<b>Port Elizabeth</b>

A few anglers reported catching one or two summer flounder, said Sharon from the <b>Girls Place Bait & Tackle</b>. Waters might’ve been somewhat cold, though that wasn’t confirmed, but if so, that might’ve had something to do with the slow catches. Too few were found to name places the fish gathered in Delaware Bay. Customers traveled to the back bays along the coast for flounder. Good catches of striped bass were socked on Delaware Bay before the rough weather the past day or so. Many anglers seemed to skip fishing Sunday and Monday because of forecasts that called for worse weather than happened. But previously the stripers were toggled in from everywhere from Poverty Beach along the ocean in Cape May to Ship John in northern Delaware Bay. But waters closer to shore in the bay off Pierces Point, Bidwell Creek and Thompsons Beach seemed best. Drum were reported boated off Slaughter Beach on the Delaware side of the southern bay. Few customers fished for them, at least yet, on the long run from places like the Maurice River Cove to Slaughter, including because of fuel prices. Fresh clams, fresh bunker, bloodworms, sandworms, and all the frozen baits, a large supply, are 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>

Some of the year’s first reports about crab catches began to roll in at <b>Beaver Dam Boat Rentals</b>. Crabbing will become available at the shop on the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend, Paul said, but Beaver Dam is already open daily for tackle and supplies, and for kayak and canoe rentals. A kayaker managed to nab a half-bushel of good-sized crabs on Oranokin Creek, the waters running past the store where customers crab. A few people crabbing from land also picked up a few of the blueclaws in the local area. Waters were probably in the low 60s, and had to be at least 60, the temp when blueclaws will begin to get active, crawling out from the mud after winter hibernation. Fishing also produced. The dock keeper landed a couple of striped bass and some white perch from Beaver Dam’s docks. Frozen bunker for crabbing, live, jumbo minnows for fishing, and other baits like frozen squid are on hand.  Check out <a href="http://www.crabulousnj.com" target="_blank">Beaver Dam’s Web site</a> to learn more about the business.

<b>Fortescue</b>

Two drum 40 and 45 pounds were heaved aboard a trip off Slaughter Beach during the weekend on the <b>Buccaneer</b>, Capt. Ralph said. So he guessed the boomers might be coming in to the bay, and he would see. He had another drum trip Monday night, after he gave this report on the phone earlier that day, and the Buccaneer runs a busy schedule of the trips starting now.

Trips stayed docked through the weekend on the party boat <b>Salt Talk</b> because of forecasts for winds and rains, Capt. Howard said. The boat is fishing for summer flounder, and the angling is slow so far. Five flounder including one keeper were reeled up on a trip last week, and no flounder came up on two previous trips. The season was probably early, but the fish could begin to be caught any time. Flounder bit when the flattie season opened last year on May 29. Flounder season opened early this year on May 7. The Salt Talk is fishing for summer flounder daily when no charter is booked, and call to confirm, especially this early in the year. A drum charter is set to sail Thursday, and drum were pumped in from the bay. Howard knew about a boat that returned with 14 drum from a trip Saturday night. The fish were found in the 7- to 8-foot shallows off Slaughter Beach.

<b>Port Norris</b>

A few summer flounder and a few striped bass that were boated were heard about, and anglers also began to sail for drum, said Harrison at <b>Port Norris Marina</b>. The flounder fishing was slow, and the season was probably early for the flatties, but some were plucked a little offshore from the 1 buoy and around the E.P. Tower. The stripers were hooked in the shallows toward Bidwell Creek and Pierces Point on fresh bunker. The drum were targeted near Delaware’s Slaughter Beach. Minnows, a favorite flounder bait, are stocked. “Guaranteed,” Harrison said. Frozen squid, fresh bunker and fresh clams are on hand.

<b>Cape May</b>

On the <b>Down Deep</b> anglers drum fished through the past week on the bay, and catches were a little slow, and some charters boxed five, and others one, and the fish averaged 40 pounds, Capt. Bob said. All caught about a couple, and lots of the fish were marked, and were heard booming, so they were there. But they probably needed to spawn, before they started eating more. They could spawn on today’s full moon and begin to snap lots afterward. The fish on trips were all hauled in on the Delaware side of the bay, where most boats fished for them. But one was landed on the Jersey side on the Down Deep, and a few drum bit on the Jersey side. Charters that boated drum on the Down Deep included Randy Rosch’s and John Basile’s. Steve Kabitz’s charter did a little striped bass fishing on the bay Friday, bagging a 35-pounder.

Drum, fish to 60 pounds, were boated off Slaughter Beach on the bay on trips toward the end of the week with <b>Legal Limit Charters</b>, Capt. T.J. said. On his other boat, sailing from Tuckerton, blues 3 to 5 pounds were fought on Great Bay, and trips from Tuckerton could also sail for summer flounder and bottom fish like cod. Bottom trips from Tuckerton will be able to sail for sea bass when the season for the fish opens May 28.

Drum were caught, not hot and heavy, but some, said Capt. George from the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>. A trip Saturday night heaved aboard three, and another Sunday night pumped in four, both trips fishing on the Delaware side of the bay. The three fish on the first trip, John Stonick’s charter, were a small, a medium and a large, or a 55-pounder that Ryan Moore wrestled in. The anglers on that trip also included Riley and Keith. The four drum on the second trip, Joe McGee’s charter, were smaller, weighing in the 20s, except one that was 40 or 45 pounds. Angela, James, Kent, Henry and Mark were also on the trip. Mike Rossiter’s charter, a short, 4-hour trip, on Saturday morning wanted to fish for striped bass on the bay. Striper fishing was slow for the fleet that morning, but the trip got lucky, nailing a 28-pounder off Reeds Beach on bunker.

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