<b>Brooklawn</b>

In the Delaware River smallmouth bass fishing started to amp up, and largemouth bass hit, said Rick from <b>Big Timber Bait & Tackle</b>. Big catfish milled around the bottom, and lots of schoolie striped bass 20 or 22 inches hung out at places like the mouth of Big Timber Creek, the Gloucester Pier and south of the island at National Park. In the bay a few keeper flounder could be picked up. Good flounder fishing happened at places like Reef 11 in the ocean off Delaware. Farther from shore, bluefin tuna fishing should bust open any day at places such as the Hambone. Even farther from the coast, yellowfin tuna roamed canyons like the Poorman’s. 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>Pennsville</b>

Catfish, white perch and a few small striped bass, not many, ran around the Delaware River near the shop, said Dave from <b>Shag’s Bait & Tackle</b>. The cats vacuumed up smelly baits like bunker or Power Baits, and the perch gobbled up bloodworms. The stripers inhaled fresh bunker, bloods or shedder crab. Customers talked about boating flounder throughout the bay, but mostly south of Cohansey. Strips of fresh bunker fillet or Gulp Shrimp or Swimming Mullet really got attention from the flatties. Crabbing somewhat slowed down while some of the blueclaws were shedding. Fresh bunker is stocked when available, and shedder crabs are on hand. Bloodworms, nightcrawlers, trout worms, Gulp Shrimp, Gulp Mullet, other Gulps, Power Baits and frozen baits including mackerel, herring, bunker, squid and clams are in supply.

<b>Port Elizabeth</b>

Linda from <b>The Girls Place Bait & Tackle</b> heard about flounder grabbed from Miah Maul to Flat Top, she said. A few striped bass remained in the Delaware River. In the back bays along the coast, tiderunner weakfish could be found from Avalon to Wildwood. Along the ocean surf, a few kingfish and a few blues popped in, and porgies began to appear. Actually Linda said she didn’t know where the porgies were, but that’s one place the fish were, based on other reports. Wreck fishers in the ocean also nabbed a few porgies. 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>

Crabbing wasn’t bad, said Linda from <b>Beaver Dam Boat Rentals</b>, and customers probably averaged three to four dozen of the blueclaws to take home, some more, some a little less. Some also busheled out. Good-sized crabs were around. One angler caught and released a 23-inch striped bass in Oranokin Creek, where Beaver Dam is located. So stripers, at least some, seemed to be around, and white perch also swam the creek. If anglers want to fish from the rental boats, they should let the staff know, because preparations are a little different. Crabbers or anglers using the boats get towed up the creek, and the staff checks on the rental boaters every hour. But if they want to take a break in the meantime, they simply cell phone the shop, and the staff picks them up. Oranokin is an unusually rich creek for crabbing, and the season is in full swing.  Call the shop about a Fourth of July Special this weekend. Kayaks and canoes are also available to rent for sightseeing on the creek, a nature lover’s haven. 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. 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, especially now that it’s peak season. 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>

Good flounder trips sailed Friday and Saturday on the <b>Buccaneer</b>, Capt. Ralph said. Five keepers were bagged one day, and 11 were coolered the other, and only a couple of anglers were aboard the trips. They could catch as many shorts as they wanted. But the fish were there, Ralph said. The flatties gathered in tight pockets, certain places, around the white stakes near Fortescue. So when the fish were found, trips needed to stay on them, keep drifting over the same spot. A few small blues, not many, swam around. The weather was beautiful.

Flounder fishing was awesome, seemed to improve, putting out excellent catches at the stakes near Fortescue, said Dave from <b>Al’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Quite a few were in the 5-pound range, and it was nothing for three anglers on a trip to cop 15 keepers. Gulp Mullet or Minnows were hot baits. But other traditional baits such as minnows or frozen herring also worked. Tons of small bluefish schooled, and a few small croakers and a handful of spots began to appear locally in the bay. Not much was heard about weakfish, except about a stray one plucked from the waters at times. Baitfish including spearing and adult bunker were abundant. Surf anglers at Fortescue hooked lots of mostly small flounder and sometimes little blues or small striped bass. Plenty of white perch filled Fortescue Creek, and no peanut bunker were seen in the creek yet. Crabbing was plenty active in the different creeks along the bay. Minnows are stocked, even though they’re scarce in much of the state. The shop is also carrying the full supply of baits including shedder crabs, chicken and frozen baits including mackerel, herring and more.

On the <b>Salt Talk</b> flounder were pumped aboard every day, good fishing, and many of the flatties were shorts, more than Capt. Howard would like, but some were keepers, and patrons seemed happy, he said. Eight to 15 keepers were usually boxed per trip among scores of throwbacks released, good action. Keepers averaged 18 to 20 inches, and the pool-winning fluke usually weighed 3 to 5 pounds. Mostly charters sailed through the week, and the trips fished just offshore of the stakes off Fortescue, only 4 or 4 ½ miles from port. Clear weather rolled in for a change. Patrons fished with minnows and squid and sometimes with strips of bluefish, shark or flounder that were caught. Fifteen small blues were boated Thursday.  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.

The bay’s flounder fishing was probably the best Capt. Mike from the <b>Bonanza</b> remembered in a long time, he said. Many of the fish were shorts, and anglers had to weed through them, but the action was solid, and keepers were sometimes bagged. Probably 1 in 16 or 20 was legal-sized. An 8-pounder and a pair of 5-pounders were reeled up on Sunday’s trip. Trips fished close to shore at the stakes off Fortescue.  Reports started to be heard about a few croakers scattered around the southern bay. Mike saw none of the hardheads, but sounded like a beginning to their arrival if all goes well. Only an occasional report about a weakfish picked up here or there was heard, and supposedly a few spikes were found in the southern bay like at 60-Foot Slough. One of the vessel’s annual, open-boat flounder trips to the Old Grounds, in the ocean off Delaware, is on the books for Wednesday, July 8. Space is available, and reservations are required. Call: 609-381-2978.  The rough bottom at the Old Grounds can give up healthy catches of flounder during the right conditions, and Mike was hearing about productive fishing for them. If the trip goes well, the next one will probably be slated in another two or three weeks. An open-boat cruise to watch the Cape May fireworks will sail on Thursday, and call the same number if interested. The town’s fireworks were originally scheduled for the Fourth of July but suddenly got rescheduled. A group had booked to watch the display on the fourth, but couldn’t make the second. The Bonanza is flounder fishing on open-boat trips on the bay 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily, so long as no charter is booked. Anglers can check the schedule on the vessel’s Web site for the charter schedule. Flounder charters are running.

<b>Bivalve</b>

Flounder, quite a few, were docked at <b>Longreach Marina</b>, Pat said, and the clear weather, after all the rains and storms, got anglers back on the bay. Crowds at the marina were especially thick on Saturday, and the anglers plucked the flatties from places including near Miah Maul, the turn buoys and Little Egypt, between the number one buoy and Egg Island Point. Minnows were scarce for bait, ran out of stock, but spearing and mackerel that the shop is carrying worked fine for bites. Anglers and their catches included: Bob LaBree, Pine Hill, limit of flounder to 22 inches on strip baits; Tony LaGrotta and son, West Deptford, six flounder to 5 pounds; Tom Schofield and wife, Franklinville, five flounder, all over 20 ½ inches; Tony Rizzo and John Swydersky, Pittsgrove, eight flounder to 22 inches; Vivian and Roger McCann, Philly, limit of flounder, all around 19 inches, and a blue, the only blue checked in at Longreach, and they only fished from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m.; Gary Leport, Wilmington, Del., 5-1/4-pound flounder; and John Frank an Alan Kopland, Lansdale, Pa., five flounder.

<b>Cape May</b>

Quality numbers of flounder, including 6- and 8-pounders, came from Miah Maul to the stakes off Fortescue, said Matt from <b>Jim’s Bait & Tackle</b> in a fax. Plenty were also pulled in from Cape May Reef, Reefs 10 and 11 and the Old Grounds. A few croakers began to arrive in the bay, no large amount, but a start.

Three, four or five flounder were sometimes hooked at a time on a charter Friday on the bay on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>, Capt. George said. Every drift gave up the fish, mostly shorts. The keepers were 19 to 20 inches, and a couple of the shorts were 15 to 16 inches, and most were 10 to 14. A boater from the marina took a trip that loaded up on respectable-sized flounder in the ocean.

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