<b>Pennsville</b>

Reports came in about croakers boated on the southern bay, said Matt from <b>Shag’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Hardly anyone seemed to fish for flounder on the bay anymore. Most customers stopped by for supplies to fish for white perch and catfish on the Delaware River. Great catches of perch were plundered, and a few cats chomped, and bloodworms and nightcrawlers caught both. Both worms are stocked, and so are a few shedder crabs. Fresh peanut bunker are carried most of the time, because one of the staff from the shop is netting them.

<b>Port Elizabeth</b>

Summer flounder seemed to be moving out of the bay, but fishing for the flatties  seemed to produce better catches on the ocean at the reefs and wrecks, if anglers could head there, said Sharon from <b>The Girls Pace Bait & Tackle</b>. But if anglers stay in the bay for flounder, they might try the southern bay at deeper waters like around the Anchorage or south of 14-Foot Light or deeper edges of the shipping channel. Such areas are traditional late-summer spots.  If croakers are around, anglers can fish for them on the bay. But crabbing is good now, a prime time to trap the blueclaws, and the shop is busy with crabbers buying supplies and bait. All the baits for fishing are also fully stocked. 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>

Crabs just began to come off the shed, so good catches were nabbed today for the first time since the molt began at <b>Beaver Dam Boat Rentals</b>, Linda said. The blueclaws began to shed around last Tuesday’s new moon, and the new and full moons often trigger sheds. Crabbing can become more difficult then, because the crustaceans refuse to feed when shedding. But not all crabs shed at once, so some can always be caught.  The shedding that just now ended lasted long, but sheds do last a week sometimes. The crab sizes were excellent, and crabs shed to grow about once a month during the warm seasons. This being the latter part of the warm seasons, the crabs now were some of the biggest sizes they will become, before they burrow in the mud in the bay to hibernate during winter. This was the height of crabbing season. The blueclaws should be willing to eat a lot through the weekend, and this coming Tuesday is the full moon. 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 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. Beaver Dam hosts group tours for functions from office trips to anniversaries to scout trips. The staff is certified for environmental education, and the tours can include half a day of enviro presentations and half a day of crabbing, if the groups would like. 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>

“Croakers, croakers, croakers,” said Capt. Mike from the party boat <b>Bonanza</b>. Trips had to take a bit of a ride to reach croakers, but the fish were there.  An open-boat trip for summer flounder will fish at the Old Grounds in the ocean off Delaware next week on Wednesday, August 25, and call Mike to reserve space: 609-381-2978. The trip will probably be the last to fish at the Old Grounds this season and is usually the better one. The Old Grounds is an area with rocky bottom that can attract flounder that are usually better-sized. Fish like sea bass are often mixed in. Open-boat trips are fishing the bay daily when no charter is booked, and charters are available.

The trip on the party boat <b>Salt Talk</b> on Sunday traveled south to the Anchorage to try croaker fishing, and the angling was good, Capt. Howard said. Lots of 8- to 10-inchers, none big, were creamed, and a few small weakfish and a handful of little kingfish were mixed in. Summer flounder fishing had become slower on trips, targeting the flatties near Fortescue, and trips now will probably sail for croakers. The bay at the Anchorage was 74 degrees and near Fortescue was 78. Open-boat trips sail daily when no charter is booked, and charters are on tap.

Anglers on the <b> Buccaneer</b> hooked up with croakers, none big, but as many as they wanted, Capt. Ralph said. The fish were found at the Anchorage in 45 to 50 feet. Nobody seemed to fish for summer flounder anymore, and Ralph couldn’t know if flounder departed from the bay toward Fortescue where trips caught them previously, “but it’s not good,” he said. The boat was stopped to try for flounder at a couple of spots at the rips and elsewhere near Miah Maul when traveling for croaker fishing. No flounder bit, but a few blues were landed. 

Spots swam along the Fortescue surf and in close to shore, said Dave from <b>Al’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Bloodworms drew them to strike, and croakers mainly held in the southern bay, but some were around near Fortescue. Shedder crabs are a favorite bait for the croakers. Blues, 2- to 3-pounders, decent-sized, roamed the bay, and anglers could either search for them busting the water surface or set up at a hole or likely place and chum for them. Some anglers kept sailing for summer flounder, and the fishing was slowing down, but a few were found. Dave couldn’t say where to find them, but try at favorite places. Small weakfish 7 or 8 inches schooled all over the bay. A keeper or two might be able to be searched out, but mostly the small ones were abundant. White perch fishing and crabbing were good at Fortescue Creek and most of the creeks. Minnows, shedder crabs and all the baits are fully stocked.

<b>Bivalve</b>

Ross DelRossi and Ross DelRossi Jr. from Pine Hill angled up two keeper flounder 22 and 24 inches and 12 throwbacks, said Pat from <b>Longreach Marina</b>. Customers began to belt more croakers than before, and more weakfish than previously. Many of the weaks were throwbacks, but a few keepers were in the mix. Ben Williams Sr. and Jr. and Robbie from Dividing Creek claimed 24 croakers, four flounder and four blues. Minnows, shedder crabs and frozen baits are stocked.

<b>Villas</b>

Both surf anglers and boaters grabbed croakers along Higbee’s Beach and Poverty Beach, 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. A 7.1-pound sheepshead was hauled in along the Concrete Ship and weighed at the shop. Tons of summer flounder could be boated off Cape May Point, but the large majority were throwbacks. Nothing was heard about flounder catches from the ocean reefs or the Old Grounds. Minnows, shedder crabs, bloodworms and all the frozen baits are stocked. 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.

Back to Top