<b>Port Elizabeth</b>

One customer scored well on summer flounder at the stakes along the Southwest Line, said Sharon from <b>The Girls Place Bait & Tackle</b>. Another bailed 18 kingfish and a handful of croakers on the southern end of the bay. Lots of spots swam the bay. Okay catches of white perch and a keeper striped bass here and there were nabbed at the barge at the mouth of the Maurice River. Crabbing amped up lots, putting up more of them and bigger ones than before. Lots of crabbing supplies were sold. 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>

The shop was closed Sunday and Monday because of weather, so a report on crabbing for those days was impossible, said Linda at <b>Beaver Dam Boat Rentals</b>. But crabbing was good earlier last week, leading up to Saturday’s full moon. Crabs shedded during the moon, like the usually do on full and new moons, and that usually slows catches, and somewhat did this time. Crabs refuse to eat when shedding. But not all crabs shed at once, or on every moon, and catches were never too off through Saturday, and people then gathered two to three dozen keepers. Lots of new crabbers were around, and Beaver Dam welcomes them. The effects of the shed last about four days, and the crew at the shop expects crabbing to pick back up during the next days. The area around Beaver Dam wasn’t hit by severe rains like other parts of Cumberland County. So crabbers shouldn’t hesitate to come on down, Linda said. Crab sizes were very good, and should become even better from the last shed. Customers crab on Oranokin Creek, running past the shop. But the bay was giving up some of the biggest crabs in years, for some reason. Customers are towed up the creek on rental boats, and the staff checks on them once an hour. If customers want a break in the meantime, they simply cell phone the shop to be picked up. The boats should be reserved, because they can book up. Customers sometimes fish from the boats, and Linda’s son was catching short striped bass on lures during no particular time of day. Crabbing will be available at Beaver Dam to October 15, and crabbing is excellent now through then. The theory is that crabs shed to their biggest sizes of the season during this time. Duck hunting will be available at Beaver Dam afterward. The store stocks everything needed for a day of crabbing, from baits, traps and nets to suntan lotion, snacks and drinks. Live crabs for eating are sold when available. Rental canoes and kayaks are available to paddle the scenic creek, including through the weeks leading into fall, a beautiful time of year.

<b>Fortescue</b>

Sometimes rough weather, other times winds against the tides that hampered drifting, made for not a good week for summer flounder fishing aboard, said Capt. Howard from the party boat <b>Salt Talk</b>. Catches were less plentiful in the conditions. A few blues, no big numbers, were around. A few croakers and small weakfish were plucked at the concrete rubble on the southern bay on the Delaware side on other boats. The bay seemed to cool compared with before, maybe because of cool nights. Eighty-one degrees was the highest water temp Howard saw this weekend. Open-boat trips are fishing for summer flounder daily when no charter is booked, and call to confirm.

Winds blew 40 m.p.h., and against the tide, this morning on a trip, when Capt. Ralph from the <b>Buccaneer</b> gave this report over the phone aboard. That hampered drifting, so summer flounder fishing was tough. He thought he was probably the only Fortescue vessel out. Charters aboard are fishing for flounder, and the trips on the Buccaneer are only $400, compared with $500 or $600 on other vessels.

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