<b>Brooklawn</b>

Croakers were sometimes shoveled up from usual places like off Fortescue, said Rick from <b>Big Timber Bait & Tackle</b>. But not a lot was heard about fishing, because of rough weather. In the Delaware River near the shop catfish, carp and short striped bass were mainstays, but like many places, the waters were yet to turn over and cool. But once they do, smallmouth bass fishing should turn on hard in the Big D. The smallies locally seemed to get caught the most on the Delaware where the Schuylkill River dumps in, and off the stadiums that are directly across from the shop. That stretch of the river seems healthy and alive with lots of running, clear waters. Smallies travel down the river about as far as the Commodore Barry Bridge. In other news, one of the staff from the shop took a trip that trolled a slew of blues and false albacore and saw a couple of cobia in the ocean inshore of Sea Isle Ridge. Triggerfish were also landed when the trip bottom fished. Rick would imagine that South Shoal or 5-Fathom Bank would also hold pelagics like albies. 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</b>

Friends boated three kingfish south of the 1 buoy, said Sharon from <b>The Girls Place Bait & Tackle</b>. They also cranked in lots of small weakfish and one keeper in the area, and fished with shedder crabs, bloodworms and spots. Tons of spots swam the bay. The bay’s striped bass fishing usually begins in the third week of October, and the current cool weather might help that fishing along. Serious striper anglers begin on Columbus Day weekend, falling on October 10 through 12 this year. The bay’s striper anglers in fall mostly fish with bunker chunks, but some use surf clams. Some also troll, like with Mann’s Stretch 25 or 30 lures. Fishing for big white perch was good on the Maurice River, and that was a sign that fall was coming, because the fishing picks up around fall. Anglers soaked bloodworms or grass shrimp for the slabs, if grass shrimp could be located. Shrimp were small and difficult to catch at this time of the year, and none are stocked, but Sharon is trying to supply some. The shedder crab supply was very hit or miss. A few will continue to be carried, but they go fast. When shedders become scarce, anglers looking for weakfish begin to dunk bloodworms, spots and even clams, and clams can work well. 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 was better than expected during the full moon on Friday, and many customers came back with 2 to 2 ½ dozen, said Linda from <b>Beaver Dam Boat Rentals</b>. The full moon can trigger the blueclaws to shed, and sure enough they began to shed, and crabbing dropped off, because the crustaceans refuse to eat while shedding. But the effects of the molt usually last about a week, and crabbing might be back to normal any day. The staff expects catches to pick right back up and be good. Now and in autumn are some of the best times of the year for crabbing, because the blueclaws have shed throughout the warm months, growing to their largest sizes, before they burrow in the mud of Delaware Bay in winter. Beaver Dam will be open for crabbing seven days a week through October 4, because haunted creek rides will begin October 8, lasting through Halloween. Crabbers at Beaver Day get towed up Oranokin Creek, running along the property, in rental boats, and the staff checks on them every hour. But if the rental boaters want 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. The application period for the lottery for fall turkey hunting permits ended on Sunday, but leftover permits will be distributed at official locations at some point. Turkey hunters should be aware that the zones for hunting were changed a lot in South Jersey, and see the state’s hunting and trapping digest for the new zones. Beaver Dam is a licensed agent for fishing, hunting and other outdoor licenses. The shop is also a turkey and deer check-in station, including for fall bow deer season that begins Saturday at some zones. During the duck seasons in fall and winter Beaver Dam will cater to duck hunters, including renting blinds, and the duck seasons were yet to be announced. 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. Catch Beaver Dam’s display at Coast Day in Cape May on October 11.

<b>Fortescue</b>

On the <b>Bonanza</b> anglers began wrangling up a few weakfish, blues and kingfish, after flounder trips ended because the fluke season closed on Saturday, Capt. Mike said. No huge numbers of fish were reeled in during Saturday and Sunday, but catches were made. That fishing will be the plan this month until striped bass trips begin in probably October, fishing with bunker chunks and eels, and maybe tog trips will sail when the bag limit increases to six of the tog on November 16 from the current limit of one. Green crabs would be supplied for bait. The bay’s flounder population this year was one of the better that Mike saw on the bay. The fish moved far north in the bay and stayed north longer than usual, too. The Bonanza is fishing on open-boat trips 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. The crew will keep trying to sail on the open trips daily this week as long as there’s a demand. The trips might begin to run Fridays through Mondays next week.

Trips on the <b>Salt Talk</b> sailed for flounder throughout last week until the flattie season ended during the weekend, and no fishing was done on the boat on Saturday and Sunday, but trips will now target croakers and weakfish, Capt. Howard said. The croakers and weaks swam in shallower waters closer to shore, and striped bass fishing on the vessel will probably begin in mid to late October. The flounder fishing held up well last week, and 12 keepers, a decent catch, were bagged on Friday’s trip. Sizeable flatties, like a 5-1/4-pounder that one angler nabbed, were sometimes caught. That angler won the pool with that fish and won another pool during the week with a flounder around 3 pound. Blues sometimes showed up during the flounder fishing. Open-boat trips are fishing 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. But always call ahead to confirm that no charter is fishing instead. The crew will try to keep running the open trips every day, but that depends on demand. If the trips switch mostly to a weekend schedule, regular customers on the boat often come down on Wednesdays, so maybe at least one weekday trip will keep going on that day. Then daily fishing might kick back in during striper season.

A few weakfish and a few croakers could be toggled in from north of the 6 buoy, said Capt. Ralph from the <b>Buccaneer</b>. Both supposedly gathered south of the 1 buoy, too. Ralph knows a captain who tried for weaks at the Wreck Buoy Slough during the weekend but only landed 20 small blues. Spots swam around, and were a popular bait for weaks. The Buccaneer was concentrating on flounder but will run for weakfish and croakers, now that flounder season is closed. Call to go after the tasty fish.

Everybody started fishing for spots and weakfish since flounder season closed, said Dave from <b>Al’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Both fish were plentiful at the first drop-off right off Fortescue, and anglers limited out on the weaks during the weekend, and often returned by noon. A mess of weaks were also creamed toward the E.P. Tower like at the stakes. Bloodworms were a bait of choice for both fish. That’s a typical bait for spots, but weakfishers began fishing bloods especially because the supply of live shedder crabs, a favorite weakfish bait, was mostly finished for the season. No live shedders are stocked, but plenty of frozen ones are. Anglers also cut up the spots to use for a great weakfish bait. Even beach anglers hooked lots of spots, and they also landed weakfish, including keepers.  To catch the spots anglers can fish spot rigs, and ones with small floats are available at the shop. But any top-and-bottom rig with small hooks like sizes 4 to 8 will work. Blues 1 to 2 pounds swam  all over the bay. Excellent catches of crabs were nabbed from the creeks. Striped bass fishing won’t start until at least the beginning of October. Small stripers will begin to bite at first, and bigger ones will arrive toward the end of October and beginning of November.

<b>Bivalve</b>

At <b>Longreach Marina</b> anglers docked a mix of species including weakfish, spots, kingfish, croakers, blues and flounder, before the flounder season closed, Pat said. They fished mostly from in close to the 1 buoy. Some fished toward the 1, and others tried off Thompson’s Beach, and others gave the fishing a shot between the 1 and the E.P. Tower. Anglers and their catches included: Bob Lauletta, Gloucester, a limit of flounder to 24 inches; Ross DelRossi, Pine Hill, three flounder; Tony Rizzo and John Syderski, Pittsgrove, 10 weaks, 10 blues and 50 spots; Joe Pierce and Ron Lock, Millville, a real mixed bag of 10 weaks, six spots, three croakers, three kingfish, a blue, a sea bass, a spiny dogfish and 40 other sharks; Joe Pierce and son Mike Pierce on another trip, six weaks, six spots, a kingfish and a spiny dog; and Nick and Sean Emigholz and Zach and Rob Nealis, Pittsgrove, six weaks, 20 spots, two kingfish, a flounder and lots of throwback flounder.

<b>Cape May</b>

A few weakfish, mostly small but occasional keepers, held at the stakes and around the fish trap areas in the bay, and squid and shedder crabs got strikes, said Matt from <b>Jim’s Bait & Tackle</b> in a fax.  Surf fishing was a little slow, but mullet began to school up in the back waters, and maybe the next cold front will trigger them to begin pouring out to open waters, kicking off the fall migration. Boats finally got out Saturday between the rough weather, and the anglers lifted aboard croakers and a few sea bass and triggerfish, fairly good catches, at Cape May Reef.

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