<b>Pennsville</b>

The Delaware River turned out striped bass, somewhat slower catches than before, but halfway decent still, said Wade from <b>Shag’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Customers banked them from shore from Elsinboro to the DOD and even farther upstream. A couple of 40-inchers were heaved in from Elisinboro Tuesday. Most anglers dunked bloodworms for bait, and plenty bought fresh bunker to fish as cut bait. Not much was heard about results on cut bait, and maybe the bait caught stripers, or maybe not, but Wade assumed it did. Waters started to warm, and but baits begin to work when water temps become higher. Nobody talked about fishing with cut herring, and herring could be caught farther up the Delaware, but few anglers made the trip, because the herring bag limit was only 10 fish. White perch bit full force in the local river, and most anglers wanted stripers, not perch. When perch kept stealing baits meant for stripers, anglers used “spawn mesh” or “spawn nets,” available at the shop, to tie around the baits, helping to keep the perch from devouring them. Stripers should begin dropping back down the river toward Delaware Bay, on their way to the ocean, in the next couple of weeks, after spawning in the river. Anglers hope that triggers another healthy shot at the fish on the river like it can. The store’s owner began commercially crabbing for the season last week, saying catches weren’t too bad, and that the blueclaws started to crawl out of the mud, and water temps rose a few degrees. He returned with seven bushels Monday. Bloodworms and fresh bunker are stocked at the shop.

<b>Port Elizabeth</b>

Striped bass, pretty good catches, were bloodwormed from the Maurice River, said Sharon from <b>The Girls Place Bait & Tackle</b>. A 25-pounder was weighed in, and a friend saw a 36-incher from the river. Fishing for white perch, big ones, was good on the river. Not a lot was heard about the bay’s fishing, and winds often blew, and weather forecasts were often inaccurate. Boaters headed to the bay Monday, but nothing was heard back from them. A few puppy drum were heard about that were boated at Tussy’s Slough so far this season. An 80-pound drum was reportedly weighed in at a Cape May tackle shop. A few of the fish began to come in. Summer flounder season will open in two Saturdays on May 7, earlier than recent years, and the shop is happy about that. The store’s netter found flounder, including a 33-incher, in the catches from the bay. Bloodworms, fresh clams and fresh bunker are stocked. Fresh herring are carried on occasion. Minnows and all the flounder baits will be on hand for the opener.  The shop is open 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day except 5 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sundays. 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>

Crabbing will begin for the season during Memorial Day weekend at <b>Beaver Dam Boat Rentals</b>, Paul said. But the store is currently open most days, carrying supplies like frozen bunker, and serving as a check-in station for the spring turkey hunting season. Waters were far too cold for crabbing, but supposedly a few of the blueclaws were nabbed farther up the creeks in warmer waters. The crew from the shop will probably scope out the upper creeks to see if the hardshells can be caught this week. By the time the rental boats are made available for crabbing, the catches should be happening. In the meantime, crabbers can call the shop for advice about whether any were plucked from places like creeks and ponds along the roads. Check out <a href="http://www.crabulousnj.com" target="_blank">Beaver Dam’s Web site</a> to find out about crabbing and other activities available, like kayaking, canoeing, environmental presentations for groups like scouts, and more.

<b>Fortescue</b>

The <b>Buccaneer</b> will be launched for the season this week, and anglers aboard will fish for striped bass during the week, Capt. Ralph said. So the vessel is ready to fish, including for summer flounder as soon as the flattie season opens May 7. The boat’s first drum trip is booked for May 10.

<b>Port Norris</b>

Not many boated the bay in the last week, and the weather was often rough, and nobody reported catching fish, said Harrison from <b>Port Norris Marina</b>. But the shop is open every day, and fresh clams and fresh bunker are stocked daily for striped bass fishing, and a few drum were caught this season. Anglers looked forward to drum fishing picking up and to the opening of summer flounder season in two Saturdays. Minnows, squid and all the supplies will be ready for the opener at the marina.

<b>Villas</b>

Surf anglers beached striped bass and drum, lots of fish, at Cape May Point and along the bay during the weekend, said Mike from <b>Budd’s Bait & Tackle</b> in the blog on the shop’s Web site. Clams drew bites from both fish, and plugs also gained strikes from the stripers. Bloodworms and clams nipped bites at Reeds Beach on the bay. Stripers banked included Jeff Stanton’s 25.2-pounder, Patrick Ferrie’s 36-incher and Amy Fujimoto’s 28-incher. Drum dragged in included Gary Manoli’s 20.3-pounder. Mike in a phone call Thursday said stripers were boated from the bay including at Tussy’s Slough, the Pin Top and Bug Light, and they started to wrench in a few drum by chance. Fresh clams and bloodworms are stocked. The shop’s crabs for eating will start to be carried daily in May, and the store’s steamer clams began to be carried on weekends this past weekend for the Easter holiday. Steamers will be sold daily later in the season. The Ho-D-Doe, the boat from <b>Budd’s Tackle Charter Services</b>, sailing from Cape May, is slated to begin fishing in May for drum and stripers on 4-, 6- and 8-hour charters.

<b>Cape May</b>

Boaters were heard about who fished for striped bass on the bay Friday, but catches were slow that day, said Capt. T.J. from <b>Legal Limit Charters</b>. Striper trips were set to fish the bay today and during the weekend with Legal Limit. Drum trips will probably begin to fish on the bay around May 12 or 13, and a few of the boomers were around.

A tog charter fished in the bay Friday on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>, because seas were rough on the ocean, but fishing was slow for everyone on the bay that day, Capt. George said. One tog was swung aboard, and that was probably one of the few catches on the bay that day. A charter piled up a good catch of tog from the ocean Sunday on the boat. George is finished with striper fishing on the bay for the season, and will begin drum fishing on the bay as soon as the angling takes off. The first drum trips are booked for the second week of May on the boat. A few drum were hauled in so far this season. 

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