturday. Afterward the doors will probably be open weekends, and customers can call to confirm. None of the rental boats will be in the water yet, but the crew at the store can point customers to lots of different nearby places to crab from the road. Frozen bunker is stocked for bait, and minnows and squid are also carried for fishing. No grass shrimp for fishing were available last week, but the shrimp are carried when possible. Wildlife carries everything needed for a day of crabbing, including traps, handlines, weights, nets and even sunglasses, suntan lotion and bug spray. Supplies for fishing the local creeks and lakes are also available.

<b>Fortescue</b>

Boaters could hook lots of flounder, but lots were shorts with the new, 18-inch size limit, and some anglers landed 30 or 40, but keepers were difficult to come by, said Dave from <b>Al’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Most of the fish came from straight off Fortescue in the deeper waters along the edge of the shipping channel, and squid and minnows were productive baits. Striped bass including keepers turned on big time in the Fortescue surf the last three or four days. Dunk bloodworms for them, and lots of perch will also bite the bloods. Stripers were sometimes boated at Blake’s Channel over the weekend on bunker. Drum fishing slowed down compared with earlier last week, but the Pin Top gave up catches. Small bluefish started to appear throughout the bay. Anglers hoped weakfish would start to grab baits soon. While traveling on drum trips Dave was marking lots of fish off the E.P. Tower that looked like weaks typically do, and he might stop to investigate soon. Bloodworms, minnows, fresh and frozen clams and bunker and frozen mackerel, mullet, spearing, shedder crabs, chicken breasts soaked in shedder oil and other baits are stocked. The shop also carries one of the largest selections of flounder rigs.

Anglers on the <b>Albatross</b> walloped six drum to between 70 and 80 pounds on Friday, and drum fishing dropped off in the bay afterward, Capt. Ziggy said. Saturday’s and Sunday’s drum fishing was slow, and he heard no news about yesterday. No flounder trips fished on the boat yet, but the marina said customers caught the flatties, but only a few keepers, and the rest were undersized. The 18-inch size limit seemed a problem so far.

Drumfishing slowed down during the last couple of days, and the fish were there, were marked on the fish finder, but refused to bite, for some reason, said Capt. Ralph from the <b>Buccaneer</b>. Maybe they were spawning, but the reasons they failed to respond couldn’t be known. A trip Friday night hauled up five drum, and a trip Saturday night totaled seven, but by Sunday, only one was taken on a trip on the vessel. Another trip had just started fishing for the boomers Monday afternoon when Ralph gave this report.

Five drum were boated with <b>Andrea Charters</b> on Saturday, Capt. Dave said. Trips on the boat also fished for striped bass, and catches of them could still be made along structure, he said. A 38-1/2-inch striper was picked up on the vessel Saturday, and another good-sized one was lost near the boat, and a number of shorts were released. A 39-incher was whacked on a trip Sunday, and another decent-sized one was lost near the boat, and probably 20 shorts were released.  The first couple of blues of the season, 1-½- or 2-pounders, were also reeled in on the vessel. So things were starting to happen at least, Dave said. Andrea Charters also specializes in weakfishing, and even though the bay’s weakfishing in the last years wasn’t like it used to be, anglers onboard still pick up good catches at times. Weakfishing lately hasn’t kicked in till the end of June or July, and actually late August and early September seemed prime time in the last couple of years, later than usual. Dave knew a crabber who was finding a few of the trout in his catches, so the fish were filtering in.

Flounder trips kicked off on the <b>Salt Talk</b> on Saturday, the opening day of flounder season, but the fishing was slower than Capt. Howard expected, he said. A few shorts but no keepers were landed Saturday, and an angler with a bluefish won the pool, because some kind of fish had to qualify for the pool. Two keeper flounder, including a 7.2-pound doormat, were bagged on Sunday. So the fishing was nothing great at that time, and the new, larger, 18-inch size limit was challenging. Waters were cold or 59 degrees, and Howard heard that even ling, a cold-water fish, were still biting. The Salt Talk is flounder fishing on open-boat trips daily, and drum charters are also available through the next full moon. However, only the open flounder trips will probably sail during the daytimes on weekends, because those trips are in demand. Flounder charters are also offered.

<b>Bivalve</b>

Frank Wright from Millville landed 17 flounder during the weekend, the opening weekend of flounder season, but none of the fish was a keeper, said Pat from <b>Longreach Marina</b>. But Mike Portnoi on the Lil Gizmo nailed a 5-pound 24-inch keeper. Drum made up the rest of the fish that were checked in. The customers and their catches included: Ray Baur, Blackwood, nine drum to 66 pounds, and he didn’t keep them all; Jose and Louis Esquilin, Vineland, six drum to 65 pounds; Anthony Albano, Millville, two drum; Alfonso Rause, Pine Hill, 62-pound drum; and John McEowan, Quakertown, 70-pound drum. Youngster Sean Ranaooi came up to the shop and wanted to report that his crew caught only sharks and skates all day. The marina was able to stock minnows for flounder bait, although they were scarce lately, and is now carrying a supply. Fresh bunker and frozen baits, including squid, are stocked. Boat slips are available, and grab them before the summer rush. The annual Bay Days will take place at the port the second weekend of June.

<b>Dennisville</b>

Good drum catches could be made, but anglers had to be at the right place at the right time, said Rusty from <b>Captain Tate’s Bait & Tackle</b>. The fish seemed to move to the south end of Tussy’s Slough, and some were also taken at the Horseshoe and elsewhere. Striped bass could be landed in the far northern bay, like toward the 35 buoy, but few customers traveled that far. Some got into decent striper fishing in the bay near the creeks like Bidwell and Dennis creeks, but they had to put in the time. Bunker is the bait for the bay’s bass at this time of year. No customers mentioned flounder fishing in the bay, and all seemed to sail for drum or stripers. But flounder catches were fairly good in the back bays like at Paddy’s Hole and behind Stone Harbor and Sea Isle. Art Garanson weighed in a 7.65-pound doormat he muscled in behind Avalon. Blues 1 to 2 pounds could be found in the back bays, but they were probably moving offshore. Surf anglers beached stripers on clams and bunker at spots including Whale Beach and North Wildwood around 2nd Street. Three gallons of minnows were available for flounder bait on opening day of flattie season, and the baitfish were scarce, but now the supply is well stocked. Fresh bunker is carried, usually around weekends, and fresh clams are in good supply most of the time. All the different varieties of squid are on hand, and so is frozen herring and other frozen baits. Fresh herring becomes difficult to find at this time of year, and the herring run is pretty much finished.

<b>Cape May</b>

Dave Smith’s charter on the <b>Daisy May</b> hauled aboard four drum near the shipping channel on Saturday, a slower catch than on previous drum trips, but actually a better catch on a day when drum fishing turned tough for most, Capt. Dave said. A charter last Tuesday night bailed 10 drum.  On Wednesday a charter wanted to bottom fish and loaded up on scores of sea bass and released a dozen out-of-season tog. Daisy May does lots of tog fishing, including on Delaware Bay, when the season is open. Tog fishing’s uncommon on the bay, but the waters can be an underfished honey hole.

A charter with Tony LaGratta’s group picked off nine drum to 60 pounds on Thursday with <b>First Cast Sport Fishing</b>, Capt. Rob said. Joi Ann “Potato” Flinn, Joe Santo, Mike Bambrick, and father and son Ray and J.P. Lavoie were also aboard. Jack Herman’s gang on Friday put together another good catch of boomers to 50 pounds with Wayne Pulliam, Fran Bratton, Brian Kirchner, and Frank Aquing. On Saturday with the Mike Ryan charter another good catch of drum to 77 pounds was boated, this time with Joe Ryan II and II, Pat Ryan, and Kevin Jordan, who nailed the biggest.  Ryan’s group is also slated to compete in the South Jersey Shark Tournament on the boat.

Drum fishing screeched to a halt Saturday through Monday, and nothing but junk fish were hooked on trips those days, and 9 billion boats on the grounds probably didn’t help, said Capt. T.J. from <b>Legal Limit Charters</b>. On Friday a charter connected with a half-dozen drum, nothing great, and T.J. didn’t see others land many. Previously catches were good. Waters were 61 degrees and a little dirty, but not like chocolate milk. The cause of the slow down couldn’t be known, and maybe the fish went back on the spawn, but that’s only a guess. A charter on T.J.’s other boat in Tuckerton was sea bassing in the ocean today, and a trip on that vessel Thursday limited out on sea bass to 2 ½ or 3 pounds in 60 feet off the coast. Another drum charter will fish from Cape May tomorrow.

Last week gave up probably the best drum fishing fishing in a long time, even if catches tapered off by the weekend, said Capt. Bob from the <b>Down Deep</b>. All big ones swam around, and he hoped a couple of more weeks of the fishing were left. Bob heard nothing about flounder fishing on the opening weekend of the season, but his anglers had been hooking flounder by mistake on clam baits meant for drum.

Catches of drum dropped off somewhat on Saturday, and on a trip Sunday evening, no boaters seemed to catch any, said Capt. George from the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>. Previously the fishing was dynamite on the boat, despite winds and rough seas. Howard Bly took two back-to-back trips on Thursday and Friday, and on Thursday he fished by himself and landed five drum on a short trip because of rough seas. On the second trip a friend joined him, and they limited out on six drum. Roy DeCrain was onboard Saturday night and caught drum to 50 pounds. Anglers over the weekend could also practically walk boat to boat on the drum grounds. Delaware boats were among the fleet, so apparently not much was happening in Delaware. But George hopes drum catches kick back in.

A trip flounder fished on the back bay on the <b>Fishin’ Fever</b> and scored a good catch to 6 pounds on Sunday morning on bucktails with spearing and cut bait including bluefish, Capt. Tom said. One-pound blues also hit. Drum fishing became tough, and none was reeled up on a trip Saturday night, and a 70-pounder was taken Sunday night when Tom gave this report on the water, and no further word was heard about whether more were found.

Fishing for drum was slow Sunday for <b>Jaftica Sportfishing</b>, for some reason, Capt. Ray said.  Winds blew against the tide, making poor conditions, but whether that was the cause was unknown. The bite also seemed slow Saturday night, when the fish bit all at once in about 45 minutes on a trip. Previous trips were usually dusting 12 to 20 of the fish. The first flounder charter of the season was supposed to fish yesterday.

Drum fishing held up until slowing down considerably Saturday night, probably because of crazy amounts of boat traffic, said Matt from <b>Jim’s Bait & Tackle</b>. But the fish were still there, and previously the Pin Top Slough and Tussy’s Slough put out most catches, but reports were also heard about catches from Slaughter Beach on the Delaware side of the bay. Drum that were checked in included Jason Bates’ 78-pounder, Ashley Schmincke’s 67-pounder, 13-year-old Steven Bowen’s 66-1/2-pounder and Dan McGanahan’s 53-1/2-pounder. The weekend’s opening of flounder season was productive in the back bays, and being on the waters before the boat traffic helped anglers score lots better. Plenty of flounder hugged bottom, but finding ones that met the new, 18-inch size limit was a little tough. Catches from along the Intracoastal Waterway included Charlie Peters’ 6.26-pounder and Bill McGannon’s 4.38-pounder. Pretty good reports about flounder found on Delaware Bay came from around the 19 buoy to Miah Maul in the shipping channel. William Hartford and crew fished there and landed 35 flounder, including six keepers. Surf casters picked a striper, often a short, here or there. Sunset Beach gave up a bit of a catch on Saturday, and weakfishing was decent at Higbee’s Beach in the early mornings on incoming tides, mostly on bloodworms fished under a bobber. Tony Matarese bagged a 4.8-pound weak at Sunset, and Larry Rossi beached a 6.9-pound weak at Higbee’s.

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