<b>Pennsville</b>

An angler at the shop this morning said he’d been limiting out on flounder, and customers seemed to catch lots, said Dave from <b>Shag’s Bait & Tackle</b>. The fish seemed spread all over the bay, and scattered, small bluefish swam among them. Nobody mentioned landing croakers or weakfish. In the Delaware River white perch, catfish and small striped bass could be found. Bloodworms or nightcrawlers will take the perch, but bloods will work better. Bunker, shedder crabs or Power Baits will attract the catfish, and bloodworms or bunker will draw in the stripers. Crabbing was picking up, and the shop’s owner started placing his commercial crabbing pots farther up the bay, closer to the shop. Shedder crabs are stocked, and so is fresh bunker when available. Bloodworms, nightcrawlers, Gulps, Power Baits, frozen and other baits are carried.

<b>Newport</b>

Customers slammed catches of crabs Saturday, said Paul from <b>Beaver Dam Boat Rentals</b>. But the action died on Sunday, one of the worst days of crabbing he’d seen, for no apparent reason. On Monday catches “were all over the map,” he said, and half the rental-boat fleet nabbed a half-bushel of the blueclaws, and a couple busheled out on the crustaceans, and the rest picked up one or two dozen. So the action was sporadic or spotty. Crab shells were seen along the banks during the middle of last week, so the crabs had apparently shed, even though sheds usually happen on full or new moons, and neither moon phase had taken place then. The next full moon will happen Thursday, and customers will see whether another shed will take place. Crabbing can slow down during the shed, because the blueclaws stop feeding then. But not all crabs shed at once, so some can always be caught. Plenty of good-sized crabs were around. One angler reeled in 40 healthy-sized white perch from Oranokin Creek, where Beaver Dam’s rental boaters crab and fish. They get towed up the creek in the 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 charter belted seven keeper flounder, including fish probably 22 to 24 inches, among shorts tossed back Saturday at the Elbow on the <b>Buccaneer</b>, so the fishing was good, Capt. Ralph said. Six small blues were also nabbed. Flounder fishing was holding up, but anglers had to work to locate the fish when they were feeding, being at the right place at the right time, staying on them, drifting repeatedly at a productive spot. A 16-inch weakfish was landed on a trip this past week, but nobody talked about finding a substantial population of the trout. With any luck, weakfish will move in by the time flounder move out. The flounder could depart any time, were already hanging out longer than usual this season, so don’t delay to get after them. Other boaters caught small croakers in the southern bay on the Delaware side, and no population of them, at least none to speak of, yet moved north to waters near Fortescue.

On the <b>Bonanza</b> anglers piled up croakers, small- to medium-sized through most of the past week, but sometimes bigger ones to 16 inches on Monday’s trip, Capt. Mike said. The crew would see whether the bigger ones stuck around. Trips usually targeted croakers in the mornings, allowing patrons to grab as many as they wanted, then switched to flounder fishing in the afternoons. A few flatties to 22 inches were bagged among shorts thrown back. The croakers were caught on the southern bay on the Delaware side, and the flounder were taken around the 25 buoy near Miah Maul. Small blues were mixed in on the flounder grounds, so the trips coolered a mixed bag. A few short weakfish, no keepers, were hooked among the croakers. The Bonanza was probably one of the only boats sailing for croakers at the moment. A special, open-boat trip will fish for flounder at the Old Grounds, in the ocean off Delaware, on Wednesday, August 19, and call to reserve: 609-381-2978. Rough bottom at the Old Grounds is a flounder magnet, and the fishing can be some of the best for flounder when conditions  or winds and tides create the right drifts in the deep waters. Open trips on the bay are fishing 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily, unless a charter is booked. The charter schedule can be checked on the vessel’s Web site.

Flounder, no big numbers but some keepers, were reeled aboard the <b>Salt Talk</b> mostly at the Fortescue Rips through the past week, Capt. Howard said. But some trips fished other places, including near Miah Maul on Saturday and toward the wreck buoy on Sunday. Saturday’s trip, a charter with the Castaway Fishing Club from Morristown, bagged 19 keepers to John Morrison’s pool-winner, about 3 a pounder. Small blues, good eating sized, were sometimes boated. A couple of dozen were plucked on a couple of days. No croakers nor weakfish showed up, but others caught croakers on the southern bay on the Delaware side.  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. Charters are available.

Waters around the wreck buoy held flounder, said Donna from <b>Al’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Croakers were snatched up from the first and second drop-offs, and use shedder crabs or bloodoworms for a bite. A few weakfish were landed at the first drop-off, and bluefish swam nearly everywhere. Fortescue surf anglers beached croakers, sharks and sometimes a weakfish. All the baits are stocked, including shedder crabs, minnows, bloodoworms, cut squid, tube squid, spearing, sand eels, herring and clam. Anglers can call ahead to order bait.

<b>Bivalve</b>

Was a busy day at the shop Saturday, and lots of boaters were out, and many caught, said Pat from <b>Longreach Marina</b>. Flounder were pulled from around the number 1 buoy and from waters north of the E.P. Tower a little, not as far as Fortescue. A few blues, croakers and weakfish were also docked. Be sure to catch the marina’s annual Kids Fishing Tournament on Saturday, with a weather date of the following Saturday. The contest features first, second and third prizes for both the largest flounder and the largest weakfish in two categories for boys and girls. The first prizes will be $100 bonds, and the second prizes will be $50 bonds. The third prizes are usually gift certificates to Toys R Us. Each kid will also be entered in a drawing for a boys bike and a girls bike. Plus every kid will get a prize. Anglers and their catches this past week included: Bob Lauletta, Gloucester, five sizeable flounder; Stephen Gavrell, Landisville, also five sizeable flounder; Chuck Umba, Woodbury, and the boat’s first mate, four flounder, 45 throwbacks and six blues; Jose and Louis Esquilin, Vineland, three weakfish, six blues and 10 croakers; Ken and Ben Hitzelberger and Ray Summer, Elmer, flour flounder, six blues and a croaker; and Bill Ehrler Jr. and Gerry Little, three quality flounder, 38 throwbacks and a blue.

<b>Cape May</b>

The bay was loaded with flounder spread along the shipping channel from Miah Maul to the 9 and 10 buoys, but anglers really had to hunt for keepers, said Matt from <b>Jim’s Bait & Tackle</b> in a fax. Boaters put a beating on flounder in the ocean at the Old Grounds around the DA buoy, and they had to move around to find the larger ones, because some places held smaller flatties, but they could find areas with bigger ones. Catches checked in from the Old Grounds included Lyle Rutty’s 8.8-pound flounder, John Deering’s 7.39-pounder and Tim McSweeney’s 7.29-pounder. Keepers could also be cranked in from Cape May Reef along the drift area at the tire units. Surf fishing improved a little, and lots of short flounder and a few stripers swam along Sunset Beach and Cape May Point. A spotty population of kingfish and croakers roamed around the area, and a few spike weakfish were even beached at Cape May Point.

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