<b>Port Elizabeth</b>

Not a lot of anglers were able to reach the bay, because of the hurricane last week followed by the storm this week, said Sharon from <b>The Girls Place Bait & Tackle</b>. But if they could get on the bay, fish seemed able to be caught. Kingfish moving into the bay seemed the biggest news. Kings were taken on the bay at places including the 1 buoy, and anglers usually dunked bloodworms, clams or shedder crabs for them. The shop’s netter came up with kings in the nets’ catches off the Maurice River. A few bigger weakfish, only a few, showed up, and weren’t giants, but were 15 or 18 inches. Lots of small weaks remained. Not much was heard about summer flounder, except from a few trips that managed to fish the ocean, deeper waters, to the south, returning with some of the flatfish. Plenty of flounder probably swam the bay, but were undersized. Nothing was heard about croakers from the bay toward the shop or the Maurice River area. If croakers were caught, they were probably hooked more to the south in the bay. Tog were around, like at the rubble rocky bottom, though only one could be kept. White perch served up good catches on the Maurice River, and striped bass are always mixed in. Many of the stripers will be small, but some will be keepers. Most anglers target the perch, picking up an occasional striper, so the stripers are usually landed on perch bait like bloodworms or shedder crabs. The bass should bite bunker if anglers wanted to soak bunker for them. Crabbing slowed a little, maybe largely because of freshwater from the rains. But crabbing should be no means be tapering off for the season. Bloodworms and the full supply of baits is stocked. Shedder crabs became somewhat more difficult to stock than before, typical for the time of year, but the live crabs are carried when available. Frozen shedders are on hand. 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 was probably affected by the hurricane, and customers caught the blueclaws, “just not in huge gobs,” said Linda at <b>Beaver Dam Boat Rentals</b>. Tides were large, but water clarity was fine, and a large estuary like at Beaver Dam seems to take care of overflow, like from the storm, quickly. Reports were heard about exceptionally low tides on the bay, though tides weren’t too low at Beaver Dam. Waters everywhere after the storm seemed “just kind of confused,” Linda said. Commercial anglers talked about unusual fish in their catches. Unusual fish were seen in Beaver Dam’s customers’ traps. Summer flounder sometimes showed up in the traps, and one was a keeper Monday. Baby weakfish appeared in the traps, and so did bluegills, a freshwater fish. The crabs were good sized, averaging 5 or 5 ½ inches. Many were females, so the crew at the shop asks crabbers to take only the crabs they need. Many crabbers prefer to harvest males, instead of females, to promote reproduction. Customers at Beaver Dam crab from rental boats towed up Oranokin Creek, running past the shop. The staff checks on the boats every hour, and if customers want a break in the meantime, they simply call the shop to get picked up.  Crabbing, after Labor Day, will now be available at Beaver Dam from Fridays to Mondays, starting at 6:30 a.m., through October 15.  Previously crabbing was available daily, starting earlier in the day. Crabbing should keep going strong through that time, usually does, and Beaver Dam carries everything needed for crabbing, from bait and traps to suntan lotion, snacks and drinks. Live crabs are sold for eating when available. Kayak and canoe rentals will remain available, and this is a great, beautiful time to paddle along scenic Oranokin Creek. The shop will remain open after crabbing ends, hosting duck hunting, selling outdoor licenses, serving as a check-in station for deer and turkeys, and more. The fall season for deer bowhunting begins Monday.

<b>Fortescue</b>

A few boaters fished since the hurricane, reeling in catches like kingfish and small blues close to shore, Capt. Ralph from the <b>Buccaneer</b> thought, he said. Nothing was heard about croakers since the storm, but croakers hovered along the reefs in the southern bay off Delaware before the weather, and probably remained in the bay at certain places. Not many flounder seemed to remain in the bay. The Buccaneer is sailing for the fish like kings, blues and croakers, and will go after striped bass during the fall migration of the linesiders.

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