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<b>Port Elizabeth</b>

Anglers still seemed to pick flounder, such as from the southern bay, and croakers were also found there, said Sharon from <b>The Girls Place Bait & Tackle</b>. Some reported landed 18- or 19-inch weakfish off Thompsons Beach, but it was “a waiting game,” she said, and nobody was slamming them. Offshore anglers were fighting bluefin tuna at the lumps, and The Girls Place is carrying ballyhoo and flats of butterfish for tuna, and all offshore baits can be ordered. Be sure to order several days in advance. The shop also carries a large supply of baits for fishing the bay, and herring strips and spot strips are some highlights and are great, hard-to-find baits for flounder and weakies. 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>

Ken Frazier and his wife fished between the 6 buoy and the stakes and went 1 for 5 on flounder and also pulled up sharks and bluefish on minnows and shedder crabs, said Mike and Mickie from <b>Sundog Marina</b> in an e-mail. Bill Penn and his wife anchored off Ben Davis Point for a good catch of blues to 2 pounds and one nice flounder on squid and minnows. John Chico and buddies fished between the 6 and the wreck buoy and chased down three keeper flounder and a bunch of small blues on squid and minnows, and small sea bass also bit. On Sunday Ray Shadow, his wife and Tito on the Shadow II set the anchor off Gandy’s Beach and came up with a load of croakers. Things were generally slow during the week, and everyone seemed to catch fish but predominantly shorts. Rental boaters from Sundog reported some good catches of blueclaw crabs, and everyone who rents a boat receives no less than a dozen of the tasty hardshells. Bloodworms, shedder crabs, minnows and all the frozen baits are stocked, and the marina is open 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day.

<b>Dividing Creek</b>

Customers all scored well on blueclaw crabs at <b>Wildlife Boat Rental</b>, and they averaged three dozen keepers apiece, and some caught more, such as a half-bushel apiece that two groups of rental boaters took Sunday, Ann said. Loads of smaller crabs also skittered around. Crabbing season was coming into prime time, with the hardshells growing larger on each shed through the warm months, and the next weeks can produce some of the best catches. Customers can also fish in the creek and catch perch, catfish and small stripers. One crabber who crabs at the nearby bridges was landing stripers about 20 inches. Wildlife carries all supplies needed for a day of crabbing, including bunker bait, traps, handlines, weights and even supplies such as suntan lotion, sunglasses and bug spray. Fishing bait including frozen grass shrimp and squid is also carried along with hooks and necessary tackle. Live crabs are also sold for eating. Wildlife is open 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. Fridays and 5 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.  

<b>Fortescue</b>

Flounder could still be found at the wreck buoy, the 6 buoy, the stakes and the channel, and 1- to 2-pound blues were everywhere, and the number of croakers that bit nearby increased somewhat, and the croakers were somewhat larger than before, said Dave from <b>Al’s Bait & Tackle</b>. The croakers were reeled in along the second drop-off and toward the Elbow and Flat Top. Reports dropped off about sharks that had been invading the Fortescue surf, and blues were about the only fish pulled from the surf. Weakfish were still absent. Baits carried at the shop include shedder crabs, minnows, bloodworms, chicken, mackerel, bunker and mullet.   

<b>Port Norris</b>

Rick Alexander bailed 8 flounder and 10 blues, and Mark Sergacami also limited out on flounder and connected with 10 blues, said Jeff from <b>Port Norris Marina</b>. Jim Price, Zack Margol and Mike Sapsi came back with 9 flounder and 7 blues. So those weren’t bad catches, and the flounder were hooked at the number 1 buoy and Miah Maul, and the blues were small. No croakers were showing up nearby yet, and maybe they’ll turn on during the next week or so. The marina carries minnows, shedder crabs, squid and the usual supply of baits.

<b>Bivalve</b>

Forecasts for bad weather seemed to keep some from fishing over the weekend, but the weekend was calm in the mornings and windy in the afternoons, said Pat from <b>Longreach Marina</b>. Flounder were boated at the number 1 buoy and off the E.P. Tower, and blues were mixed in with catches, and croakers were scarce locally. Anglers and their catches included: George Banks and Andrew Marone, a 23-inch flounder, a weakfish, 3 croakers and some blues; Bob Labree and Fred Petryk, 4 flounder 18 to 22 inches; Dave Arnelo, Tony Scarpa Sr. and Jr. and Richard Scarpa, 15 flounder to 23 inches; Rob Smith, Zack Smith, 10, and Tyler Smith, 7, a big flounder and 7 throwbacks; Bob Vertolli, Steve Schelder and John Pepitone, 9 flounder to 23 inches; Jerry Groover, Bill Weeks and Henry Davis, 3 big flounder, lots of throwback flounder and 2 blues; and Matt Tworz and Bill Howell, 8 flounder 18 to 20 inches. Minnows are still scarce but are stocked, and shedder crabs are carried, and so are all the usual baits. Longreach Marina’s Annual Kids Fishing Tournament takes place Saturday, August 11.

<b>Dennisville</b>

Flounder hugged the bottom at the 9 and 10 buoys, Brown Shoal and Brandywine, and the fishing was okay, produced a lot of shorts and some keepers, said Rusty from <b>Captain Tate’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Flounder fishing was halfway decent in the channel about 1 ½ miles off Cape May Lighthouse. The southern bay held croakers, not a lot, but some, and bluefish filled the bay.  Reports were heard about small weakfish 1 ½ weeks ago but not since. Lots of small flounder and a few keepers swam the back bay, and livelining spots was very productive for flounder at the inlets and outside of them, and the spots are stocked. Weakfish were far and few between in the back bay. Farther from shore, sea bass were sometimes pulled up from the inshore and offshore wrecks, and trolling was good for bluefish, bonito and such fish within 20 miles from shore at least before the rough weather. Bluefin tuna from footballs to nice-sized 150-pounders and occasionally yellowfins were mostly trolled at places including the 19-Fathom Lump, Massey’s Canyon, the Ham Bone and the Elephant Trunk. But sometimes the tuna were jigged when boaters marked a pod of the fish toward the bottom, where sand eels have been balled up. Waters around the Wilmington and Baltimore canyons gave up yellowfins and sometimes white marlin, and no temperature breaks flowed through, and temps were evenly dispersed, so there was nothing to hold the fish in concentrated areas. Baits stocked at the shop include the spots, shedder crabs, minnows, bloodworms, a full supply of frozen baits and offshore baits such as butterfish and sardines.

<b>Cape May</b>

Bob Harmon’s party jumped aboard the <b>Sea Fox</b> Sunday and hooked weakfish, blues and flounder from the bay to the ocean near Cape May Point, but it was tough fishing, and seas were rough, Capt. Gary said. The weaks were small and were found in the ocean off the point. The waters held a big temperature difference from 77 degrees in the bay and 62 in the ocean. Seas calmed down in the afternoon, but the trip was already finished. A charter was cancelled yesterday because of weather forecast. Charters on the Sea Fox are also trolling the ocean for blues, bonito, Spanish mackerel and such fish. Gary also heard about king mackerel trolled at the 20-fathom lumps. Tuna charters are also running, and Gary saw bluefin tuna at the docks this weekend that came from the inshore lumps.

A charter on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b> scored alright on flounder in the bay Saturday, bagging six keepers to 5 pounds, landing probably 20 or 25 throwbacks and catching lots of bluefish in 35 feet along the shipping channel, Capt. George. It wasn’t a bad catch, and George was surprised, and the trip would’ve fished the ocean, but winds kicked up seas. Seas were rough until calming in the afternoon. A good seven or eight of the throwback flounder would’ve been keepers with last year’s size limit, and the blues were 1 or 2 pounds. Chris Williams, Dave Mallon, Steve Shibato, Ed Cook, and Sean Timpy were the anglers. A tuna trip was cancelled Sunday because of strong winds, but bluefin tuna fishing’s good. The Heavy Hitter is bottom fishing, bluefish trolling and tuna fishing.

<b>Copacetic Sportfishing</b> flounder fished, mostly in southern Delaware Bay, such as around Brandywine and along the channels, and catches were hit or miss, some days excellent, other days not as good, Capt. Mike said. Flounder fishing wasn’t as good at the ocean reefs, and Copacetic tried the reefs a couple of times. Spike weakfish to 13 and 14 inches were starting to be pulled from around the southern bay, and none of any size bit, but it was lots of action. Charters also took a few inshore trolling trips in the past days when winds blew calmly enough, and the anglers loaded up on bluefish, some Spanish mackerel and even a few bluefin tuna. The trips trolled within 25 miles of Cape May, and there was lots of action before the weekend’s blow, and anglers will see what happens afterward, but Mike hoped the fishing would become even better. The bluefins were barely legal-sized and up to 35 inches, and some were throwbacks. A couple of tuna charters are coming up on the boat, and 50- to 100-pound bluefin tuna were tearing up waters at the 20-fathom lumps 50 miles south of Cape May.

Reef Site 11’s and the Old Grounds’ flounder fishing was holding up, and although the fish were decent-sized, not too many huge ones were boated, said Matt from <b>Jim’s Bait & Tackle</b> in a fax. Most were 18 to 23 inches, and flounder were also coming up from the Cape May Rips on outgoing tides and also from Brandywine Shoal and the 9 and 10 buoys in the bay. At the Rips, Peter Kramer, 9, scored a 4.32-pound flounder, and Gene Hannigan took a 5.2-pounder. John Stuckert III, 8, caught a 4.31-pound flounder. Inshore tuna reports were good, and bluefins were hitting very well just northeast of the Cigar in the early mornings on the troll. Good-sized ones were being trolled, chunked and jigged at 19-Fathom Lump. Early last week 150- to 180-pound bluefins bit at the Hambone. Massey’s Canyon and the Hot Dog also held bluefins. Canyon tuna reports were scarce because of rough weather. But a few reports were heard about tuna found inside Wilmington Canyon.

Fishing for flounder improved, and more and more keepers were being boated all the time, and the flatties could be found off Cape May Point and at Brown Shoal, Reef 11 and the Old Grounds, said Capt. Fred from <b>Harbor View Marina</b> in a fax. Small bluefish swam Cape May Inlet and South Shoal, and croaker fishing was strong at Slaughter Beach, and the hardheads were also showing up at Brandywine.

Flounder fishing improved, and flatties to 6 pounds were boated, a fax from the <b>Miss Chris</b> said. Pete Plousis nailed seven flounder to 5.8 pounds, and Tom Hench took six to 6.1 pounds, and Jen and Jocelyn Hampton combined for a 6.5-pounder and a 6.8-pounder. Night trips were very good for loads of croakers. Patrons on the <b>Lady Chris</b> put together mixed bags of flounder, croakers and small blues on the boat’s 4-hour trips.

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