<b>Port Elizabeth</b>

Anglers seemed to be catching a collection of fish, said Sharon from <b>The Girls Place Bait & Tackle</b>. Boaters who fished close to shore off East Point and Thompson’s Beach and near the turn buoys seemed to pull up croakers, weakfish, snapper blues and spots. A few flounder were still biting, and deeper water like along the channels and at the Anchorage is probably a good bet this time of year. Quite a few anglers were heading offshore, and tuna fishing seemed to be good for them. They were ordering baits from the shop like butterfish, sardines and ballyhoos. The Girls Place can provide all offshore baits, and be sure to order them at least a couple of days in advance, especially rigged ballyhoos. The shop also carries a large variety of baits for the bay and inshore fishing, from squid to frozen herring, including all the usual baits and some that are difficult to find elsewhere.

<b>Newport</b>

Those who worked the tides on Saturday came back with no less than four flounder, and Jim Davis and crew were high hook that day with 23 keeper flounder and released scores of shorts in 30 feet off the Old House, said Mike and Mickie from <b>Sundog Marina</b> in an e-mail.  On Sunday Bob Shoemaker fished the 6 buoy and scored weakfish, croakers, sea bass and two small stripers. Earlier in the week on Thursday Ken Frazier, wife and crew fished the 6 for three keeper flounder and a skate, and Lewis Patrick and Shigeru Mukoyoura tried the Old House and found four flounder to 20 inches that bit minnows and Gulp new penny shrimp. On Friday Bill Penn and wife also targeted the 6 and had a good day, catching three weakfish, a load of croakers and blues while anchored and fishing squid. Sundog last week reported that Anna Barnow took some casts from the dock and hooked several stripers, and this week she landed one. On the rental boats a half-bushel of crabs was the top catch of blueclaws, and crabbing was improving. Rental boaters also filled coolers with big white perch that swallowed bloodworms, Gulp bloods and frozen grass shrimp. All rental boaters receive no less than a dozen crabs gratis.

<b>Dividing Creek</b>

Crabbing slacked off a bit during the weekend, maybe because of strong, new moon tides, and the tides were very high and never seemed to go out, said Ann from <b>Wildlife Boat Rentals</b>. Still, crabbing wasn’t bad, and customers caught one to three dozen per outing, and the season’s been a good one for crabbing, and things should pick up again. Rough weather also rolled through Friday, and maybe that affected things. Loads of people crabbed on Saturday right after the storm. Prime-time crabbing season is upon us, and the blueclaws grow to some of their largest sizes by August. No doubt it’s time to take the trip, if you’ve been thinking about it. Wildlife stocks all supplies needed for a day of crabbing, including bait, traps, hand lines and essentials like suntan lotion, bug spray and sunglasses. Fishing bait and supplies are also on hand for dropping a line in the creek for white perch or other species. Live crabs are 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>

Croaker fishing was very good at the Anchorage on the <b>Buccaneer</b>, Capt. Ralph said. The healthy sized 14 to 15 inchers were accompanied by some sea bass, some that were 13-inch keepers, and others that were shorts and released. It’s a long, 17-mile run to the Anchorage from Fortescue, but Ralph’s willing to travel to find the fish. Other boats from the marina fished closer to Fortescue and probably landed a few flounders, croakers and blues.

<b>Bivalve</b>

Croaker fishing seemed to be picking up every day, though the numbers of the fish were fewer than last year so far, said Pat from <b>Longreach Marina</b>. Bluefish were still everywhere, and flounder were sometimes taken at the usual spots, and a few weakfish were boated. The only solid location that appeared to give up weakfish on occasion was off East Point or Thompsons Beach. Customers did seem to be fishing for the croakers, blues and weaks close to shore. Everybody continued to complain about sharks marauding baits. Anglers and their catches included: Tony and Tim Dixie, 6 keeper flounder, 10 blues; Rich Krumin and George Banks, a black drum, 2 sheepsheads and lots of blues; Dougie Watson, 3 nice weakfish; Frank Kammerer and Charlie Steinhauer, 2 nice weakies, 6 croakers; and Ross DelRossi, a limit of flounder. Longreach Marina’s Annual Kids Fishing Tournament took place Saturday and was a success, and the kids had a good time, and they won nice prizes, and they actually caught some pretty good fish, Pat said. The event, at least 25 years old, featured prizes for the largest weakfish and flounder. First, second and third prizes were awarded in both the weakfish and flounder divisions. However, only one weakfish was entered this year, so the second weakfish prize was awarded to the kid with the biggest blue, and the third weakie prize was awarded for the youngster with the largest croaker. Winners in the weakfish division were: Nathan Watson, 1st prize; Michael Joslin, 2nd prize; and Madison Petit, 3rd prize. The winners in the flounder division were: Austin Reins, 1st prize; Troy Malor, 2nd prize; and Madison Petit, 3rd prize. First prize was a $100 savings bond, and second was a $50 savings bond, and third was a $25 gift certificate to Toys R Us. Each participating youngster was also entered in a drawing for a boy’s bike and a girl’s bike, and the winners of the bikes were Dylan Dowd and Madison Petit. Each youngster also received a goodie bag. Longreach is stocking minnows, shedder crabs, squid and frozen baits.

<b>Dennisville</b>

Weakfish were sometimes boated south of the number 1 buoy and at night off Reeds Beach on shedder crabs, said Tim from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. Croakers could be found along 60-Foot Slough, and small stripers filled the creeks such as Dennis Creek. Tim fished Dennis Creek with his daughter Caitlyn, nephew Tyler, Capt. Frank Breakell from the Brynnie B and Frank’s daughter Brynnie, and they hooked eight stripers to 26 ½ inches on Firetails and also landed white perch. Flounder fishing was very good in the ocean at Cape May Reef, Wildwood Reef, Townsend’s Inlet Reef and Reef 11. In the back bay a few weakfish could be picked up at places like the Pig Pen and Paddy’s Hole, and the inlet rocks held triggerfish, sea bass and kingfish. Bluefin tuna were chunked and trolled at the Cigar, 19-Fathom Lump and Massey’s Canyon, and yellowfin tuna were supposedly sometimes caught at Massey’s. Fresh butterfish are stocked for tuna chunking, and so are sardines. Live spots are carried when available, and Tim hoped to have them on hand later this week. Baits at the shop also include shedder crabs, minnows, mackerel, clams, bunker, Peruvian spearing and smelts.
  
<b>Cape May</b>

A charter on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b> reeled in lots of croakers and small sea bass in southern Delaware Bay on a 4-hour trip Sunday, Capt. George said. The trip fished for those species because George heard that trolling for bluefish in the ocean wasn’t so great recently. On Saturday a charter fished for bluefin tuna at the inshore lumps. Seas were very rough, but the anglers wanted to fish anyway, and they lost one tuna when the line hit a trim tab. Seas started to calm to 2 feet on the way home. The Larry Moore family on Wednesday sailed the ocean to troll a load of bluefish and bottom fished in the ocean for flounder to 19 inches, keeper sea bass and a bunch of throwbacks of both species. Charters are available for bottom fish, inshore trolling for bluefish and other speedsters  such as bonito and tuna fishing.

On the <b>Sea Fox</b> Clyde Mumford’s party pulled up more than 30 flounder to 24 inches in southern Delaware Bay this past week, Capt. Gary said. Strip baits and minnows were the offerings in the 78-degree, warm water during outgoing tide. Scott and Susan Adcock were aboard Sunday and tried for bluefin tuna at the inshore lumps, chunking two different times and trolling three times, but nothing bit. So they switched to bottom fishing and landed “all kinds” of fluke to 20 inches and sea bass to 16 inches at Cape May Reef. Bottom fishing, inshore trolling for blues, bonito and such species and tuna fishing make up the current menu on the Sea Fox.

Surf fishing was slow, but croakers, small weakfish and flounder made up most of the catch, said Matt from <b>Jim’s Bait & Tackle</b> in a fax. Flounder fishing was turning on in the ocean at Cape May Reef, and Pete Kelley fished the reef and tackled a 10.95-pounder. Also at the reef, Padraic Donovan drilled an 8-pounder, and Eugene Diabundo hauled in a 6.79-pounder. Flounder fishing was also going quite well in the ocean at the Old Grounds and Reef Site 11 for big flatties. Te best option closer to Cape May was striped bass fishing in the back bay around any of the Ocean Drive bridges on slack tides. Bluefin tuna fishing continued to be very good at the inshore grounds.

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