<b>Brooklawn</b>

Fishing for summer flounder apparently improved, and good catches were made, including toward the E.P. Tower, Flounder Alley, Miah Maull and the 19 buoy, said Rick from <b>Big Timber Bait & Tackle</b>. Fair numbers of keepers were also boated at the Old Grounds and Reef 11 in the ocean off Delaware. Rick heard about no croakers found in the bay yet. In the Delaware River near the shop, anglers cleaned up on lots of largemouth bass, often limits, and began to tackle smallmouth bass. Spinner baits, buzz baits, creature baits and lures like Brush Hogs clocked the bigmouths. Rick will hold an open Buddy Bass Tournament at Gloucester City Marina on the river Sunday, and holds largemouth tournaments there once a month. Anglers can call the store for info. A mess of kingfish gave up bites at Cape May Point. Tuna fishing began improving, and a few bluefin tuna were fought at 19-Fathom Lump, and a few yellowfin tuna were taken along the 30-fathom line. At the canyons farther from shore, yellowfins had gathered at the Hudson, where good waters had moved in. That canyon was the main source of news from the Continental Edge at the shop. Big Timber carries bait and tackle for fishing in all waters from freshwater to bays to offshore.

<b>Pennsville</b>

Around the wreck buoy, the 6 buoy and Flat Top, and along the shipping channel, somewhat deeper waters, turned out fairly good flounder fishing, including a few keepers, said Matt from <b>Shag’s Bait & Tackle</b>. In the Delaware River catfish and white perch were rounded up. Matt landed 25 cats, mostly 2- to 3-pounders, but up to a 5-pounder, from 10:30 p.m. to 12 midnight on pieces of one shedder crab. The shedders work. The perch swam abundant, and bloodworms, nightcrawlers and shedders drew nibbles. Crabbing now took off in local tributaries and along the river. A commercial crabber on the river was catching 15 bushels per day. Jeff, the shop’s owner, was catching 25 bushels per day on the bay. Bloodworms, nightcrawlers and shedder crabs are stocked, though shedders become somewhat scarce this time of year. Fresh bunker isn’t usually carried often at this time of year.

<b>Newport</b>

The new moon during the weekend triggered crabs to shed and mate, so crabbing slowed, but catches were great last week, leading up to the moon, said Linda from <b>Beaver Dam Boat Rentals</b>. Several customers busheled out on the blueclaws last week. Crabs stop feeding when they mate and shed, so that slows down crabbing. But not all crabs shed and mate at once, so some continue to be caught. Full and new moons often cause them to shed and mate. The effects of a moon can last five to seven days. Crabbers in the shop’s boats are towed up Oranokin Creek to several saltwater ponds teeming with crabs. The staff checks on the boaters every hour, and if some want a break in the meantime, they cell phone the shop and get picked up. Call ahead to reserve a rental boat, because they become full. Catch the special every Tuesday and Wednesday: Reserve a boat ahead of time, and  receive a dozen live crabs free. Beaver Dam began selling live crabs for eating for the first time. No. 2’s are $10 per dozen or $25 for three dozen. The rate for No. 1’s depends on the market price. Beaver Dam rents kayaks and canoes for sightseeing on the creek. All kinds of wildlife lives along the waters. Visit <a href="http://www.crabulousnj.com/Home_Page.html" target="_blank">Beaver Dam’s Web site</a> for hours and more info about the business.

<b>Fortescue</b>

On one day summer flounder would give up good catches, and on another the fishing would be off, and on the following day the angling would be either on or off, and so on, said Capt. Mike from the party boat <b>Bonanza</b>. But catches were okay in general, and on Sunday they were good on the boat. Dalton Green, 7, nailed a 7-1/2-pound 27-incher and a 21-incher on the trip. A few blues, not many, were mixed in on trips, but flounder made up most of the catches. No croakers were around yet in local waters, but small ones swam the lower bay. Trips fished near Fortescue, and Monday’s trip was fishing at the Elbow when Mike gave this report over the phone. The season’s first open-boat flounder trip to the Old Grounds, in the ocean off Delaware, sailed Wednesday, and a few large sea bass and sizeable flounder were pumped in, but no large numbers were, no fast and furious fishing. The next one of the trips will sail in August, and Mike will announce the date. The Old Grounds is an area with rocky bottom that attracts fish like flounder and sea bass, and the flounder tend to be larger there. Open-boat trips are fishing for flounder daily unless a charter is booked, and charters are available.

After better-sized summer flounder began to be rounded up at the beginning of last week, the fishing was slower the rest of the week, but picked up again on Sunday’s trip on the party boat <b>Salt Talk</b>, Capt. Howard said. Seventeen keepers were tugged aboard that day, and John Draws won the pool with a 4-1/2-pounder, also decking a 3-1/2-pounder and probably five keepers total. Quite a few of the flatties, including throwbacks, were reeled in that day, so Howard hoped that was the beginning of another resurgence in the angling. The drift was super-fast in strong currents, maybe because of the new moon, and the weather was beautiful, not too hot. Rains fell all day Saturday until 4 p.m., but no lighting or thunderstorms boomed, and no strong winds blew. Lots of boats filled the waters that day, after vessels were scarce Saturday in forecasts for thunderstorms. Trips lately fished at the Elbow or Cross Ledge. Only a few bluefish were hooked.  Daily trips are sailing open-boat for summer flounder unless a charter is booked. Call to confirm, and charters are also available.

Summer flounder were biting well now, and more keepers were around than before, said Capt. Ralph from the <b>Buccaneer</b>. A population gathered near Fortescue, including bunching up along waters at the wreck buoy or the wreck buoy slough. An occasional bluefish, like two or three in a trip, grabbed a bait.

Fishing just kept getting better for summer flounder, was excellent, said Dave from <b>Al’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Many anglers limited out, and many creamed good-sized flatties. Places they fished included the wreck buoy, the stakes north of Egg Island Point and Miah Maull, but the fish seemed everywhere in the bay. Aqua-Clear rigs scored well, and so did Gulps, almost any type. The best color for Gulps changed daily, including green, white and pink. The standard bait combo of a minnow with a strip of squid worked, too. A few 1- to 2-pound blues, not a lot, but more than before, were around. Tiny croakers began to appear off Fortescue, after they previously only swam the southern bay off Delaware. Anglers hope bigger ones will follow. No spots or kingfish were heard about yet. A weakfish was picked here or there, but nobody got into a bunch. One angler who targets drumfish that live in the bay all summer ran a trip that tackled five to 40 pounds, breaking off one. The number and the sizes were surprising. Fewer are usually caught at once in summer, and they’re usually 15 to 20 pounds. Though many might think drum only swim the bay during the run of the fish in spring, some always remain in the bay through the season like along the lighthouses or certain holes. Not a lot bit in the Fortescue surf except small blues, small flounder or short striped bass at times. Lots of white perch held in Fortescue Creek, and so did many crabs. Some buddies picked up four dozen keeper crabs from the creek. Minnows, shedder crabs and the whole, large supply of frozen baits is stocked. Many anglers use the shedders for flounder bait.  

<b>Port Norris</b>

Thirty-one keeper summer flounder were cranked aboard a trip Sunday, said Capt. Tim from the <b>Bodacious</b> and <b>Port Norris Marina</b>, and catches of the flatties were good lately, and the fishing was all about the drift. When winds and tides combined to create a good drift, plenty of the fish were looted. Charters will keep flounder fishing, and the season’s first tuna trip, an open-boat outing that’s sold out, will fish overnight next week from Tuesday to Wednesday. The trip will probably head all the way offshore to the canyons, instead of fishing for bluefin tuna closer to the coast, because plenty of yellowfins swam the canyons, and the bag limit allows more of the fish to be kept. Sometimes trips sail for bluefins when that angling is the best option. More open-boat, overnight trips for tuna will be scheduled, and anglers can call the vessel for the dates. A three-day, open-boat tuna trip will fish September 9 to 11 that’s full. Minnows, all the frozen baits and more are stocked at the marina. The ramp is open 24 hours, and the shop is open 6 a.m. to 12 noon Mondays through Fridays and 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. A few slips are available.

<b>Bivalve</b>

Summer flounder anglers from <b>Longreach Marina</b> boated the fish at the stakes off False Egg Island Point but also straight off from the 2 and 3 buoys, Pat said. Quite a few boats fished there, and she knew about a couple that caught. The flatties also seemed scattered around the bay. Dennis Caccese, Franklinville, landed three keeper striped bass, and several anglers picked up short stripers they released, surprising to hear about the stripers, all caught in the bay, this time of year. Anglers and their catches also included: Tony and Nick LaGrotta, Woodbury, eight keeper flounder, each 20 inches or larger, and lots of throwbacks; George Donley, Atco, a 24-1/2-inch 5-pound 5-ounce flounder; Bob LeBree and Bill Bain, Pine Hill, on the Miss Elizabeth, five keeper flounder; Kyle Patrick Jones, 9, Washington Township, three keeper flounder, and Dawn Castiglion, five keeper flounder, on a trip with Scott and Capt. Frank Jones that also decked other keeper flounder; Cathryn Osborne and husband Eric, Millville, two flounder 18 and 22 inches and 15 throwbacks; Michael and Arielle Ross, Port Norris, 18- and 21-inch flounder; and Mason Erstler, Vero Beach, Fla., three blues. Minnows, shedder crabs and frozen baits including squid and mackerel are stocked. Longreach Marina’s annual Kids Fishing Tournament will be held Saturday, August 7. A girl’s bike and a boy’s bike will be raffled, and each child will receive a prize and a goody bag, and prizes will be awarded for first through third place for both the heaviest flounder and weakfish. The two first prizes will be a $100 bond each, and the second prizes will be a $50 bond each, and the third prizes will be a $25 gift certificate to Toys R Us each. The entry fee is $10, and the children will each receive more than that value in the goody bags alone.

<b>Villas</b>

Customers claimed summer flounder at the 16 buoy and sometimes around Miah Maull, said Jim from <b>Budd’s Bait & Tackle</b> and <b>Budd’s Tackle Charter Services</b>. The 16 is located along the shipping channel between Brandywine Light and 14-Foot Light. A few bigger flounder but not as many came from the Old Grounds in the ocean off Delaware. Surf anglers and boaters both found flounder at Cape May Point and toward the Concrete Ship. The back bay held lots of flounder but not many keepers at places including Dad’s Place toward Hereford Inlet and along the sod banks. A few blues sometimes showed up at the 9 and 10 buoys along the shipping channel in Delaware Bay. No bluefish were heard about from the point, and no croakers were heard about from local waters. A few blues popped up at Cold Spring Inlet. Kingfish gobbled bloodworms at Higbee’s Beach and Anglesea. Sea bass fishing sounded spotty in the ocean. Crabbing was good. The shop sells live crabs for eating. Current prices, depending on the market, are $10 per dozen or $20 for three dozen for No. 2’s and $20 per dozen or $36 per dozen for No. 1’s. A bushel is $50. Cooked crabs are also available, and so is crab cleaning. Raw clams for steaming called “specials,” a size between little neck and top neck, are $15.95 for 50.

<b>Cape May</b>

An okay catch of summer flounder to 22 inches was toggled in from off Cape May Point on Saturday on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>, Capt. George said. The bite only lasted 2 hours, and birds worked the waters, and whether bluefish or just bait swam underneath was unknown. The anglers concentrated on flounder, instead of checking out the birds.

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