<b>Pennsville</b>

Catfish and white perch filled the Delaware River, like usual in summer, and small striped bass could be picked up in the waters, said Wade from <b>Shag’s Bait & Tackle</b>. The catfish vacuumed up fresh bunker or shedder crabs, and the perch nibbled bloodworms or shedders. The stripers scarfed up all three: fresh bunker, shedders or bloods. Flounder moved in to the upper Delaware Bay toward Cohansey. Customer scored luck with the flatties on Gulp White Mullets or Gulp New Penny Shrimp. Pearl was also an effective color for both. Fresh bunker is stocked when available, and a batch arrived today. Shedder crabs, bloodworms, the Gulps and frozen baits are carried. Big Timber 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>Port Elizabeth</>

“Rain, rain, rain,” said Sharon from <b>The Girls Place Bait & Tackle</b>. Few anglers showed up in the weather, but the bay’s boaters probably picked good catches of flounder. Somebody mentioned landing a weakfish, the only weak Sharon heard about. Surf anglers along the coast tried to beach striped bass. Minnows, a favorite flounder bait, were scarce but stocked when available. Some were carried today, and a supply also arrived at 9 a.m. yesterday. Shedder crabs are on hand, and fresh bunker arrives almost daily. Fresh clams should come in Thursday for the weekend, or at least the shop will try to get them. Bloodworms are stocked, and so are sandworms, popular up north, less known in South Jersey, but becoming known. Sands are half the price of bloods, and many think they’re just as effective. All the frozen baits, a large variety, are also stocked. 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 weather wouldn’t let up, and customers reported all kinds of crab catches from fine to slow, said Linda from <b>Beaver Dam Boat Rentals</b>. One nabbed 48 in 4 hours, a good catch, and a group in two boats plucked 27 per vessel in a longer time, a slower catch. The crabs were healthy-sized, especially for the early season, and one customers showed off a 7-incher he mugged. Tides were affected, not running when they should, and that’ll happen when rains keep pouring, and new moon tides, always strong, currently ran, and that added to effects. Crabs often shed on the new moon, like they do on the full moon, but the weather might keep them from shedding like usual. “It messes it all up,” Linda said. Crabs refuse to feed when shedding, and that can slow down crabbing. But not all crabs shed at once, so some can always be caught. One person angled in a 28-inch, keeper striped bass from Oranokin Creek, the stream that runs along the shop. Other stripers including keepers were reported reeled up from the creek in past weeks, too, but waters were warming, and they’ll stop biting when temperatures rise too much. Beaver Dam’s rental boats for crabbing get towed up the creek, and the staff checks on the rental boaters every hour. If crabbers want to return in the meantime for a break, they simply cell phone the shop, and the staff picks them up. Kayaks and canoes are available to rent for sightseeing on the creek, a wildlife wonderland. Beaver Dam carries everything needed for a day of crabbing, including all different types of traps, hand lines, nets, bait, bug spray, suntan lotion, drinks and snacks. Snap traps, traps with doors that snap closed, and handlines worked best recently. The shop is open 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. Customers should call ahead to reserve crab boats, kayaks and canoes to ensure they’re available. Beaver Dam is available to host groups like scouts for nature education. A gazebo with a grill is available for events like birthday parties and family reunions.

<b>Fortescue</b>

Few fished in the rains that poured almost every day, but flounder carpeted bottom among the stakes near Fortescue, good fishing, said Dave from <b>Al’s Bait & Tackle</b>. The drift from Flat Top to Miah Maul also produced lots. A 5-pounder was weighed in today. Squid, minnows, herring, sand eels and spearing were popular baits. Shedder crab also works well on flounder. Mackerel wasn’t so popular on the flatties, but anglers fished mackerel or chicken for snapper blues that flooded the bay. No weakfish were around to speak of, although news always came in about an angler who bagged a handful along the lighthouses, usually on a bucktail tipped with shedder. No croakers arrived so far. The small, juvenile fish like sea bass that enter the bay in summer were yet to appear, and the season was early. Fortescue’s surf fishing was quiet, or at least not many fished the surf since earlier in spring. Lots of white perch schooled Fortescue Creek. Crabbing was good, like for anglers who took small boats up the creeks or who fished the ditches. Dave heard nothing about whether crabs were often picked up from the bulkheads. All the baits mentioned and more are stocked.

Trips fished for flounder a few days, despite the weather, and the fluke were hooked, said Capt. Howard from the <b>Salt Talk</b>. Many of the fish were shorts, but enough keepers were bagged to keep things interesting. About 30 or 40 were reeled in per trip, and like 6, 8 or 10 would be keepers. Sunday’s trip turned up 10 keepers to 20 inches in strong winds and a fast, 2-1/2-knot drift. Michael Maddson, 10, won the pool with a 26-incher on Friday. Trips fished at the stakes to the south near Fortescue, shallower waters than earlier in the season, when the boat fished toward the shipping channel at the Elbow. Minnows and squid were fished, and sometimes a bluefish or flounder that were caught were stripped out for baits. Maybe a half-dozen small blues were landed per trip. Open-boat trips are flounder fishing 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily, but always call to confirm that no charter is running instead. Charters are available for flounder.

<b>Bivalve</b>

Bob Labree and George Domley ploughed five flounder 18 ½ to 20 inches and three blues in only 3 hours, a good catch for the short time, said Pat from <b>Longreach Marina</b>. Jim Plummer Sr. and Jr. loaded up on 16 white perch, big ones, up one of the creeks. Rains, thunderstorms and rough weather kept coming, keeping anglers away during much of the past week. Minnows were scarce for flounder bait at this time of year, but spearing or strips of mackerel worked well. The Cumberland County Fishing Tournament, held by the Cumberland County Recreation Commission at 856-453-2184, will take place Saturday, July 11, with a rain date of the next day.

<b>Cape May</b>

Flounder fishing held up well, said Matt from <b>Jim’s Bait & Tackle</b> in a fax. The stretch along the Jersey side of the shipping channel from the 16 to 19 buoys was a place to start. But the flatties were also boated on the Delaware side. Reefs 6 and 7 usually produced when tides slowed a bit. Reef 11 and the Old Grounds also attracted flounder. Paul McCarthy weighed in a 6.13-pound doormat he reeled up near the 19, and Terry Schaivo checked in a 6-1/4-pounder that came from Reef 7. Surf angling slowed considerably, and striped bass clammed at night were the best catches. A few kingfish bit bloodworms at Hereford Inlet. The shop held its 27th annual shark tournament during the weekend, and the crew from the Lora Mae won with a 165-1/2-pound mako. The weather scared off some entrants, but 42 boats fished. Bluefin tuna began to move in at the Ham Bone and the Hot Dog, but catches were yet to be consistent. Yellowfin tuna, small but up to 50 pounds, good numbers when anglers found them, started getting trolled at the canyons.

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