<b>Brooklawn</b>

The bigger striped bass seemed to drop down to the bay from the Delaware River, after spawning, said Rick from <b>Big Timber Bait & Tackle</b>. Lots were copped at Ship John, and some were knuckled aboard from the lower bay at places like the Banana Peel and the Horseshoe. Rumors said a few drum began to be hoisted up from the bay, but confirmed reports were scarce. The bay’s anglers mostly waited for drum fishing to kick in. Closer to the shop, the river’s largemouth bass fishing was on the upswing. Largemouth season is closed through June 15 for spawning, but catch-and-release fishing is allowed. Anglers target them at any structure like pilings, mostly from the Commodore Barry Bridge to Tullytown, usually on Senkos or creature baits on jigs. Rick took a trip, hooking the bucketmouths every third or fourth cast. Big catfish roamed the river all around, scooping up cut baits like bunker or white perch. Big Timber carries bait and tackle for nearly all fishing from freshwater to the bays to offshore. The bait supply currently includes fresh clams, and fresh bunker is stocked when available

<b>Pennsville</b>

The Delaware River’s striped bass fishing mostly ended for the season in the local area, but some of the fish were landed on the northern bay, usually on chunks of bunker, said Zack from <b>Shag’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Those were stripers that had already spawned in the river and were dropping back to the bay, headed for the ocean on the migration. White perch and catfish could always be plucked from the river. Crabbing was yet to pick up, and the season was early. Fresh bunker is stocked when available, and bloodworms are carried.

<b>Port Elizabeth</b>

Hardly any customers fished in the last three or four days because of winds, and the weather made boating difficult nearly the last 10 days, said Sharon from <b>The Girls Place Bait & Tackle</b>. Monday and today were windy, too. Therefore little news was heard, and nothing was heard about drum catches on the bay, but a few were picked from the surf at Cape May and nearby. Drum were marked on fish finders on the bay and refused to bite, but that’s not unusual. The fish are often marked for a time before they start to feed, for whatever reasons, whether because they’re spawning or waters are cold or something. They enter the bay to spawn, and waters were cold this year, after the cold winter. The ocean was in the mid 50s, sometimes warmer, but this week’s cold weather probably wouldn’t help warm the waters. Boaters had been belting striped bass, good catches, at the 32 and 34 buoys and Ship John, and most fish with bunker in those northern areas of the bay. Stripers were even beached from the Fortescue surf last week. Fresh bunker had been difficult to obtain, because none of the bunker boats sailed in the winds. But the menhaden was expected to arrive today at the shop. Fresh clams are stocked, and so are minnows, eels and a few fresh herring, not many. Frozen baits are on hand. 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>Fortescue</b>

None of the fleet probably fished Saturday and Sunday because of winds, and the weather kept the <b>Buccaneer</b> docked, Capt. Ralph said. The next drum trips are slated for Friday to Sunday on the vessel. He heard that five drum were hauled aboard on the Delaware side of the bay on one of the party boats, and that was the only news during the weather.

Fortescue beach anglers dropped the hammer on striped bass, lots of the fish, toward the end of last week before the winds, said Dave from <b>Al’s Bait & Tackle</b>. The bass gobbled bloodworms, and a couple of 20-inch weakfish and sometimes 4- to 5-pound blues were beached. But practically nobody, including boaters, fished since the weekend. When boaters last sailed, they scored well on stripers at Ship John. But the weather during the last 10 days was difficult for boating. A few drum were pumped in before the gusts. White perch began to move into Fortescue Creek and be caught. Recreational crabbing was yet to take off, but commercial crabbers began to set up in the bay, and the blueclaws should start to invade the back waters soon for recreational crabbing. Fresh bunker and fresh clams were unavailable because the weather kept boats from gathering them, but are stocked when available. All the frozen baits are on hand. Al’s is now open seven days a week for the season at 6 a.m. on weekdays and 5:30 a.m. on weekends.

<b>Bivalve</b>

Winds kept most boaters from fishing, but Pat from <b>Longreach Marina</b> saw some of the few who sailed sometimes dock impressive catches of striped bass. The fish might’ve been ones that spawned up the Delaware River and now passed through the bay, migrating to the ocean. Nothing was heard about drum catches, probably because of the weather, but drum should be starting to bite. Eric Osborne, Cumberland, and Dale DeVilli, Cedarville, racked up four stripers 41, 39, 38 and 37 inches, a great catch, and they probably earned the fish in the winds Saturday, Pat said. John Eichenberg, Deptford, checked in a 48-inch striper, and Rob Bailey Sr. and Jr., Delaware County, Pennsylvania, returned with 40- and 37-inch stripers. Jack Malloy, Voorhees, landed three stripers, and Ralph Marilla, Philadelphia, totaled two. Ron Green, Vineland, bagged six white perch. Fresh bunker and frozen baits are stocked, and a few boat slips are left.

<b>Villas</b>

Boaters sailed back out on the bay today to fish, after winds kept them in port in the past days, said Jim from <b>Budd’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Word from them sounded like waters were murky from the blow, but that should clear up soon. A few drum were boated before the winds. The surf gave up the most catches: sometimes good-sized striped bass 36 to 40 inches at Poverty Beach and North Wildwood on clams. A drum was dragged from the surf in the past days, biting a clam. No other fish like blues or weakfish were heard about. Sizeable, out-of-season flounder were hooked by mistake and released in the bay a couple of weeks ago when boaters striper fished. Fresh bunker, fresh clams, bloodworms, minnows and frozen clam strips, mackerel, spearing, squid, salted clams and more baits are stocked.

<b>Cape May</b>

Three drum, the first of the season on the boat, were finally hauled from the bay on a trip Friday, after four trips found none in the waters, said Capt. Bob from the <b>Down Deep</b>. But on this trip, with Gary Cochran’s party, drum, sounding like hundreds, were heard booming everywhere. Seemed a good sign. The fish that were caught mostly weighed 30 or 35 pounds, and bigger ones should be coming.

A drum trip turned up none of the fish Friday, said Capt. George from the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>, but a few were caught on other boats, and George heard the fish booming for 45 minutes. The fish finder marked lots of drum at the first stop on the trip. All of that was a good sign. None of the fleet fished Saturday and Sunday because of winds, and Friday was windy, too.

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