<b>Port Elizabeth</b>

Summer flounder caught were heard about from toward Miah Maul and Fortescue on the bay, said Ray from <b>The Girls Place Bait & Tackle</b>. More of the catches were reported from back bays toward Avalon and Stone Harbor. Flounder were decked from the ocean at Cape May Reef. Kingfish and weakfish were boated toward Cape May on the bay. Weaks were dragged from the surf along jetties there. The season was late, but three striped bass were landed at Port Norris from the bay last week.  White perch were tugged from Maurice River, and crabbing’s been improving. The Girls Place, located on Route 47, just after Route 55 ends, carries a large supply of bait and tackle, and is the long, one-story, yellow building on the right. It’s on the way to the bay.

<b>Money Island</b>

One or two summer flounder were bagged, said Bruce from <b>Money Island Marina</b>. One customer on Sunday was known to bag two. No details like whether flounder schooled shallow or deep were heard. On Saturday, three or four boats attempted to sail from the docks, but headed back, because of wind. Another customer’s been boating puppy drum and large sheepshead, including this weekend. He was headed back out Monday, when Bruce gave this report. Fishing from the docks began to nab white perch. They seemed to begin schooling there. The marina held a cookout Sunday with a good turnout. A pig roast will be held in August, and no exact date was set yet. Take advantage of a free boat-ramp pass for first-time users to introduce them to the marina’s amenities and quality of service. The pass is only valid when signed by marina owner Tony Novak. Boaters should avoid using the ramp within 90 minutes of low tides. The marina features a bait and tackle shop, a boat ramp, boat slips, dry-dock boat storage, fishing docks and gas. The fishing docks, $5 per adult and free for kids, can offer angling for white perch, small stripers, and croakers, at different times of year. A 12-foot aluminum boat with a 2.5 h.p. outboard is available to rent to fish the creek. Bait stocked can include minnows, live grass shrimp and more, when in season and in demand. Plenty of minnows were stocked this weekend. The shrimp supplier hadn’t been seen in some days.

<b>Newport</b>

The year’s first bushel of crabs was trapped yesterday at <b>Beaver Dam Boat Rentals</b>, Paul said in a voicemail today. In a phone call yesterday morning, he said some half-bushels began to be smashed. Crabbing was definitely improving, after a deluge of rain in a storm slowed catches two weekends ago.  Rainstorms threatened this past Friday, but never hit locally. Severe rain fell farther north that evening, around Vineland. More and more 6-inch crabs, good-sized, were clobbered. A 7-1/2-incher is biggest this year so far at the shop, and the customer with the year’s biggest will win a free boat-rental next year. That prize is offered each year, and a 7-7/16-inch crab is second biggest at the store so far this year. Mostly bunker caught this weekend, and chicken trapped an equal number of crabs Sunday, the first time this year that chicken worked that well. Fishing was slow on the creek, and one rental-boater fished all day Saturday, reeling in one white perch. Fish seemed not to be in at the moment, but that can change. Customers crab and fish from rental boats towed up Oranokin Creek, running past the shop. Rental kayaks and canoes are available to paddle the scenic creek. Beaver Dam can host groups like scouts for an educational day on the water. Groups like family reunions are welcome. The shop carries everything needed for crabbing, from bait, traps and nets to snacks, drinks and suntan lotion. Visit <a href=" http://www.crabulousnj.com/Home_Page.php" target="_blank">Beaver Dam’s website</a>.

<b>Wildwood</b>

Kingfish and weakfish were scooped from off Cape May Point, said Capt. Jim from <b>Fins & Grins Sport Fishing</b>. A few summer flounder and sea bass were bagged at ocean reefs. Fins fishes every day, and reservations aren’t required but suggested. Telephone for availability.

<b>Cape May</b>

Summer flounder were probably found toward Brandywine and Miah Maul on the bay, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. Kingfish, croakers, spike weakfish and small flounder were boated at Cape May Channel off Cape May Point. Surf anglers banked some of those catches at Cape May Point. Surf casters released brown sharks and tiger sharks, both required to be let go, at night on chunks of frozen mackerel or bunker. Boaters on the bay also released the sharks. Back-bay summer flounder fishing was a little slow this year, but some decent-sized came from there. Good flounder fishing was mopped up from the ocean at Cape May Reef’s north end. 

<b>Caveman Sportfishing</b> ran inshore, family shark trips on the bay and ocean, no offshore tuna trips, in past days, Capt. John said. The trips fight and release brown, dusky and any sharks that bite. Lot of fun, he said. Some shark species, including browns and duskies, are required to be released. Caveman targets tuna offshore this time of year and would resume that after the Fourth of July weekend.

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