<b>Brooklawn</b>

Weakfish started moving in, and anglers reeled them up from the Maurice River Cove to the 1 buoy, said Rick from <b>Big Timber Bait & Tackle</b>. The fish were small, but a boater could land several keepers on a trip. Flounder could be hung anywhere from about Flat Top to Flounder Alley and closer to shore toward the E.P. Tower and the stakes. Catfish and white perch swam most rivers including the Maurice and Cohansey. Catfish also hugged bottom in the Delaware River, and the big ones become less common catches in summer, because they go deep during the day or only come shallower at night, when fewer people fish. Schoolie striped bass sucked down bloodworms or hit small crank baits or metal jigs at the island off National Park and the rivers including Big Timber Creek and Newton Creek. Schoolies pushed 5 miles up the Newton to Collingswood. Largemouth bass were fought at the mouths of Big Timber, Woodbury and Mantua creeks or others along the Delaware River. Toss lures like Spro Aruka shads, Rat-L-Traps or X-Raps. On the offshore grounds bluefin tuna were muscled aboard at Massey’s Canyon, 19-Fathom Lump or any of the lumps beyond 20 fathoms where bait was found. Yellowfin tuna fishing improved farther from shore, and white marlin catches were exceptional at the canyons. Baltimore Canyon was a big-game producer during the weekend’s Beach Haven Marlin and Tuna Club White Marlin Invitational. Big Timber Bait & Tackle carries bait and tackle for all fishing from freshwater to offshore. That includes a complete supply of lures and baits for rivers and lakes; rigs, tackle and frozen bait for bays; and offshore lures, rigs and baits.

<b>Pennsville</b>

The Delaware River gave up small striped bass, white perch, a few blues, lots of spots, and catfish, said Matt from <b>Shag’s Bait & Tackle</b>. He striper fished Thursday at a sandbar and stuck five fish to 20 inches on shedder crabs. Look for the linesiders at oyster beds, sandbars--definitely not muddy bottom--or structure like bridges. Shedder crabs are a favorite bait, and bloodworms will work. The perch will hit bloodworms on top and bottom rigs, and the catfish will suck down cut baits or any smelly baits on the bottom. Matt wasn’t asked what to use for blues and spots, but the small blues will attack nearly any lure, like small, metal jigs, or cut baits, and spots will inhale bloodworms. Crabbing dished out lots of blueclaws, and customers usually trap them in the tributaries or along the river or bay. Customers hooked flounder, many small ones, in the bay, usually off Fortescue. Shedder crabs, bloodworms and frozen baits are stocked, including squid, bunker and clams. The shop carries all crabbing supplies. 

<b>Port Elizabeth</b>

Flounder fishing seemed to be improving a little in certain areas, and waters up north around Cross Ledge kept doling out plenty of catches, but places far south like below 14-Foot Light and at the Anchorage apparently served up better angling than before, said Sharon from <b>The Girls Place Bait & Tackle</b>. She would think deeper waters held bigger flatties. More and more weakfish also appeared to be hooked, and some caught the trout toward Bug Light, the number 1 buoy and the E.P. Tower. Blues and spots also swam the bay, so fishing overall became better. Shedder crabs, the favorite weakfish bait, are stocked, and the supply wasn’t the easiest to maintain, and every day was different, but they’re usually on hand. So is a large variety of other baits, including minnows, fresh bunker, bloodworms and frozen baits. Offshore baits such as flats of butterfish are carried, and any type offshore bait can be ordered with a couple of days notice. Crabs for eating are sold Fridays through Sundays, and large amounts like a bushel can be ordered a day 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>

Crabbers at <b>Beaver Dam Boat Rentals</b> seemed to average a half-bushel of keepers, and catches went well, Linda said. The blueclaws were big, and Friday’s new moon somewhat reduced the numbers nabbed, but the hardshells were already on the rebound. Sixteen rental boaters were out today, and some consider August the heart of the season, but crabbing was going full steam for weeks if not months, and will last to October. The weather was beautiful, and Oranokin Creek, where customers crab, is a great place to relax. Reserving a boat ahead of time is the best bet, even on weekdays. Crabbers at Beaver Dam are towed up the creek, and the staff checks on them every hour. But if crabbers want to take a break, they simply cell phone the shop, and the staff comes and gets them. Day-long canoe and kayak rentals are available, and customers usually use them to paddle up the Oranokin for a peaceful day of sightseeing in abundant wildlife. Nature tours are available during weekdays, and reservations are required, because timing depends on tides. Beaver Dam will also work with groups like the scouts for earning merit badges for outdoor activities. The shop carries everything needed for a day of crabbing, including trap sales and rentals, bait, crab spice, suntan lotion, drinks, snacks and ice cream.

<b>Dividing Creek</b>

Three dozen keeper crabs was about the average catch, and some plucked more, others less, said Ann from <b>Wildlife Crabbing</b>. Large ones were plentiful, and customers also fished and began pumping in white perch. Wildlife carries fresh grass shrimp when available and frozen shrimp, great baits for perch. Shedder crabs are also carried when available, and so are frozen squid and bunker. Wildlife caters to crabbers who fish the many places along the roads at the creeks and ponds in the area, and the staff can point you in the right direction. All crabbing supplies, everything from traps, nets and weights to bug spray and sunglass, are on hand. Live crabs are sold for eating.

<b>Fortescue</b>

A pretty decent week for catching flounder, though keepers were still difficult to come by, said Capt. Howard from the <b>Salt Talk</b>. Quite a few flatties were boated until slower fishing Friday through the weekend, maybe because of the new moon. Five keepers were taken last week on Monday, and three were bagged Wednesday, and shorts gave up plenty of action on both trips. Three keepers were decked Saturday. Blues were mixed in, and the season’s first weakfish, a 10-incher, was caught and released, and no croakers showed up. But others hooked more weakfish and 6- to 8-inch croakers closer to shore off Port Norris. Trips mostly fished around Cross Ledge and sometimes the wreck buoy.  The bay was probably 80 or 81 degrees. Open-boat trips are fishing for flounder 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily, and charters are also sailing for flounder.

Five good-sized flounder were bagged on the <b>Bonanza</b> yesterday, and the fishing’s been about the same, with a bunch of shorts biting, and keepers sometimes grabbed, Capt. Mike said. Eighty-four-year-old Harry Adams from Wilmington, Del., a regular on the vessel, won the pool yesterday with a 22-incher and also scored a 19-incher. Ted from Deptford boxed a 19-incher. A charter Tuesday wanted to catch fish for a fish fry and lambasted a mess of small blues. An 18-inch Spanish mackerel, an unusual catch, was fought to the boat Thursday at the Elbow. A few charter boats were finding weakfish, doing okay on them. The season’s first open-boat trip to the Old Grounds was fishing for flounder today, and if catches go well, more will be scheduled by reservation. Open-boat flounder trips are fishing the bay 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.

On the <b>Buccaneer</b> anglers weakfished, reeling in lots, but not lots of keepers, Capt. Ralph said. Plenty of small blues hit, and so did one flounder while the boat was anchored for weakfish. Drifting for flounder was slow the last several days, and one keeper among shorts was  creeled the other day, and Ralph thought he was probably high hook among the fleet. “They need to change the laws for me,” he said, meaning the size limit was too large this year. Flounder carpeted the bay, but the 18-inch size limit was too big for the area.

A six-angler charter limited out Friday on weakfish on the <b>Andrea</b>, Capt. Dave said.  Another on Saturday boated 16 keepers. That trip was delayed by the storm that rolled through in the morning. Blues, a few kingfish and other bay dwellers were also hooked on the trips, and the boat fished in about 15 feet in open waters on the Jersey side of the bay. Weakfishing’s not like the old days, when tons crammed the bay, so anglers need to adapt to catch. The fish are more finicky, smaller and less numerous, but Andrea Charters specializes in weakfish and continues to catch, even putting together good numbers at times. Dave anchors for the fish, finding a pod and staying with them to keep the rods bending. His anglers fish with small pieces of shedder crab on a single, bucktail-dressed hook on an 18-inch leader on a fish-finder rig. White, green or yellow bucktail all worked over the weekend, but Dave keeps many different colors aboard, to see what the fish want on a given day. Weaks can be caught on other baits like squid, but matching the hatch with shedders, blueclaws that the weaks feed on, is best. Sometimes anglers match the hatch with grass shrimp when targeting the trout close to shore along the grass. The fish will be found at certain areas along the grass, but often open waters hold structure like even a foot drop-off that attracts them, and sometimes a flat can even be structure. Anglers on the Andrea impart movement, lifting up the rod 6 or 8 inches, letting the rig settle back down a moment, and lifting up again, until the bait is back at the boat, and then they repeat. Movement is much more affective in attracting the weaks, and probably helps the fish see the bait in the murky bay, and also helps avoid sharks and junk fish that scavenge stationary baits. Weaks these days are usually small at first at this time of year, but keepers can be culled, and the sizes somewhat increase later in the month. The fishing lasts into September, until waters become too cold. Dave did no flounder fishing or any other type of angling in the past days.

Customers caught flounder in deep waters 20 to 30 feet along the second drop off or anywhere along the shipping channel, but some also lifted aboard flatties at the 6 buoy and similar depths to the south, said Dave from <b>Al’s Bait & Tackle</b>. A few small weakfish hung around the 6. Small, 6- or 8-inch croakers were sometimes beached from the Fortescue surf, but bluefishing in the surf was great. The 12- to 15-inchers, fish a little bigger than snappers, pounced on mullet. White perch fishing was awesome for good-sized slabs in Fortescue Creek. Lots of crabs, and many big ones, could be nabbed anywhere in the creeks or from the bulkheads or bridges, and even in the cove from boats. Shedder crabs, minnows, chicken and all the frozen baits are carried.

<b>Bivalve</b>

Weakfish began to show up, and customers caught them in close, said Pat from <b>Longreach Marina</b>. A few croakers were found and were kind of scattered at different areas. Jake Bentley and Robert Wardell limited out on weaks and landed lots of blues and some blowfish, and anglers on another boat also limited out on weaks, though Pat didn’t get their names. Connie Wood and Anthony and Albert Albano reeled in four weaks, some croakers and sea robins. Bill and Jerry Stetler caught and released undersized weaks and bagged two flounder 18 and 21 inches. Lloyd Markley and Dustin Shear belted two flounder 18 and 18 ¼ inches and 15 blues. Kim and Nancy Plummer loaded up on 20 white perch in the bay near shore. The crew of the Bodacious walloped a 189-pound yellowfin tuna, a big one, and Jerry and Judy Stetler claimed an 80-pound bluefin tuna. Shedder crabs, minnows and all the frozen baits are stocked.  The marina’s annual Kids Fishing Tournament will take place Saturday. First, second and third prizes will be awarded in both 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.

<b>Dennisville</b>

The 9 and 10 buoys, the Anchorage and deep waters held flounder, but so did shallower areas like along the stakes, and plenty of fish could be found, but not a lot were keepers, said Rusty from <b>Captain Tate’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Small weakfish and small croakers hovered at areas including the stakes 4 miles off Reeds Beach and the number 1 buoy farther north, a good sign, and fish shedder crabs for them. Weaks could also be picked up around the concrete ship and the surf at Cape May, and small blues popped up throughout the bay. In the back bays, like behind Avalon, flounder, again mostly shorts, also covered the bottom, and small blues sometimes appeared, and undersized striped bass could be played at dawn and dusk on popper lures. In the ocean the Old Grounds and Reef 11 offered up flounder when conditions or winds and tides created the right drift. Len Verity ran a trip to the Old Grounds Saturday and came up with 22 keeper flounder, returned on Sunday and scored a donut. Conditions! Bluefin tuna fishing slowed down at places like Massey’s Canyon, the Hot Dog and the Hambone, but catches were still made. The big pod of the fish that anglers beat on during the last weeks seemed to start to leave Dodge, and maybe the sand eels they fed on began to dissipate. The bluefins were more scattered than before, so some anglers trolled to cover ground. Farther from shore Spencer Canyon put out good fishing for blue marlin, white marlin and some yellowfin tuna, and catches also came from Wilmington Canyon. The yellowfins were often 60 pounds or so, larger than before, and smaller ones were also around. Shedder crabs are available, even if the supply is a little tight, and calling ahead to reserve is a good idea. Minnows are carried, and so are all the frozen baits. Offshore baits including butterfish, sardines and ballyhoos are on hand, but calling ahead to ensure a supply is always a good idea.

<b>Cape May</b>

Flatties bit at Bayshore Channel off Cape May Point during a couple of hours around the beginning of ebb tides, said Matt from <b>Jim’s Bait & Tackle</b> in a fax. Flounder catches in the ocean improved at the Old Grounds, but lots of shorts paved Reef 11 and Cape May Reef. Bluefin tuna fishing slowed down somewhat at Massey’s Canyon and 19-Fathom Lump. Wilmington and Spencer canyons put out good-sized yellowfin tuna, and the canyons held more marlin than before, and a healthy population of mahi mahi swam around the lobster pots.

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