<b>Dividing Creek</b.

Crabbing remained about the same as last week, and the best catch was probably 3 ½ dozen blueclaws, and everybody seemed to go home with 2 or 3 dozen, said Ann from <b>Wildlife Boat Rentals</b>. So the catches were a little slower than a couple of weeks ago, but it still wasn’t bad. Tides and water conditions were normal, and lots of small crabs were around to keep crabbers busy, but Ann also saw very large ones at times. A few striped bass were taken in Dividing Creek, and one customer boated a 29-inch keeper. A local caught and released a 25-inch short, and neighborhood kids landed a 14-inch linesider that they let go. The stripers bit bunker, and plenty of bunker is stocked at the shop anyway for crabbing bait. Crabbing season is at its peak, and the blueclaws grow to their largest sizes by the end of the summer and early fall, until they retreat back to the mud to hunker down when the weather turns cold. Wildlife stocks everything needed for a day of crabbing, from baits, traps, nets and tackle to practical supplies such as suntan lotion, bug spray and sunglasses. Fishing hooks, tackle and bait are carried to take a shot at the creek’s stripers, catfish, perch or whatever else might turn up. 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>

Some small weakfish were caught in the bay, and blues and croakers were still around, said Capt. Ralph from the <b>Buccaneer</b>. He’s been targeting the croakers in the lower bay around the shipping channel, a long run from Fortescue. Charters on the boat will be back at it Wednesday and Friday.

Some weakfish, a few of them and often shorts, finally started to appear, and anglers were heading south to the number 1 buoy to find them, said Dave from <b>Al’s Bait & Tackle</b>. So they were starting to show, and shedder crabs were the bait of choice. Croakers continued to swim the bay, but the bigger ones were still holding along the southern end. Lots of small blues kept biting all over, and sometimes flounder were landed. Fortescue surf anglers sometimes beached flounder, and Dave was talking with anglers this morning who connected with the flatties. Nice spots were also hooked in the surf. With the rainy, relatively cool weather today and during the past days, a hint of striper season almost seemed in the air. But the bay’s striper fishing actually starts toward the end of October. This week’s stormy weather and lots of wind the past seven days kept the number of anglers to a minimum. Shedder crabs are stocked for the weaks, and the shop raises its own, and minnows and a full supply of baits are carried.

<b>Port Norris</b>

Winds blew all day Saturday, and rain started falling early Sunday, so hardly anyone fished then, but previously flounder would bite some days, probably around Miah Maul,  and turn off during others, and croakers were found around the Maul and deeper water, said Jeff from <b>Port Norris Marina</b>. Nicholas Wright, 7, boated his first weakfish while fishing with Mark Sergiacoma, and they totaled 12 weaks. Frank, Keith and Kurt McCoy returned with six keeper flounder, and Billy Conn loaded up on six flounder and 15 blues. Shedders are the main bait these days, and shedders are stocked, and so are minnows and a full supply of other baits.

<b>Bivalve</b>

Croakers, blues, flounder and a few weakfish were picked up, and many customers were fishing for the weaks close in, off Thompson’s Beach and East Point, said Pat from <b>Longreach Marina</b>. Not many people fished, because of windy weather. Ed Cecil and John Kay boated four flounder, a bunch of blues and a big shark. Tino Guinta hammered six flounder, including a 6-1/4-pound 25-incher and a 3-pounder. Kim Plummer reeled in two weakfish, six blues, a few croakers and a few spots. Minnows, shedder crabs, squid and all the usual baits are on hand.

<b>Dennisville</b>

Fishing was pretty quiet in the bay, because of the recent stormy weather and windy conditions before then, but a few weakfish were hooked, said Tim from <b>Captain Tate’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Croakers were around but weren’t thick like they used to be, but could be boated at 60-Foot Slough. A decent number of brown sharks could be battled at 60-Foot Slough and 20-Foot Slough on mackerel baits in a chum slick. Flounder mostly moved to deeper water, and catches at the ocean reefs were good. One crew bailed 17 keepers to 5 pounds at the Old Grounds. Tim’s buddy Danny Fabri from Fabri Concrete in Vineland overnighted at the Hot Dog and drilled a 400- to 600-pound tiger shark, a 250-pound blue shark and a swordfish. Baltimore and Lindenkohl canyons were starting to give up yellowfin tuna on the overnight chunk and the Baltimore was putting out yellowfins and longfins on the daytime troll.

<b>Cape May</b>

A few keeper flounder held bottom near the 9 and 10 buoys, but the news there was about big croakers that moved into the area and along the edges of the shipping channel, said Matt from <b>Jim’s Bait & Tackle</b> in a fax. Surf fishing remained a little slow, and mostly croakers and sometimes nice fluke were beached, often on a light bucktail with a minnow or squid strip worked close to the Cape May Point jetties. A few weakfish were picked up from the suds but inconsistently. But flounder fishing in the ocean became incredible, and all the reefs were producing good numbers of nice ones. Reports were heard about hot catches as far north as Ocean City Reef, and Reef Site 11 and the Old Grounds were also on fire. Stu McGill and crew on the Miss Bean fished Cape May Reef and limited out on flatbacks to 5 pounds.

Steve Perla’s party picked up flounder, croakers and blues off Cape May Point this past week on the <b>Down Deep</b>, Capt. Bob said. Al Federoff’s charter fished Cape May Reef and bagged 15 nice flounder and some good-sized sea bass Sunday. Nick Carter’s gang on Thursday filled up with blues and a couple of bonito while trolling the inshore ocean, and Rob Ossitchak’s crew limited out on bluefin tuna to 60 pounds and whacked a 45-pound wahoo.

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