<b>Newport</b>

Striped bass fishing was best on Thursday for boaters sailing from <b>Sundog Marina</b>, and a few returned with linesiders that weighed more than 30 pounds, a fax from Mike and Mickie said. The first slaps of stripers were heard along the docks, meaning bigger ones were coming in. White perch fishing on Nantuxent Creek, running past the marina, was off and on, but more often on, and rental boats are available to fish for the slabs. A few small blueclaw crabs were spotted scurrying around the creek, and the boats become popular for crabbing when more of the hardshells move in from the bay later this season. A fresh load of bunker arrived for bait, and fresh clams will arrive Thursday and can be ordered before then. Salted clams are stocked, and so are grass shrimp. The docks are all in the water, and the boat ramp is open 24/7, and the shop is open 7 a.m. on weekends and 9 a.m. the rest of the week.

<b>Dividing Creek</b>

Ann from <b>Wildlife Boat Rentals</b> threw a crab trap in the water over the weekend and came up with a minnow and a blueclaw crab that was about the same size as the minnow! she said. But that was no surprise. Larger crabs, after wintering in the bay, usually begin to make their way up Dividing Creek within the next couple of weeks or so. Decent catches of the tasty hardshells can usually begin to be made in the creek by Memorial Day Weekend, and that’s when Wildlife will open for the season. A couple of neighborhood kids were also finding small blueclaws in their traps. When Wildlife opens, it supplies everything needed for a day of crabbing, from traps to bait, handlines, weights, nets and even sunglasses and suntan lotion.

<b>Fortescue</b>

The <b>Bonanza</b> fished a couple of weekends on daily striped bass and drum trips so far this season, and the fishing was a little slow, but a few reports about drum caught were beginning to roll in, Capt. Mike said. The season’s a little early, and drum are definitely in the bay, and maybe this week’s new moon will trigger them to spawn and then feed afterward. It’s only a matter of time, and drum fishing on the Jersey side of the bay’s been phenomenal in the past years, and Mike hoped for a repeat on the Jersey side this year. Striper/drum trips are running 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily, and a few spaces remain on special evening drum trips from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. on the Saturdays of May 17 and 24. Reservations are required, and call 609-381-2978 to book. The trips will be limited to 17 passengers at most, providing plenty of elbow space on the party boat. Spiny dogfish were overtaking striped bass fishing in the bay at this point. Decent-sized, out-of-season flounder were clamping down on baits meant for the other fish, and Mike hoped that boded well for the opening of flounder season on May 24. Daily trips will start sailing for the flatties then.

Fishing got under way for the season Saturday on the <b>Salt Talk</b> with a striped bass trip, but it was slow, Capt. Howard said, and nobody at the marina caught anything that he knew about. But striper trips will now run 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily, but call to confirm at this time of year, because usually not enough people show up to sail on weekdays until later in the season. Open-boat drum trips will run 1 a.m. to 9 p.m. when enough anglers are interested, and anglers can call to confirm whether those trips will leave port, too. Customers can also call to confirm whether a charter is booked on the vessel during any of the open-boat times. Daily flounder trips will kick off when flounder season opens May 24. The crew is also considering offering women-only, open trips from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Mondays, a chance for the fisherwomen to get away from the family and the daily grind, drop down a line and relax.   

A few drum were boated Monday morning, when Capt. Ralph from the <b>Buccaneer</b> gave this report, and he was headed out to try for the fish at that time. Some of the fish were also hauled in Sunday, but anglers fished for them again Sunday night, and none were landed. The bite seemed to be in the mornings at the moment, and not in the evenings. The Buccaneer is fishing for drum, and Ralph’s been chasing the boomers since 1961. He offers trips that sail 10 hours for drum at a very reasonable rate, so anglers can fish two tides. Drum fishing is like deer hunting, Ralph has said in the past, and the key is to set up on a spot where drum are known to travel, and wait for the fish to come through. They will come through, but like with deer hunting, “when” can’t be known. He doesn’t move from a spot, unless someone calls and says fish are being caught. His anglers fish a tandem-hooked rig that holds a large amount of bait, impaling a big surf clam or two on the hooks. Sometimes they also add a shedder crab, and the drum grub those kinds of forage. The anglers drop the line in the water and hold the rod, because the funny thing about the big monsters, fish that are often 30 to 50 pounds and can grow to 80 pounds, is that they bite lightly. Anglers hold the rod to feel the nibbles. Then hold on for dear life!

Fortescue surf fishers sometimes banked striped bass and white perch, and catches were alright, said Dave from <b>Al’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Try dunking bloodworms for either. Striped bass fishing’s been better, and nothing major was heard about drumfish putting a bend in rods. A few small bluefish swam the bay. Fresh bunker, fresh clams, bloodworms, frozen crabs and almost the full line of baits was stocked. No minnows were carried this early in the season. The store is open 6 a.m. every weekday and 5:30 a.m. on weekends.

<b>Bivalve</b>

Leon Miller from Franklinville decked a 33-inch striped bass, and Gary Wengert and Gary Wilson fished together on the Jeanne Marie and caught a 40-inch striper and a 41-inch striper, respectively, and hooked 40 spiny dogfish, said Pat from <b>Longreach Marina</b>. Nobody mentioned where stripers were reeled in, and Pat heard second-hand reports about a few drum caught, but no first-hand. One customer said he heard quite a few drum booming at Bug Light, but the fish refused to bite. The Atco Hookers Striped Bass Tournament that was supposed to take place from the marina last weekend was postponed. Pat was told about no new date yet, but she was sure the contest wouldn’t be held this weekend, because of Mother’s Day. Fresh bunker, frozen clams and all the frozen baits are stocked. Slips are available, and grab them up before the summer rush.

<b>Cape May</b>

Drum finally started to turn on in the bay, just a beginning to the fishing, said Capt. Bob from the <b>Down Deep</b>. Two charters nabbed drum over the weekend: The Moreno party boated two to 40 pounds, and Mike Guererro’s group whacked three to 25 pounds. Boaters had been marking the fish before, but the boomers started to bite Saturday. Bob thinks the fishing might turn on more after the new moon that just took place. He saw no striped bass caught from the bay in two weeks, and knew about only a few that were taken. The striper fishing would normally be peaking now. Even the American Striped Bass Association Striper Tournament in Cape May this weekend produced something like a half-dozen weigh ins. Some big flounder were hooked in the bay on Bob’s drum charters, and he hoped that boded well for the opening of flounder season later this month.

A few drum were boated with <b>Copacetic Sportfishing</b> on the bay this weekend, Capt. Mike said. The fish began to turn on in about 25 feet for him. Striped bass were nonexistent in the bay, although striper fishing is usually prime now. He wondered whether the fish migrated up the coast and past the bay for some reason, like maybe because the bay warmed quickly and was 63 to 64 degrees over the weekend. He heard that striper fishing was on fire father south on Chesapeake Bay, so maybe there was a chance that linesiders would still migrate to Delaware Bay. Maybe stripers that were spawning in the Delaware River would drop back down to the bay after yesterday’s new moon. Mike heard that among 46 boats that competed in Cape May’s American Striper Association Striper Tournament this weekend, only eight stripers were entered. He also heard that two or three of the boats traveled down the C&D Canal to find fish in the Chesapeake.

Eight anglers on Saturday morning split up in two groups of four, and one group fished on the <b>Fishin’ Fever</b> and nailed three drum from 25 to 30 pounds on Delaware Bay, and the other group fished on another vessel and bagged two, Capt. Tom said. He got on the fish in 17 to 22 feet and called the other boat in, and the other vessel moved near him and connected. The anglers on Tom’s boat also pulled the hook on several, broke one off and missed other bites. The crew on the other boat also pulled the hook on two and missed several bites. Tom also saw drum pulled aboard on other nearby vessels. He fished during outgoing tide, and he knew others who fished on incoming later and caught nothing. He also knew boaters who fished that night and scored nothing. Striped bass were sometimes landed far up the bay, and Tom was waiting for the linesiders to travel back down to the bay after spawning in the Delaware River, when the bay’s striper fishing should pick up again. He figures that the action will begin with the full moon this month. When the linesiders return, his charters will fish for them either in the bay with bunker or at the Cape May Rips with live spots or artificials. Although fishing for the bay’s bass is popular with clams in early spring, he targets them with bunker when they return from the river. The fish in the early season are grubbing around, taking their time and are likely to bite clams. But when they return, lots of bunker are swimming the bay, and the bass are moving quickly and honing in on the menhaden.

The first drum of the season were reeled aboard the <b>Heavy Hitter</b> on the bay on Saturday, Capt. George said. Mark and Adam Seimen’s charter from Matco Tools pinned down a couple of the fish from 25 to 30 pounds and broke one off. George knew about other boaters who wrestled aboard a few, and yet others who found none. After his trip caught the fish Saturday, he did no fishing that night, but thought the bite would kick in then. But others who sailed that night turned up none of the fish. George’s charter also hooked smooth and spiny dog fish but didn’t get bombarded by them. Drum fishing might’ve been beginning later than other years, but George thought last year’s bite might’ve started late, in about mid May. By then it was good, and he ran a charter that suddenly hammered 30-some of the fish around that time, and then catches broke wide open. The drum that were caught on the trip Saturday were full of roe and hadn’t spawned, and the fishing could take off after yesterday’s new moon that could’ve triggered the spawn. Drum usually keep biting into mid June, although charters by then usually want to fish for sharks, flounder, bottom fish and maybe early season tuna. Striped bass were nonexistent in the bay, George said, and mid April to early May is usually the time to catch them. Last week, boaters were weathered out from striper fishing on the bay Monday and Tuesday, but George knew boaters who striper fished Wednesday through Friday and hooked nothing. He heard that only few bass were entered in the weekend’s American Striper Association Striper Tournament in Cape May and that the biggest fish were only 13 or 14 pounds.

The bay’s striped bass fishing dropped off dramatically, and very few reports about catches rolled in, said Matt from <b>Jim’s Bait & Tackle</b> in a fax.  But drum began to bite in the bay, and yesterday’s new moon should make them chew even more. Capt. Bob Cope caught and released three drum at the Horseshoe, and Charlie Schaeffer hauled up two drum northeast of Tussy’s Slough, where the crew of the Red Beard also put the skids on two. Others said some drum held at the oyster grounds south of Brandywine. Most drum were smaller fish, 15 to 30 pounds, but a few 50- to 60-pounders were mixed in. Drum fishing should only get better. Surf fishing was pretty steady for lots of short stripers with good-sized ones mixed in. Poverty Beach produced on most days at the top of the tides. Good numbers of 1- to 2-pound blues appeared around the Cold Spring Inlet jetties. Reports also started to come in about weakfish sometimes hooked tight to the jetties on bloodworms and bucktails. Mike Brown plugged a 3.2-pound speckled seatrout along the north jetty.

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