Anglers limited out on weakfish yesterday with Andrea Charters about three-quarters of a mile southwest of the number 1 buoy in 18 feet, Capt. Dave said. Probably 25 blues were also landed, and a kingfish and a flounder were taken to boot. Imparting action to the bait was one of the keys to catching the weaks, and once the crew got the anglers squared away with that, they connected. Anglers on the boat fish shedder crabs on a single hook on a fish-finder rig, and lately they tipped the shedder with a strip of croaker, spot or bluefish that could also be caught in the area. To impart action, they toss out the bait, let it hit bottom and settle a moment, lift up the rod 6 or 8 inches and reel in the line a bit, let it settle and stay on bottom a moment, and repeat. When the bait reaches the boat, they do it all over again. The movement attracts the predatory weakfish, but it also helps avoid fish like the load of small croakers and some sharks in the area that tend to pounce on stationary baits. Dave uses small hooks and small pieces of bait for the finicky weaks, and he dresses the hooks with colored bucktail. Green is one favorite, but preferred colors change from day to day, including pinks and blues. He carries about 30 different colors of bucktail on the boat, tying the hair on the hook onboard with the knot that he uses to snell the hook. Many of the croakers were small close to shore, but that’s where weakfish were larger. But a large quantity of bigger croakers swam deeper waters. Trips also caught the fish over the weekend, and the action now was non-stop, with a variety of fish biting. Besides the fish already mentioned, a porgy showed up on a trip. Five keeper flounder were also nailed in the past days.

“Croakers, croakers croakers,” said Capt. Mike from the Bonanza. It’s been pretty good, he said. When enough anglers joined trips, the boat sailed far south to the Anchorage for the fishing. When fewer patrons hopped aboard, the vessel fished inshore and closer to Fortescue, where croakers, a few weakfish and some blues were reeled in. Rods were kept bent, and the fishing was active, was good. Two keeper flounder 19 ½ inches and 24 inches were also belted in the past days. September 7 is the last day of flounder season, so a special, open-boat flounder trip will fish the Old Grounds Wednesday, August 27. Reservations are required, and to book, call 609-381-2978. The trip was scheduled for that day in case it gets weathered out, so there’s time to reschedule. Many of the flatties moved to the ocean, and the rough bottom at the Old Grounds traditionally attracts them. The fishing often depends on conditions or the right combination of winds and currents that create the right drifting speed, and conditions can’t be predicted, but when the bite is on, the Old Grounds can offer some of the best flattie fishing anywhere off South Jersey. Open-boat trips are fishing the bay daily 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., and charters are on tap.

Daily trips on the Salt Talk started fishing for croakers on Friday, after targeting flounder earlier in the week, Capt. Howard said. Flounder fishing dropped off, and croaker fishing picked up, so the boat sailed for the hardheads at the Anchorage on the first trip, and a bunch got boated. But vessels at Miah Maull also came back with plenty, so the Salt Talk started fishing there during the weekend, and catches were good. Weakfish, mostly throwbacks, were mixed in, and so were several flounder. The fishing kept anglers busy, and they had to pick through small fish, but larger ones also came aboard, and catching was productive, good trips. Open-boat trips are fishing 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily, and charters are also available.

Quite a few weakfish, more than last year, swam the bay, and many catches came from around the E.P. Tower and the lower bay, said Dave from Al’s Bait & Tackle. A few of the trout also turned up closer to Fortescue, like toward the Elbow and Flat Top, but the fish seemed bigger farther south at this point. Waters near Fortescue also attracted blues, and flounder fishing kind of dropped off. Bug Light was a place to look for big croakers. Fortescue surf casters beached blues, small weaks and small croakers. Plenty of white perch filled Fortescue Creek, and spearing, peanut bunker and other baitfish filled the creek. Tons of small striped bass roamed the creek. Shedder crabs and the full supply of baits are stocked.