<b>Brooklawn</b>

Croakers and kingfish hovered along the southern bay toward Cape May Point close to shore at areas like around the Concrete Ship, said Rick from <b>Big Timber Bait & Tackle</b>. Anglers on party boats with permits to fish for summer flounder cleaned up on the fish, good catches, off the ocean beaches. The permits allow the boats to fish for the flatties during the currently closed season for them. False albacore and bonito raced around the ocean farther from shore at the humps and ridges like 5-Fathom Bank and Sea Isle Ridge. Bluefish also swam there and nearly everywhere, and the bigger ones held farther from the coast. News about offshore fishing for tuna was scarce, because winds mostly kept boaters from sailing to the waters. On the Delaware River catfishing clocked lots of the whiskerfaces, and Rick will hold a catfishing tournament from his Gloucester City Marina on Saturday. He often holds tournaments there, including many largemouth bass contests, and anglers can call the shop for info about the competitions. He’ll also hold a largemouth tournament at Newton Lake this season. Largemouth fishing on the river somewhat slowed down, and the fish were moving around with the change of seasons. But the bigmouth angling was going well at the lakes and ponds including at Newton Lake, Haddon Lake, Blackwood Lake and the Cooper River. He heard about some big ones taken from Haddon and Blackwood. At the lakes light-colored spinner baits, shiners and creature rubber baits hooked up the most. Big Timber carries bait and tackle for fishing in all waters from freshwater to the bays to offshore.

<b>Pennsville</b>

White perch, lots of the fish, were plowed on the Delaware River’s tributaries, said Matt from <b>Shag’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Plenty of catfish could probably be rounded up from the tribs, and 2-pound drum were sometimes reeled in from the waters. Not much was heard about striped bass fishing on the tributaries, though the rough weather kept anglers scarce. Striper fishing will pick up on the waters as the weather cools. Crabbing started to slow down along the Delaware River estuary, but good catches were made along Delaware Bay’s creeks and back waters. The final weeks of crabbing for the season were here, and the shop’s owner, a commercial crabber, was gradually pulling his pots from the bay for the year. The blueclaws will bury themselves in the bottom of the bay to hibernate for winter. Bloodworms are stocked, and fresh peanut bunker are carried at least for the moment. One of the staff from the shop sometimes catches them to supply the store. Nightcrawlers and frozen baits are on hand.

<b>Port Elizabeth</b>

Though the bag limit is one per angler, weakfish were docked from different places on the bay, said Sharon from <b>The Girls Place Bait & Tackle</b>. Those were the catches she mostly heard about from the bay. Puppy drum 20 to 25 pounds can always be located at places like Miah Maull and Flat Top, willing to inhale clams or any kind of crabs, like green crabs. Anglers traditionally begin fishing for striped bass on the bay on Columbus Day weekend, falling on October 9 to 11 this year. They’ll probably catch a few, and the angling usually begins to improve during the third week of October. Cooler waters help make the bass bite, and the current storm should help lower the temps. Fresh bunker is the usual bait for the stripers, and already arrives at the shop three or four days a week. Customers fishing the Maurice River sometimes hooked stripers 18 to 20 inches, juvenile, non-migrating bass that live in the river. White perch fishing was good in the Maurice and other brackish rivers. Along the ocean surf, kingfish, croakers and small blues were beached. Customers kept crabbing, scoring the blueclaws, and the season wasn’t too late. 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>

Crabbers whaled phenomenal catches of the blueclaws during the weekend, and most boats busheled out, and some caught a few more, said Paul from <b>Beaver Dam Boat Rentals</b>. The crabbing was probably the best of the season so far. The shop will be open for crabbers through the weekend, and will reopen afterward for the duck seasons. Annual haunted creek rides for Halloween will begin on October 7. The recent full moon had no effect on crabbing, and that was because most females already mated, and most crabs were finished shedding for the year. Full and new moons earlier in the year can trigger mating and shedding, and crabs refuse to eat then. The crabs only mate once a year, and they often shed once a month on the moons to grow, mostly during summer. Many of the crabs were currently good-sized, and most catches were either larger than 5-1/2-inch blueclaws or were small. Hardly any were borderline keepers. One rental boater angled up striped bass, including a keeper, spots and blues. There was action for anglers, and the spots, good-eating, were abundant and large. Crabbers and anglers in the rental boats are towed up the creek to several saltwater ponds teeming with the hardshells, and sometimes fish. The staff checks on the boats every hour, but if the boaters want to take a break in the meantime, they cell phone the shop to be picked up. The boats should be reserved to ensure availability. Kayak and canoe rentals are available for sightseeing on the creek, full of wildlife. Visit <a href="http://www.crabulousnj.com/Home_Page.html" target="_blank">Beaver Dam’s Web site</a> for more info about the business.

<b>Fortescue</b>

Fishing was weathered out on the <b>Buccaneer</b>, Capt. Ralph said. But croakers reappeared at the Anchorage, and weakfish also turned up there. One of the party boat captains said anglers aboard hooked 16-inch croakers there as fast as they could catch them, and limited out on healthy-sized weakfish. Trips on the Buccaneer are fishing for croakers, weaks, blues and spots. Striped bass trips are being booked for when the migration starts later this season.

<b>Bivalve</b>

A few more croakers than before showed up, scattered around the bay, said Pat from <b>Longreach Marina</b>. Terry Riggins and Dean Wilson from Vineland on a trip bailed lots of croakers, a few larger weakfish, lots of throwback weaks, 20 bluefish and 15 kingfish. The weakfish limit is one per angler, and they kept no more than their limit. White perch fishing was terrific on the Maurice River and the creeks. Jay and Sonny King from Gouldtown racked up 30 big perch. Strong winds on Saturday kept most from fishing, though the bay became calm in the afternoon. Few fished during winds on Sunday, too. Shedder crabs and frozen baits are stocked. Once a few striped bass begin to be caught this fall, fresh bunker will be carried. The suppliers were still catching crabs, but they’ll switch to bunker when stripers start to turn on.

<b>Villas</b>

Croakers were beached from the surf at Cape May Point and were boated along Bayshore Channel, 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. He heard about no kingfish and weakfish mixed in like they sometimes were earlier this year. One weakfish was reported caught from Higbee’s Beach, and another customer landed small weaks but some keepers every day at Sunset Lake in the back bay. The only kings Jim heard about came from Angelsea near Wildwood along the coast. Anglers waited for the striped bass migration, and none arrived so far, but a few small stripers were banked from the surf in the early mornings. The season was early. The shop is selling live crabs for $20 per dozen for No. 1’s, $10 per dozen for No. 2’s, and $5 per dozen or $10 for three dozen for she crabs. Raw steamer clams, called “specials,” a size between little neck and top neck, are $15.95 for 50.

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