<b>Pennsville</b>

Most who talked about weakfish said the trout, a bunch, held toward the number 1 buoy, said Wade from <b>Shag’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Flounder started to push south in the bay. But not much was heard about catches of anything on the bay since the storm. The  Delaware River near the shop wasn’t too dirtied from the storm, and Wade’s seen worse. But the freshwater runoff from  rains probably kept saltwater fish like blues away from the river. Catfish, perch and small striped bass should be able to be hooked from the river. Crabbing improved a lot. Shedder crabs and bloodworms are stocked, and fresh bunker is carried when available. Plus frozen baits are on hand.

<b>Port Elizabeth</b>

Freshwater runoff, the storm and rains seemed to affect fishing through the weekend, because a few customers fished but seemed to find slow catches, blaming the weather, said Sharon from <b>The Girls Place Bait & Tackle</b>. She fished on a trip Sunday that angled in a bunch of short weakfish, a few snapper blues and a spot on shedder crabs and bloodworms. The weaks were hooked near Bug Light, and none of the trout showed up when the trip fished off Thompson’s Beach. Spots were known to be swimming the bay, and bigger croakers supposedly schooled off Slaughter Beach. An angler this morning who said he bagged flounder on the ocean at Reef 11 was the only customer who mentioned catching the flatties. A few shedder crabs, the favorite weakfish bait, are stocked, but the supply was starting to slow down for the season and would probably be finished within a few weeks. But plenty of cut-up, fresh shedders are stocked that the shop stocks away once the live shedders die. Plenty of frozen shedders are also carried, and so are big minnows, bloodworms and just about all frozen baits. Offshore baits like flats of sardines are also available when anglers order ahead of time. The weather blew out offshore fishing through the weekend. 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 storm blew out crabbing during the weekend, and the shed around the new moon hampered catches beforehand, but several customers plucked four dozen of the blueclaws per trip on Monday, said Linda from <b>Beaver Dam Boat Rentals</b>. Predicting how crabbing would go this week was difficult, but Linda would expect decent catches, like several dozen per trip, to happen in the next days, based on the success of Monday and the fact that the full moon, when the next shed might take place, won’t occur until the end of next week. During the sheds, often triggered by new and full moons, crabbing can somewhat slow down, because crabs will refuse to feed while shedding. But not all crabs shed at once, and some can always be caught. The shop closed down on Saturday because the storm was parked overhead. Lots of freshwater runoff dumped into Oranokin Creek, where customers crab, and the high waters messed up the tides like they usually do. No tides really happened on Sunday, but tides were getting back to normal by Monday. Coming up, Beaver Dam will feature Haunted Creek Rides on Thursdays through Sundays from October 9 through Halloween, Saturday, October 31. Beaver Dam is currently providing applications for spring turkey hunting and is a licensed agent for fishing, hunting and other outdoor licenses. Fill out the turkey application now for the best chance at claiming a permit to hunt. Only leftover permits will be up for grabs afterward. Crabbers at Beaver Dam get towed up the creek in rental boats, and the staff checks on them every hour. But if the rental boaters want to take a break in the meantime, they simply cell phone the shop, and the staff picks them up. Kayaks and canoes are also available to rent for sightseeing on the creek. 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 rental 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>

A trip was supposed to fish for flounder today on the <b>Buccaneer</b>, Capt. Ralph said, and he’ll try to give a report about the catch afterward that will be posted here this evening if he does. Maybe the effects of the weather will have settled more today than on the past couple of days. Flounder fishing sounded slow on boats that got out Sunday, maybe because of the storm. Weakfishing seemed sporadic or impossible to put a finger on, based on reports. One angler might report hooking 60 on a trip one day and none on the next.

Flounder trips fished through the weekend, and downpours came through on Saturday, but seas were calm, said Capt. Howard from the <b>Salt Talk</b>. Not many fish were hooked, and maybe the weather affected the bite, but more were hooked the rest of the week, even if the fishing was on the slower side. Thirteen or fourteen keepers including a 5-pounder were bagged on Wednesday’s trip. A few small blues were mixed in on trips. The boat fished in different places through the week to find the fish, including along the shipping channel, at the wreck buoy on one day and at the stakes on another.  Open-boat trips are flounder fishing 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., but always call ahead to confirm that no charter is fishing instead.

Fishing was tough for boaters since the storm, and the bay was dirtied and chilled, said Dave from <b>Al’s Bait & Tackle</b>. But he thinks catches should rebound by the weekend, and previously fishing was great. Weakfish and croakers had been reeled up at the 6 buoy. Flounder had mostly been cranked aboard from deeper waters around the shipping channel and a little farther south than before, like toward Miah Maul. Bluefish had schooled everywhere, loads of them landed. Currently a ton of big spots and a few small weakfish were banked along the Fortescue surf. Plenty of white perch roamed the creeks, and a mess of crabs got nabbed from the creeks and ditches.  Shedder crabs are stocked but should be ordered ahead of time. Anglers were calling on Mondays to order shedders for Saturdays, but the shop kept up with the demand. Frozen shedders are carried, like in case live or fresh shedders run out. Minnows and all the other baits, a large selection, are on hand.

<b>Bivalve</b>

Forecasts for 3- and 4-foot seas scared off anglers through the weekend, but the bay was like a lake, said Pat from <b>Longreach Marina</b>. So, few anglers fished, but Steve Powell and Mike Sites from Quinton docked five flounder and a weakfish, and Ben Moss Sr., Ben Moss III and Ken and Matt Moss boated 19 flounder, three weakfish, five blues and one spot. Weakfish swam toward the number 1 buoy, and many were shorts, but some were keepers, and there were lots of the fish. Flounder gathered at usual places including Miah Maul, near the 1 buoy and toward the E.P. Tower. Live shedder crabs were difficult to find, and none was carried lately, but frozen shedders are stocked. So are minnows and other frozen baits including spearing and mackerel.

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