<b>Brooklawn</b>

Eleven or 12-pound catfish could be regularly reeled in from the Delaware River, though 3- to 5-pounders were average size, said Rick from <b>Big Timber Bait & Tackle</b>. Cut baits like herring, mackerel or eels drew the chomp downs, but dip baits, aka stink baits or dough balls, fished on treble hooks with rubber bands always work, and moving tides are always when to fish for the whiskerfaces. Small, short striped bass could be caught and released on cut baits, bloodworms or small diamond jigs from the river. Short bass could also be played at the rocks around Ship John on small bucktails with twister tails, plugs or cut baits. The bass also hugged the rocks at other structure like Flat Top. Flounder fishing in the bay gave up loads of shorts, and drum fishing on the bay was pretty much finished. No substantial weakfish catches were reported. In the ocean flounder were beginning to get pulled from Reef 11 and Cape May Reef.  Farther from shore, bluefin tuna fishing was heating up pretty well at 19-Fathom Lump and such spots. Big Timber stocks bait and tackle for everything from freshwater fishing to bay fishing to offshore angling. For bay fishing, minnows and all the frozen baits are carried, and so are all the rods, reels, rigs and terminal tackle. For offshore trips, everything from ballyhoos to flats of baitfish to shark chum are stocked, and so is tackle like spreader bars and big-game rods and reels.

<b>Pennsville</b>

Small striped bass 18 to 22 inches could be caught and released in the upper bay, and shedder crabs are the best bait at this time of year, but bloodworms will also score, said Matt from <b>Shag’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Look for hard bottom like sand or mussel beds, and Matt fishes for the bass at a couple of sandbars he favors. He reeled in eight of the linesiders to 22 inches on a trip last week. A few blues roamed the upper bay and even pushed up Delaware River a little ways, because the saltwater line was high. Spots also swam the local area along with the blues. Flounder fishing mostly gave up lots of small fish that covered the bottom as far up the bay as Ship John. Crabbing picked up. Shedder crabs, bloodworms and nightcrawlers are stocked. Frozen bunker is carried, and fresh bunker is only on hand when larger stripers swim the area in spring and fall.

<b>Port Elizabeth</b>

A few keeper flounder could be picked up, said Patty from <b>The Girls Place Bait & Tackle</b>. Drum still swam the waters toward the Pin Top and Tussy’s Slough, and live clams, scarce at this time of year, can be ordered for drum bait. Call ahead. Crabbing was popular for customers during the holiday weekend, and they nabbed lots of keepers. Minnows, shedder crabs, fresh bunker, bloodworms and all the frozen baits are stocked. Rigged and unrigged ballyhoos for tuna fishing are also carried, and all the offshore baits such as flats of butterfish are available, but call ahead to order. 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>

Fourth of July weekend launched the official crabbing season, even though crabs were caught for weeks, said Linda from <b>Beaver Dam Boat Rentals</b>. The weather and forecasts were rough during the weekend, and thunderstorms rolled through Sunday, and possible storms were predicted all weekend that mostly never occurred, but crabbing put out surprisingly abundant catches. Among those who braved either the weather or the dire predictions, the crabber who plucked the most took 80 of the blueclaws, and the one with the least grabbed 18.  When Linda gave this report on Monday morning, one customer had already busheled out, and another left with three-quarters of a bushel. The crabs were good-sized, and plenty of Jimmies skittered around. Some customers favor the Jimmies, male crabs, because they’re bigger, hold more meat. Some even try to avoid females to allow them to breed. Crabs did shed during last week’s new moon, and the new and full moons usually trigger some to shed, so they’ll grow. A few still seemed to be shedding. But the shed was mostly finished, and sometimes shedding can slow catches, so at least that wasn’t issue now. Sometimes freshwater runoff from storms can make the blueclaws move toward the bay, but not much rain fell, and that wasn’t an issue either. Everything looked promising for continued good crabbing. Customers crab from rental boats that are towed up Oranokin Creek. The staff checks the crabbers every hour, and if the crabbers want a break in the meantime, they simply cell phone the shop to get picked up. Calling to reserve a boat for weekends is suggested to ensure a vessel, and also helps the staff make sure plenty of supplies are on hand. The staff keeps tabs on the best crabbing locales and puts customers on them. All kinds of crabbing supplies from different types of traps for sale or rent to bunker and chicken backs for bait, nets, weights, bug spray, suntan lotion, drinks, snacks, ice cream and everything possibly needed for a day of crabbing is carried. Even crab spice and crackers to crack open the hardshells for eating are on hand. Anglers can also fish on the creek for perch and striped bass. Short flounder swim around, and eels are also caught. Daylong canoe and kayak rentals are also offered, and most customers use them for sightseeing. The creek is a wildlife wonderland, an unusually rich, protected estuary, one of the most relaxing places to spend a day. Beaver Dam Boat Rentals is open 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. every day.

<b>Dividing Creek</b>

Forecasts for rain and storms and a storm Sunday morning often kept crabbers on the waters a shorter time than usual, but they picked up probably an average of nine or a dozen keepers on trips that lasted maybe a couple of hours, said Ann from <b>Wildlife Boat Rentals</b>. Wildlife is renting no boats but is catering to customers who crab at the many creeks, ponds and spots along the roads surrounding the area, and the staff can point you in the right direction. Anglers landed a few perch and catfish. Wildlife is selling live crabs for eating. Shedder crabs are on hand when available. Bunker bait is stocked for crabbing, and fresh and frozen grass shrimp are carried when available for fishing. Fresh shrimp are usually at the shop on Saturdays, and by Sunday the shrimp are usually frozen, because they wouldn’t stay fresh till then. Minnows are always available for fishing, and bulk minnows are on tap for either anglers who want a large supply or stores. Wildlife stocks everything needed for crabbing, including baits, traps, weights, weight holders, nets, bug spray and much more. The shop is open 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.

<b>Fortescue</b>

Flounder, croakers and blues made the catch Sunday with <b>Andrea Charters</b>, Capt. Dave said. Many of the flounder continued to be shorts, but sometimes keepers were taken, and croaker fishing was beginning to improve. No great numbers arrived yet, but more of the hardheads and larger ones were around, and they were beginning to filter in. Blues were spread throughout the bay and could show up anytime. No weakfish turned up on the trip, but a charter the previous weekend hooked weaks, and charters on the boat were now in “full weakfish mode,” Dave said. Shedder crabs for weakfish bait were always carried on the boat now, and anglers onboard always made an attempt to locate the fish. The boat was headed back out yesterday to search for weaks. Weakfishing is a specialty for Andrea Charters, and although weaks were scarcer in recent years, charters still catch them, and sometimes plenty. At this time of year, Dave finds the weaks at the artificial reefs and rough bottom, but later in the season, when more move in, the boat will push in to shallow waters for the bites. Because the current trips were fishing rough bottom, out-of-season tog also stole baits and were released. But the tog bag limit increases to one fish July 16. Small sea bass and such fish were beginning to be found like always in summer. Dave heard reports about a few drum that continued to be caught.

Boaters belted flounder anywhere from the Maull to the stakes, and waters off Egg Island Point were the hot spot lately, said Dave from <b>Al’s Bait & Tackle</b>. As always this season, an angler could probably reel up 30 fish and come up with a handful of keepers. A few weakfish were bucktailed on the eddie sides of the Maull and Elbow lighthouses. Blues were everywhere, and set up a chum slick, and hold on. Lots of big sharks including browns and blues were around, and few people take advantage, but that could be a great fishery. Again, set up a chum slick, and hold on. Really hold on! Very few croakers swam the waters, and a few that came from the Fortescue surf were probably most abundant. Blues, flounder and short stripers could also be beached there. A surprising number of kingfish were reported hooked on bloodworms or shedder crabs. Dave was unsure where the kings bit, but crabbers found them in traps, so maybe the shallows were the place. Small fish like baby sea bass and spots started to arrive. Peanut bunker and tons of bait filled Fortescue Creek. Plenty of adult bunker still schooled the bay.

An open-boat trip on the <b>Salt Talk</b> on Sunday with four anglers, the captain and the mate fishing culled five keeper flounder, including a couple of decent ones probably 4 pounds apiece, among throwbacks and also boxed five blues, Capt. Howard said. A charter Wednesday bagged two keeper flounder, released quite a few throwbacks and decked two dozen blues. No weakfish, croakers or kingfish were reeled aboard so far this season, but a few small croakers and some kingfish were reportedly around. Open-boat flounder trips are running 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. The boat is chartered Friday and Saturday, so no open trips will sail then but will resume Sunday.

Flounder fishing was spotty during the week last week, but better catches were picked up on the weekend, said Capt. Mike from the <b>Bonanza</b>. Customers picked away at the fish during the weekdays, and there was lots of action, but getting a keeper was the challenge. On Sunday 12 keeper flounder and 12 blues were boated. Alex Robertson won the pool with a 23-inch flounder and grabbed five keepers and two blues. Anglers Blaine and Scott combined for a catch of a 19-inch keeper flounder and two 18-inchers that day. The year’s larger flounder size limit was tough everywhere in the state, but patrons weeded through the shorts to land as many keepers as possible. Most importantly, they left home and office behind, reeled in fish, and enjoyed the outdoors. Charters are currently fishing for flounder at first and then hitting the structure for a shot at weakfish. However, Mike talked with Cape May captains who said drum still bit in the southern bay, so if a charter is interested in trying for drum, Mike’s willing. The Bonanza is fishing for flounder 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.

<b>Bivalve</b>

Norm and Josh Lure returned with 16 weakfish and three blues, and Jim and Mike Underdog came back with six weakies and a 30-inch striped bass, said Connie from <b>Longreach Marina</b>. Weaks seemed to be caught along the lighthouses. Rob Smith reeled up an 18-inch flounder, and flounder pounders often favored the waters around the number 1 buoy Tony Rizzo kept the drumfishing honest, hauling in three of the boomers to 45 pounds. A few kingfish could be found. Minnows, shedder crabs and all the frozen baits are stocked. The annual Longreach Marina Kids Fishing Tournament is set for August 9. The kids will vie for 1st, 2nd and 3rd prizes in both the boys’ and girls’ categories for the largest weakfish and flounder. If too few of either species are entered, blues and croakers, in that order, will be substituted. Each kid also gets a prize, and each is entered in a drawing for a boy’s and a girl’s bike. The annual Cumberland County Fishing Tournament, formerly a weakfish tournament but now open to all the major species, is on the books for August 2.

<b>Dennisville</b>

A few drum were still boated near the Pin Top and Tussy’s Slough, and the fishing wasn’t as dominant as before, but the boomers were sometimes found, said Rusty from <b>Captain Tate’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Fresh clams for bait for the fish are always difficult to obtain at this time of year, but the shop will order them if you call a couple of days in advance. Flounder fishing continued to give up a ton of throwbacks with a few keepers mixed in at spots including the number 1 buoy, along the shipping channel and around 14-Foot Light and Miah Maull. A couple of unconfirmed rumors were heard about a handful of weakfish landed at the stakes off Fortescue, along with a few croakers. Weaks were occasionally taken along the surf at the Cape May jetties and in the back bays. But no spots in the back bays held concentrated populations of the trout, and the fishing was more a matter of an angler bringing along a few shedder crabs on flounder trips for a chance at a weak. Back-bay flounder fishing was about the same as in Delaware Bay, probably at least a 10-to-1 keeper ratio. Nothing much was heard about flounder boated at Cape May or Wildwood reefs in the ocean, but a few keepers were bagged in the ocean at Reef 11 and the Old Grounds. Some sea bass were also hooked there, and many were shorts, but the number of keepers seemed to improve. Bluefin tuna were fought anywhere from 19-Fathom Lump to Massey’s Canyon and the Hambone. Ninety-percent were trolled, but one customer fished near Massey’s and chunked a few, and said the fish spit up sand eels. Warm waters seemed to depart many of the canyons like the Wilmington and Baltimore, and even the Spencer and Lindenkohl, and cold, green waters apparently moved in. But Poorman’s Canyon gave up a few tuna. Otherwise canyon anglers probably had to head far south. Little was heard about shark fishing, and sharking is funny, because everyone’s gung ho to go sharking when the tournaments take place at the beginning of the season, but they quickly start tuna fishing and leave sharking behind. Sharking season was also unusual this year, because at first waters were too cold, and then waters quickly warmed too much, and now waters got cold again. Highly fluctuating water temps this year. Live clams can be ordered with a couple of days notice, and minnows are stocked, and so are shedder crabs. All the frozen baits are on hand.

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