<b>Pennsville</b>

The Delaware River’s striped bass fishing turned slow locally, or from about the Salem River to the DOD, from Saturday through Monday, said Wade from <b>Shag’s Bait & Tackle</b>. But he heard about catches farther south on Delaware Bay, including at Fortescue, and those fish should move to the local area, migrating toward the river to spawn. The fish can come through in waves, and he expects catches to turn back on. Anglers might’ve slammed them today, for all he knew. The fishing was good during the previous days. Most anglers fished for them with bloodworms, and cut baits or bunker and herring didn’t produce so many stripers. But cut baits should work better in the next week, especially because of warmer weather. Other fish, like white perch and catfish, were probably around in the river or tributaries, but anglers honed in on stripers this time of year. Bloodworms were being re-stocked today, and fresh bunker was on hand. 

<b>Newport</b>

<b>Beaver Dam Boat Rentals</b> will open for crabbing on Memorial Day weekend, Linda said. But the crew at the shop will likely be around for those who need supplies until then. People can also call the shop in the meantime for updates on whether action is happening at the local spots. Waters now were cold for crabbing, and one died-in-the-wool crabber, who always catches, picked up bunker for bait, tried to nab the blueclaws, and scored no luck. Anglers beached striped bass from the shore at Fortescue. Check out <a href="http://www.crabulousnj.com" target="_blank">Beaver Dam’s Web site</a> to check out more about the locale. The waters really do teem with crabs during the season because of factors including the right environment and the prohibition of commercial crabbing in the area. Linda noted that the shop can host groups like scouts on environmental-education trips combined with crabbing, and she’s been trained by the state.

<b>Fortescue</b>

Charters will begin on the <b>Buccaneer</b> in two weeks, Capt. Ralph said. The first trips could fish for drum, striped bass or a combo of both, and will sail for summer flounder soon afterward, when flounder season opens May 7. The boat runs a heavy schedule of drum trips, and a great rate is available on 10-hour combo drum/striper charters. Ralph is a veteran of drum charters since the 1960s, pioneering the sport.

The party boat <b>Bonanza</b> will start fishing Saturday, April 30, the boat’s Web site said. Dates remain for drum charters, and the vessel last year ran weekly open-boat trips for drum. Call to reserve to ensure a spot. Summer flounder season will open early this year on May 7, lasting through September 25, later than in recent years. “(That’s) 142 days to do some flounder pounding,” the report said. Open trips will fish daily for the flatties.

<b>Port Norris</b>

Boaters picked at striped bass on the bay Saturday but whaled the fish Sunday, said Harrison from <b>Port Norris Marina</b>. Twenty-foot depths around Miah Maul gave up the fish, and Bob Bailey in the past week decked five stripers to a 44-incher, the biggest seen at the marina so far this year. “Itchy Foot” rounded up two stripers 39 and 34 inches. Surf clams are the bait to dunk, and are stocked daily. The marina began opening every day from 6 a.m. to 12 noon on weekdays, weather permitting, and 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends. All the docks will be installed this week.

<b>Cape May</b>

Nine striped bass were heaved aboard from the bay Sunday with <b>O-Beth Sportfishing Charters</b> on clams, Capt. Eric said. The fish “were hitting hard,” he said, and gave up good fights. The day was beautiful with calm winds and seas, making for good fishing conditions. A few dates are open for charters. O-Beth will sail for drum on the bay later this season, and drum usually begin appearing in numbers toward the last week of April.

A couple of striped bass 36 and 32 inches were bagged with Kevin Driscoll’s charter Saturday on the bay on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>, Capt. George said. Fishing for stripers was generally slow for everyone that day, but boaters crushed the catches Sunday, and stripers busted the waters on top and everything. But a charter with George on Sunday fished for tog on the ocean, beating a load of the fish to 5 pounds. Waters were 48 degrees on the ocean on the trip and 48 degrees on the bay at one spot on the striper trip, and 51 degrees in the shallows at Reed’s Beach on the bay on the outing. A few small drum like 25-pounders began to be caught from the bay in the past week, and drum charters will be up next.

Was a good past week for striped bass fishing on the bay, said Capt. Bob from the <b>Down Deep</b>. All anglers aboard took home at least one striper, and some took home two, catching the fish on clams. So that was pretty decent, he said. Last Monday’s and Tuesday’s trips were weathered out. But trips started fishing again Thursday. On Thursday, each angler on Steve Gabitcz’s charter managed to take home one or two stripers. On Mike Bumter’s charter Friday, everyone kept a bass. Emerson Chase’s party on Sunday put together a healthy catch of stripers to 36 inches. Nobody can know how long stripers will stay in the bay, but trips on the Down Deep will fish for them as long as they do. Tog fishing is also good, and charters are fishing for them. A couple of puppy drum 25 pounds were landed from the bay, a good sign that the fish seemed to be arriving. Drum should start “snapping,” Bob said, in a week or two, and anglers on the boat will go after them.

Anglers filled their quota with striped bass Sunday on Delaware Bay with <b>Legal Limit Charters</b>, Capt. T.J. said. The fish were “mediocre” sized, he said, and throwbacks were mixed in, and all were clammed. The trip fished far up the bay like charters on the vessel did recently. No trip fished Saturday on the vessel. T.J. heard about no drum caught on the bay among those he spoke with who fished the waters, including from Friday through the weekend. The season was a little early for drum, and waters were a little cold, around 47 to 48 degrees. Drum charters will sail when the bite gets going. T.J.’s other boat, sailing from Tuckerton, is fishing for cod and blackfish on the ocean.

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