<b>Brooklawn</b>

Summer flounder were still boated right off Fortescue, said Rick from <b>Big Timber Bait & Tackle</b>. Croaker fishing was on a tear off Cape May Point and at places like 20-Foot Slough in the southern bay. Rick joined a flounder trip that fished a bunch of small wrecks on the ocean, and the anglers clobbered 29 keepers to 9 pounds, lots of big ones. But this wasn’t the average trip, and the crew fished hard and were experienced. Flounder skittered around Reef 11 and the Old Grounds in the ocean. Back in the bay, sharks, many of them, including sand tigers and sometimes browns, could be fought to the south. In the ocean surf kingfishing was spotty, and a bunch of the fish bit on one trip and not the next. Offshore anglers pelted tuna toward the canyons more to the north than to the south. The tuna were all yellowfins, and bluefins seemed to blow past the coast on the migration north this year. All the tuna were trolled, and white marlin swam fairly thick. Along the Delaware River near the shop plenty of largemouth bass fed at the creek mouths, and Woodbury Creek and Raccoon Creek were notable spots. Anglers cast big soft plastics to them at the docks and pilings on outgoing tides or the first hour or two of outgoing. The PowerTeam Conviction Craw, a soft-plastic crawfish, was a new bait that worked hot on the bucketmouths. Rick believed the bait was sold in only two South Jersey shops, and Big Timber was one.  Big Timber carries bait and tackle for fishing in all waters from freshwater to bays to offshore.

<b>Pennsville</b>

Customers fishing the Delaware River for white perch banked 20 on Monday morning, stopped at the shop, and headed back out for more, said Matt from <b>Shag’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Plenty of perch bit in the river, and the river’s catfishing was up and down or had been slow, picked back up then began to dwindle again. Previous reports from the shop talked about warm waters preventing the best catfishing. Nothing was heard about striped bass in the river, and waters were probably warm for that fishing, too. When the summer weather breaks, stripers 25 to 30 inches will begin to be caught from the tributaries at night more frequently. All fishing will pick up when cooler weather begins after Labor Day. Crabbing was good at the tributaries and usual places and was almost too good. Fewer people will buy crabs when they can catch their own, and crab prices drop. Little was heard about the bay’s fishing, and customers seemed to be off doing other things in the heat. Bloodworms, shedder crabs and frozen baits are stocked. The supply of shedders began to taper off but should be available until late September.

<b>Port Elizabeth</b>

Not a lot was heard about summer flounder, said Sharon from <b>The Girls Place Bait & Tackle</b>. Crabbing was some of the best catching around, a great season for the blueclaws, according to those who crabbed. They bought lots of supplies for crabbing. Not much was heard about croakers or blues in the bay. If anglers wanted to fish in freshwater, the local ponds and lakes in summer usually give up largemouth bass best at night. Kingfishing along the ocean surf went well. Offshore anglers seemed to clock tuna and big game. Flats of offshore baits can be ordered from the shop a couple of days in advance, and the baits usually arrive on Thursdays. Minnows, green crabs and all the frozen baits are stocked. Only a few shedder crabs are carried live, because demand is low this time of year. But anglers can order live shedders from the shop, and frozen shedders are on hand.

<b>Newport</b>

The new moon that just passed triggered crabs to shed and spawn, so catches dropped off now, said Linda from <b>Beaver Dam Boat Rentals</b>. But crabbing should bounce back in a few days. The crabs were an excellent size. The blueclaws refuse to feed when shedding or spawning, and bait then fails to attract them to traps or hand lines. New and full moons often cause them to shed or spoon, but not always. Not all crabs shed or spawn at once, so some can always be caught during shedding and spawning. But the numbers can be fewer.  Catch the special through August: Reserve a boat for a Tuesday or Wednesday this month, and get a free crab cracker, two free crab picks, a fee package of crab spice and a $5 coupon for the next crabbing trip, a $17 value total. Keep the loot yourself or give it as a gift. This month is Beaver Dam’s fifth anniversary, so all rental boat customers this month will be entered in a drawing for a free crabbing trip. Also, some of the crabs are painted with yellow spots, and customers who catch one win a free crab trap. Crabbers and anglers in the rental boats are towed up Oranoken Creek, running past the property, to several saltwater ponds teeming with crabs. The staff checks on the boats every hour, but if any want to take a break in the meantime, they cell phone the shop and get picked up. Kayak and canoe rentals are available for sightseeing on the creek, full of wildlife. The shop sells live crabs for eating at market price. Annual haunted creek rides are coming up for Halloween. 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>

Capt. Ralph from the <b>Buccaneer</b> was waiting for the tide to change for summer flounder fishing to pick up on a trip Monday morning when he gave this report over the phone, he said. The angling was slow at the moment, probably because of the tide, but was normally good in past days on the vessel. Moe bluefish than before began to be clubbed o the boat. Flounder and blues were here, he said. He talked with a Delaware captain who said he was catching croakers, and Ralph was probably going to head there and check out the fishing later.

On the party boat <b>Salt Talk</b> anglers reeled up flounder, mostly throwbacks, a few keepers, and the number of the fish somewhat dropped off in the past days, Capt. Howard said. He couldn’t know whether that was a lull or whether the fish began to migrate toward the ocean. Trips fished at places including the Elbow and the stakes, and bluefish catches increased on the boat. Boaters who wanted to catch blues could now score well. Lots of sea robins were around, and baby sea bass stole bait, and two short weakfish were angled up and let go Sunday on the boat at the shipping channel. Howard heard about croakers found farther south in the bay on the Delaware side of the shipping channel. One of the other Fortescue party boats headed there to scope them out, and a good shot of the hardheads around 10 inches were hooked a moment until the tide caused them to stop biting. Trips could begin to chase croakers if enough come in. Open-boat trips are fishing for flounder daily when no charter is booked, and charters are available.

The party boat <b>Bonanza</b> began to take the trip to look for croakers on the southern bay, and the hardheads were in, Capt. Mike said. Anglers could hook as many as they wanted, and fill a cooler quickly. The trip was somewhat of a ride, but anglers wanted the fish, and that’s where the fish were. Summer flounder fishing seemed to drop off somewhat recently, and bluefish were landed on the boat. On some days blues popped up, and on other days they did not. Mike only heard about four or five weakfish caught the entire season among the fleet. An open-boat flounder trip will fish at the Old Grounds in the ocean off Delaware on August 25, and call Mike to reserve space: 609-381-2978. That will be the final trip to the Old Grounds this year, and usually produces the better fishing. Bigger flounder tend to come from the Old Grounds, and bottom fish like sea bass are usually mixed in. Open-boat boats on the bay, no reservation required, are sailing every day unless a charter is booked, and charters are available.

Fishing for summer flounder was hit or miss, and one day anglers would score well, and on another maybe they wouldn’t, and locations of the catches could change with no pattern, said Dave from <b>Al’s Bait & Tackle</b>. On one day the catches might come from near the 32 buoy, and the next day they might come from the stakes, and so on. Lots of 2- to 3-pound blues, some of them up to 4 pounds, swarmed the bay right off Fortescue. Anglers usually just looked for them breaking the water surface, motoring carefully up to them, throwing nearly anything, such as metal jigs, for a hook-up. Anglers could chum for them, but sight fishing was the usual way to go. The blues often chased bunker. Only a few weakfish and a few croakers were hooked locally. But a good population of croakers swam the southern bay. Spots, quite a few, moved in, and anglers fished with bloodworms or crabs to pick them up. Surf anglers at Fortescue sometimes banked spots or a few blues. Many boaters fished for drum along the lighthouses including Miah Maull, and especially around Flat Top, buying shedder crabs for bait. The drum, usually 15- or 20-pounders, spend the summer in the bay, unlike the drum that enter the bay in spring then depart after spawning. But one angler hauled in a 72-pound drum. The boomers bit at all different times of day. Good catches of white perch were claimed from Fortescue Creek, and lots of crabs were plucked from the creek and along places like at the bridges in Fortescue and the surrounding area. The full supply of baits including minnows and shedder crabs is stocked.

<b>Bivalve</b>

Matt and Dan Kiel from Vineland bagged an 18-1/4-inch summer flounder and an 18-incher at Miah Maull and the E.P. Tower, said Pat from <b>Longreach Marina</b>. Anglers and their catches also included:  Scott Jones, Clementon, 5-pound 12-1/2-ounce 24-1/4-inch flounder; George Lepore, Wilmington, 4-pound 2-ounce flounder, E.P. Tower; Bob Lauletta, Gloucester, limit of six flounder to 22 inches, one weakfish, three blues; Lucky Murray, Millville, and crew, four good-sized flounder, lots of throwbacks, six blues; Tony LaGrotta, Woodbury, four flounder; Frank Kemmerer, Gouldtown, 18-1/2-inch flounder, seven throwbacks; Mike Calogne, Vineland, limit of blues; and Bill and Sue Wells, Millville, one flounder, one weakfish, four throwback weaks, two sea robins. Thirty children competed in the marina’s annual <b><i>Kids Fishing Tournament</i></b> on Saturday. First through third prizes were awarded for the biggest flounder and bluefish. The prizes for blues took the place of prizes normally awarded for weakfish, because no weakfish were entered. In both the flounder and bluefish divisions the prizes were a $100 bond for 1st prize, a $50 bond for 2nd and a $25 gift certificate to Toys R Us for 3rd. The winners and weights of the fish in the flounder division were: 1st prize, Bobby Carroll, 1-pound 4-ouncer; 2nd, Shane Sanborn, 1-pound 2-ouncer; and a tie for 3rd for Brent Bowman and Shane Sanborn. The winners and weights of the fish in the bluefish division were: 1st prize, Addison Engelbert, 3-1/4-pounder; 2nd prize, Benjamin Speiwak, 2-pound 9-1/2-ouncer; and a three-way tie for third prize for Shannon Ehler, Brent Bowman and Kyle Jones. The children who tied each won a $25 gift certificate to Toys R Us. Dylan Jones and Madison Hines won the drawings for the boys and girls bikes. Dave Turner won the raffle for a rod that was held to help pay for the tournament. All 30 kids also received a rod and reel for entering. The shop is stocking minnows, shedder crabs and frozen baits.

<b>Villas</b>

Waters along the Cape May Rips, Bayshore Channel and off Cape May Point and Higbee’s Beach turned out summer flounder, many shorts, a few keepers, said Jim from <b>Budd’s Bait & Tackle</b>, located in the Villas, and <b>Budd’s Tackle Charter Services</b>, sailing from Cape May. But the bay off the point served up a mix of croakers, kingfish and flounder. The croakers so far were less numerous than last year, when anglers hooked them left and right. Grassy Sound in the back bay attracted a similar population of flounder: many shorts, a few keepers. Surf anglers beached kingfish at North Wildwood and Anglesea. Minnows, shedder crabs, bloodworms and all the frozen baits, including bunker for crabbing, are stocked. 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 for two dozen for No. 1’s. Bushels are available, and call for the price. The current prices for cooked crabs are $23 per dozen or $42 for two dozen for No. 1’s and $13 per dozen or $29 for three dozen for No. 2’s. Raw steamer clams, called “specials,” a size between little neck and top neck, are $15.95 for 50.

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