<b>Pennsville</b>

Small striped bass swam around spots like Ship John and the Hope Creek jetty, and shedder crabs were the best bait at this time of year, said Matt from <b>Shag’s Bait & Tackle</b>. A few 1-1/2- or 2-pound blues were also about, chasing spots. The blues probably ranged up the Delaware River a little ways above the saltwater line, currently at Madhorse Creek, far uptide. Catfish and perch roamed nearly everywhere, though the cats will avoid the saltwater, but the perch will trickle down a little ways into the brine. Any kind of cut bait will draw the cats, and bloodworms will attract the perch. Crabbing was just beginning to pick up, and a  friend nabbed 30 keepers on the Cohansey River, though the keepers were small, No. 2’s. Shedder crabs, bloodworms, nightcrawlers, trout worms and other baits are stocked. Shag’s also carries a full supply of crabbing gear, including both recreational and commercial traps. The shop will be open on the Fourth of July but will be closed Tuesday for a holiday break.

<b>Port Elizabeth</b>

Drum still hit at spots like Tussy’s Slough, the Pin Top and farther south, even though the season was late for the boomers, said Sharon from <b>The Girls Place Bait & Tackle</b>. A friend boated a couple but afterward found out that others stayed later that day and bailed a bunch. One walloped 10. Live clams are scarce for drumfish bait at this time of year, but call The Girls Place to order a couple of days ahead, and the shop will be able to provide them.  Flounder fishing seemed to improve a little, because lots more customers over the weekend said they put together better catches, even though the fishing still wasn’t great.  Weakfishing lit up a bit at the lighthouses, and try casting Fin-S Fish or similar lures like bucktails or D.O.A’s that imitate the baitfish that the trout eat there. Rumors but nothing solid were heard about croakers so far. Crabbing was pretty decent just about everywhere, whether at Dividing Creek, Beesley’s Point or in between. Live crabs for eating will be sold at the shop this weekend. If you’re looking for large amounts like bushels, you can also order them from the shop. Shedder crabs, minnows, bloodworms, fresh bunker, salted strips of both bunker and herring, and all the frozen baits, including squid, mackerel and three types of spearing are stocked.

<b>Newport</b>

A bunch of people busheled out on crabs, said Linda from <b>Beaver Dam Boat Rentals</b>. Harry Laute Sr. and Jr. did on Sunday, and so did the group of Tracy, Jeffrey and Cameron. The blueclaws were good-sized, many measuring 5 or 5 ½ inches. Plenty of small ones skittered about like always, and that’s only good for the future. The new moon was coming Thursday, “so we’ll see how that works out,” Linda said. The new and full moons can trigger crabs to shed, but not every time, and not all crabs shed at once. Linda read this past week that waters with low salinity are important for incubating crabs. She pondered whether that explained the abundant blueclaws in the brackish waters of Oranokin Creek and the surrounding estuary, where Beaver Dam is located. The estuary is also one of only six areas in the state where no commercial crab pots are allowed. Maybe that also explains why recreational crabbers score well. Crabbers at Beaver Dam are towed up the creek on rental boats. The staff checks on the boats once an hour, and if crabbers want to take a break in the meantime, they simply cell phone Beaver Dam, and the staff comes and gets them. Daylong canoe and kayak rentals are also available, and customers usually use them for sightseeing. The creek is teaming with wildlife like egrets, herons, mink, muskrats and even bald eagles. One-hour tours are available on weekdays, and programs are also available for groups like Cub Scouts. Anglers can fish along the creek for striped bass, perch and flounder. Beaver Dam was gearing up for the Fourth of July weekend. A discount package will be offered for the holiday from Thursday through Sunday that includes a four-person rental boat, two bags of bait, four crabbing handlines, a bag of crab spice, two crab crackers, crab picks and a bottle of Skin So Soft. A gazebo and a grill are available, including for events like birthdays. If you’d like to reserve the gazebo for yourself, call Beaver Dam. The shop carries everything anyone could need for a day of crabbing, including different types of traps that are both sold and rented, nets, frozen bunker for bait, chicken backs for bait and even crab spice, crab crackers, suntan lotion, bug spray, drinks, snacks and ice cream. “One-stop shopping,” Linda said.

<b>Dividing Creek</b>

One-and-a-half to three dozen keepers was about the average catch of crabs for customers at <b>Wildlife Boat Rentals</b>, Ann said. Some left early, only crabbed maybe three hours, but still managed  one-and-a-half to two dozen, so that’s pretty good, she said.  No rental boats are in the waters, but Wildlife is focusing on customers who crab from the many local spots along the roads, ponds and creeks, and can point crabbers in the right direction. All crabbing supplies are stocked, including traps, nets, weights and even sunglasses, suntan lotion and so on. Bunker is stocked for crabbing bait, and minnows are carried for fishing, and so are live and frozen grass shrimp when available, and squid. Wildlife also sells minnows wholesale, if anyone’s looking for bulk quantities. Shedder crabs are stocked for fishing when available. Live crabs are sold for eating, and customers were stopping by last weekend to load up.

<b>Fortescue</b>

Sixteen weakfish, including a half-dozen that weighed 4 to 5 pounds apiece, were boated with <b>Andrea Charters</b> on Saturday, Capt. Dave said. The trout were the “hit” of the docks, he said. On the same trip, eight puppy drum, a few blues and a couple of good-sized flounder were hooked, and small striped bass, throwback sea bass and out-of-season tog were released. Almost every species that commonly swims the bay was landed, and all the fish bit along the structure at the bases of the lighthouses on shedder crabs on a fish-finder rig with a long leader and a hook dressed with green bucktail. Any color works well in the bay, so long as it’s green, Dave joked. Other colors were tried, but green worked best and is his favorite. So the catch of weakfish was especially good news, and the bay’s anglers were waiting for the trout to arrive, and Dave hoped this was a start. Dave specializes in weakfishing, though the main run of weaks has usually started a bit later in summer in recent years, although it used to begin earlier in the past. Currently his charters plan to anchor for weaks along the structure or lighthouses, but if they want to flounder fish, they’ll do that too. When croakers move in, they’ll be targeted along with weaks, and Dave also started to pick a few croakers. If weakfish don’t cooperate, charters will switch to flounder fishing. The drum that were reeled in on the trip are resident fish that spend the summer in deeper waters at certain places. Waters at the lighthouses are deep. The bay was 70 degrees, getting warm.

Three or four keeper flounder per boat were probably landed, said Capt. Ralph from the <b>Buccaneer</b>. One charter boat docked with a few weakfish on one day but came back with one the next. “So that tells you something,” he said. No croakers really showed up yet.

Customers drifted for flounder along the shipping channel from Miah Maul to Flat Top, and lately they pushed north to spots like the 6 buoy, said Dave from <b>Al’s Bait & Tackle</b>. A few weakfish were found at the lighthouses or in the shallows off some of the points, and use shedder crabs for the bites. Blues schooled here or there, and no customers went drumfishing anymore, though drum might’ve still been around. Fortescue surf anglers started to pick up an occasional flounder, and small stripers and perch could also be beached. Dunk minnows, squid or shedders for the flatties and bloodworms for the stripers or perch. Shedder crabs, minnows, bloodworms and all the frozen baits are stocked. Fresh bunker and fresh clams will no longer be carried till fall. Al’s will be open on the Fourth of July.

Lots of flounder bit, but like 2 to 5 keepers were hooked among scores of shorts, said Capt. Howard from the <b>Salt Talk</b>. A few blues were mixed in, but not many, and a small, 40-pound drum grabbed a flounder bait on one trip. Howard saw no weakfish and croakers boated yet. Open-boat flounder trips are running 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily, but call to confirm. The open trips usually sail on weekends, but not always enough people show up on weekdays, and sometimes the boat is chartered. A charter will head out for flounder tomorrow.

Flounder fishing came alive a little starting on Friday through the weekend, and the number of keepers bagged improved somewhat, said Capt. Mike from the <b>Bonanza</b>. Friday’s trip was probably the best of the year so far, and probably 70 flatties were reeled up, and 12 were keepers. Action was fairly steady, even if the size limit made catching keepers more difficult than usual this year. Landing fish larger than 17 ½ or 17 ¾ inches was tough, although the size was only a shade shorter than the 18-inch limit, and those fish would’ve been keepers during last year’s 17-inch limit. Drifting conditions were perfect that day. Some of the bigger fish lately included Larry Driver’s 25-inch pool winner on Thursday and Anthony Belt’s 25-inch, 5-3/4-pounder on Sunday. The best fishing took place in 14 feet among the stakes right off Fortescue in the last days, so long as winds and tides created decent drifts.  An open-boat trip searched for weakfish along the lighthouses Saturday evening, and a few croakers were found, but not great numbers. So those trips will remain on hold right now. Mike started to hear about a few weakfish boated during the daytime. The Bonanza is fishing for flounder 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. Charters are fishing for flounder during the day but might keep searching for weakfish afterward in the evenings. Can’t be the first to catch if you’re not the first to look. Time is never too soon to book fall striped bass trips, and those dates quickly fill when the season approaches.

<b>Bivalve</b>

Bob Spade from Atco reeled in two keeper flounder and 15 throwbacks, said Pat from <b>Longreach Marina</b>. John and Vera Angerman bagged one keeper flounder and three blues. Jim Dondero, Gerard Riley and Frank Eialouwas sailed offshore and returned with four tuna and four mahi mahi. A catch of an occasional weakfish was sometimes heard about, but nothing to get excited about yet. Nobody reported landing croakers. Minnows, shedder crabs and all the frozen baits are stocked. The annual Longreach Marina Kids Fishing Tournament is set for August 9. The kids will vie for 1st, 2nd and 3rd prizes in both the boys’ and girls’ categories for the largest weakfish and flounder. If too few of either species are entered, blues and croakers, in that order, will be substituted. Each kid also gets a prize, and each is entered in a drawing for a boy’s and a girl’s bike. The annual Cumberland County Fishing Tournament, formerly a weakfish tournament but now open to all the major species, is on the books for August 2.

<b>Dennisville</b>

Drum fishing was actually probably the best bite going, believe it or not, said Rusty from <b>Captain Tate’s Bait & Tackle</b>. That’s late in the season for drum, and usually a few bite here or there by this time, but a couple of customers fished for them Thursday and Saturday, boating eight per trip. Other customers fished about a week ago and drilled 14. Rusty wasn’t asked where the fish held, but places like Tussy’s Slough and the Pin Top are safe bets. Live clams can be ordered for bait for drum fishing, although clams become scarce at this time of year. Call ahead to ensure a supply. Flounder fishing was tough, and probably 99 percent of the fish were throwbacks. But flounder catches started to pick up at Reef 11 and the Old Grounds in the ocean, and one angler fished Reef 11 on Sunday on a trip that came back with nine keepers. Nothing was heard about weakfish. Small striped bass could be found in the back bays, and surf anglers probably picked a few along the jetties. Kingfish bit in the suds at Whale Beach and less so at Avalon. Sea bass fishing was okay at the reefs and wrecks, and small bluefin tuna started to be fought at 19-Fathom Lump and Massey’s Canyon, mostly on the troll. Yellowfin tuna were picked up at the canyons, though the numbers dropped off a lot, and apparently the temperature breaks that held them moved off. Not much news rolled in about sharks. Minnows, shedder crabs, and all the frozen baits for bay fishing are stocked. The shop also carries offshore baits including flats of butterfish and sardines. The doors will be open on the Fourth of July.

 <b>Cape May</b>

Drum kept getting nailed on the bay, said Capt. Rob from <b>First Cast Sport Fishing</b>, and he knew about a party boat that returned with 20 of the fish Saturday night. The only problem was finding live clams for bait, because most clam boats stop sailing at this time of year, as demand drops off. Drum fishers needed to order clams two or three days in advance. A charter was cancelled Sunday because of forecasts for rough weather, although the weather turned out calm. The anglers were going to troll the inshore ocean for blues or whatever else showed up, like Spanish mackerel or bonito. Spanish mackerel already appeared once this season, but water temps dropped a few degrees and pushed them out. But they should return, and bonito could arrive any day. Rob heard about no mahi mahi that showed up inshore yet but only offshore. First Cast is also shark fishing, and makos mostly moved north, but brown sharks were plentiful, and a good chance at a thresher was possible. Flounder trips are also running, and decent catches were sometimes made at the ocean reefs and the Old Grounds. But fishing at the Old Grounds always depends on conditions, and south to southwest winds create the productive drifts. Many short flounder were around, but during the right drifts, five to ten keepers could be bagged. First Cast will start tuna fishing soon, and bluefins already popped up at the inshore lumps, and yellowfins were already muscled in at the canyons.

The bay held plenty of small flounder but not a ton of keepers, said Matt from <b>Jim’s Bait & Tackle</b> in a fax. The same was true at Cold Spring Inlet and along the Intracoastal Waterway in the back bays. Flounder fishing was spotty at Cape May Reef, Reef 11 and the Old Grounds, and flattie fishers waited for the deep-water bite to turn on. Bluefin tuna fishing began to improve along the 20-fathom line on the troll. The fish seemed spread out from the Cigar to the Misty Blue wreck area to 19-Fathom Lump, Massey’s Canyon and the Hambone. The tuna were mixed sizes from shorts to fish just over 100 pounds. At the canyons warm waters were apparently moving south between the Wilmington and Baltimore. One gang fished the Wilmington on Wednesday and reeled in 14 smaller yellowfin tuna, keeping seven, and mahi mahi. The tuna there were smaller but around in good numbers. Closer to shore, bigger sea bass appeared in pretty decent numbers at the wrecks in 120 to 150 feet. Pete Harris and crew picked 28 of the humpbacks to 4 pounds at the Hooper wreck on Friday. Harry and Jill Peterson limited out on good-sized sea bass at a wreck 30 miles offshore.

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