<b>Brooklawn</b>

Plenty of weakfish gathered relatively close to shore in the bay, and croakers were around, said Rick from <b>Big Timber Bait & Tackle</b>. Flounder fishing was fading, but some could be caught along the shipping channel on the southern end of the bay, like at the 9 and 10 buoys, as the fish left for the ocean. The Old Grounds and the ocean offered up quality catches of the flatties, and several customers reported boating ones to 10 pounds. In the Delaware River near the shop catfishing was improving, as waters temps started to drop, making the bigger ones willing to leave deeper, cooler waters and swim closer to shore, also causing them to be more aggressive than when lazy from warm waters. Largemouth bass fishing was also on the upswing at the creek mouths, including at Big Timber Creek. Bigmouth anglers connected along old pilings, the docks and the edges of grass beds. Try tossing lures like Spro Aruka shads, Rat-L-Traps or X-Raps, and the end of September and beginning of October is one of the best times for catches. Rick also owns Gloucester City Marina, and the American Bass Anglers of Pennsylvania Tournament will be held there October 18. Call the shop for info if interested, and more largemouth competitions will be held at the marina next year. Schoolie striped bass 15 to 25 inches were abundant at places such as the island at National Park, off Floodgate Road in Bridgeport and at the pier in Gloucester, and bigger bass will start to arrive in a few weeks or a month. Small jigs with curly tails or soft plastics or bloodworms will work. On the offshore grounds big bluefin tuna continued on a tear at the Lobster Claw. Yellowfin tuna fishing at the canyons was only just beginning, and nighttime chunking for them was yet to kick in, and daytime trolling or jigging was the deal. But swordfish were hammered at night, and marlin fishing was top notch at the canyons. Lots of white marlin were entered in recent tournaments. Big Timber Bait & Tackle carries bait and tackle for all fishing from freshwater to offshore. That includes a complete supply of lures and baits for rivers and lakes; rigs, tackle and frozen bait for bays; and offshore lures, rigs and baits.

<b>Pennsville</b>

Customers boated weakfish, and some limited out, and Sea Breeze to the 6 buoy was a hot spot, said Matt from <b>Shag’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Croakers were hooked among the trout, and plenty of blues were around, and fishing in general picked up on the bay and was good. Little was heard about flounder fishing, but when weakfishing turns on, most anglers leave flounder behind. The Delaware River’s fishing remained about the same, and schoolie striped bass, white perch and catfish were on tap, but again, weakfish on the bay were more the focus. Looking ahead, big striped bass usually move to the northern bay and the river in late October and November. Maybe the run will be somewhat early, because ocean temps never rose too high this summer. Local crabbing was productive. Shedder crabs are stocked, especially for weakfish bait, though the supply was starting to slow down, and goes through peaks and valleys as the crabs molt. Bloodworms, nightcrawlers, trout worms and frozen bunker, herring, mackerel and squid are stocked. Fresh bunker is carried during the run of large stripers.

<b>Port Elizabeth</b>

Customers during the weekend boated weakfish and croakers a little south of the number 1 buoy, said Linda at <b>The Girls Place Bait & Tackle</b>. They also ran into weaks 1 ½ miles off Thompsons Beach and came across weaks and flounder at Miah Maull. The Girls Place always stocks a large supply of all available baits and is located on Route 47 just after Route 55 ends, and is the long, one-story, yellow building on the right.

<b>Newport</b>

After crab mating ran rampant previously, the blueclaws finally started calming down, so catches picked up, said Linda from <b>Beaver Dam Boat Rentals</b>.  She was going to post a warning sign about X-rated activity on the creek, she joked, and the crabs were paired everywhere. But customers finally started coming back with normal catches, a half-bushel per trip, more or less, for most. The full moon triggered the breeding, and now the new moon is coming Saturday, and that can cause more breeding and shedding. But this last moon seemed to inspire more of the breeding than usual, and during the moons, not all crabs breed or shed, and crabbing isn’t always affected so much. When they shed, they’re vulnerable and hide instead of eating. Beaver Dam will be open full-time throughout this Labor Day weekend, including on Monday, and will also remain open full-time, seven days a week afterward. Fall crabbing is excellent, and the sizes are large, because they’ve been shedding and therefore growing all season, and the waters are less crowded and are beautiful, including because of the migration of birds. That also creates a great experience for canoe and kayak renters from Beaver Dam, who usually use the vessels for sightseeing on Oranokin Creek, where the shop is located. Crabbers from the shop are towed up the creek on rental boats, and the staff checks on them every hour. But if customers want to take a break in the meantime, they simply call the shop, and the staff comes and gets them. Calling ahead to reserve the rental boats is a good idea. Linda also noted that deer-hunting kicks off with the fall bow season October 4, and Beaver Dam is a deer check-in station. It’s also a turkey check-in station in spring. The store is also going to start selling hunting licenses, including duck stamps; fishing licenses; and even shellfish licenses, which not every station is able to provide, probably by the end of September. Beaver Dam also caters to duck hunters, renting blinds along the creek. The first duck-hunting season is October 18 to November 1, and the second is November 15 to 18. During the first season, the blinds will be open when crabbers stop crabbing, so call the shop to find out when that will be, and that generally depends on the weather. But the blinds will be available the entire second season.  Beaver Dam provides everything needed for crabbing, including trap sales and rentals, bait, crab spice, crab crackers, suntan lotion, drinks, snacks and ice cream.

<b>Fortescue</b>

A few weakfish, not a lot, were hitting, and boaters who dragged them in sat on anchor and waited, scoring luck at the right place and right time, said Capt. Ralph from the <b>Buccaneer</b>. Croaker fishing had been decent last week, and one charter on the vessel walloped 36 big ones to 15 inches, but then the big ones left, and only small ones remained. Lots of bluefish filled the bay, and another trip reeled up 53 blues and a 22-inch flounder, and another with two anglers stuck 25 blues and two big flounder more than 18 inches apiece. The boat had been fishing the Ditch for croakers and afterward anchored north of the Elbow, mostly for blues for sporty action.

The past several trips locked into weakfish, and the one on Sunday came two short of limiting out, and that was only because count was lost, and the boat came in, said Capt. Dave from <b>Andrea Charters</b>. So the fishing went well, and the prime time for the trout was probably now, and the fishing might last a month. Charters anchored in 15 to 16 feet, and when the tide made waters deeper, the bite shut right off, so the trips moved inshore, looking for marks in 15 to 16, and weaks were hooked again. Maybe water temps in those depths made the difference, but whatever the reason, the depths were important at least recently. Blues, small croakers, some kingfish, a few flounder and other fish were mixed in, just about all summer species. A half-dozen kings were landed on the trip Sunday. Boaters had to head out with lots of bait, because abundant small fish like croakers kept chowing down. If anglers went more than 3 or 4 minutes without feeling a bite, they needed to reel in, because surely the bait was gone. Dave always weakfishes with shedder crab at this time of year, and lately he was tipping the shedder with strips of croakers, blues and spots taken on the trips, and the combo seemed key. Attractants on the hooks such as colored bucktail or metal spinners helped in the always murky bay. One of his anglers did well with yellow and white bucktail, and another cleaned up with purple and pink, and Dave always likes fluorescent green. A large variety of colored bucktail is kept aboard, because the trout can favor different colors on different days. Dave ties on the bucktail on the boat with the knot he uses to snell the hook on the line. The anglers on the vessel are taught to move the line, lifting the rig off bottom 6 or 8 inches and letting it settle a moment, lifting again and repeating, until the rig reaches the boat, and then the process is done all over again. Movement attracts the predator weaks, helps them see the bait in the murkiness and discourages junk fish like sharks that pounce on stationary baits. Andrea Charters will keep chasing weaks, a specialty on the boat while the trout are in.

Croaker fishing suddenly dropped off, although a few were bagged, and a load of small ones were around, but the body of bigger ones seemed to leave after strong northeast winds Wednesday, said Capt. Howard from the <b>Salt Talk</b>. Fishing for the hardheads had been productive and dominant on the boat until then, but afterward patrons put together mixed bags of croakers, blues, sometimes flounder, a few weakfish, occasional, throwback porgies, still making a catch. Flounder fishing kicked in Sunday, and five keepers to 20 inches were boxed. Trips fished south of Miah Maull and around the 19 buoy, and waters were 75 degrees, down from 80 degrees two weeks ago. Cooler nights, somewhat cooler days and sometimes southerly winds that cool the ocean seemed to make a difference. Some of the charter boats got into weakfish, but anchoring for weaks wasn’t practical with a bunch of anglers on a party boat. That works while wreck fishing, when the lines are dropped down to the piece, but isn’t practical for fishing the open bottom for the trout. Open-boat trips are fishing 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily, and charters are also available.

After the northeast blow Wednesday, the great fishing for croakers came to a halt, and a few decent-sized ones continued to bite, but mostly small ones, plenty of them, stuck around, said Capt. Mike from the <b>Bonanza</b>. A few blues, some kingfish, maybe a couple of flounder a day and occasional fair-sized croakers made up catches on the vessel afterward, somewhat tough fishing. The boat fished at the Ditch and south of Miah Maull, and the good croaker fishing had taken place at the Anchorage. Dave knew charter boats that came back with weakfish from the inshore bay, but anchoring for weaks is impractical on a party boat with 30 anglers. Flounder fishing in the ocean turned on at the Old Grounds, and Dave knew boaters who stacked the cooler, and an open-boat trip was tentatively scheduled to fish the Old Grounds tomorrow. Reservations are required, and call to book: 609-381-2978. If no trip sails there tomorrow, the boat might do so the next Wednesday before the season closes, and again, reservations are required. Flounder fishing at the Old Grounds requires the right conditions or winds and currents that create the right drifts, and the conditions can’t be predicted, but when it’s on, the flounder fishing is some of the best in South Jersey. Open-boat trips are fishing the bay daily 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., and charters are on tap.

Fishing changed little since the previous week for customers at <b>Al’s Bait & Tackle</b>, Dave said, and they picked up a mess of croakers, including fair-sized ones. They also coolered weakfish, nothing crazy, but catching, and both fish were found toward Flat Top and the lighthouses. Flounder still got lifted aboard, and the second drop-off was a place to go. Fortescue surf fishers beached blues, small croakers, white perch, occasional flounder, and sometimes a weakfish or two. Crabbing was great. Shedder crabs, minnows and all frozen baits are fully stocked.

<b>Bivalve</b>

Catches kept getting better, and weakfish were reeled up anywhere from the 2 and 3 buoys to the 1 buoy to Bug Light, said Pat from <b>Longreach Marina</b>. Anglers and the fish they boated included: Jimmy Gale and Judy Davenport, Mays Landing, limit of weaks; Jim Wood Sr. and Jr. and Bill Wood, Millville, 6 weaks 18 to 20 inches and 1 kingfish; Bob Hill and Harry Hofflinger, Gibbstown and Westville, 10 weaks; Marcus Rodriguez and crew, Williamstown, 10 weaks; Jerry Grover and Bill Week, Millville, 8 weaks, lots of throwbacks, lots of throwback croakers and 15 blues; Shannon Harris, Steve Weldon and Keith Applebee, Cedarton and Fairton, limit of weaks;  Dave Parkhill, Port Norris, on the Natalie Jean with Danny Caravallo and Danny’s brother, 10 weaks, 8 blues, a mess of croakers and 1 kingfish; Phillip and Mark Hanoka and Koji Massatani, 6 weaks over 18 inches apiece and 10 blues; Jerry and Bill Stetler, Philadelphia, 4 weaks that measured 19 inches, 21 inches, 21 ¾ inches, 22 inches and 24 inches, and that one weighed 5 ½ pounds; Bill and Nancy Stetler, Philadelphia, 18-1/2-inch and 20-1/2-inch flounder; Debbie Portnoy, Philadelphia, 18-inch flounder; and Kevin, Tim and Kyle Plummer, 50 white perch hooked at one of the creeks. Shedder crabs are stocked, and minnows will be carried at least through the last day of flounder season on September 7, and afterward the supply will depend on demand. Frozen squid and other baits are also on hand.

<b>Dennisville</b>

Some better-sized weakfish were pulled from the oyster beds at the stakes, and croakers were tiny, like 3 to 5 inches, and few that were larger than 10 inches came from waters off Reeds Beach and north, said Rusty from <b>Captain Tate’s Bait & Tackle</b>. But much bigger ones supposedly came from around Brandywine and off Cape May. A little of everything actually bit, and Rusty took a trip that hooked weaks, croakers, spots, a couple of blues and flounder. Boaters in deeper waters like 25 or 30 feet toward Miah Maull got into a resurgence of keeper flounder on Sunday. Gus Maloney from Philly was on them, landing six keepers to 22 inches and releasing probably 20 that were 17 inches, an inch short of keeper size. The Old Grounds and Reef 11 in the ocean put out healthy flounder catches when conditions created productive drifting conditions. Otherwise ocean fishing was pretty slow, and tog were about the only decent-sized fish snapping. But Cape May and Wildwood reefs held small flounder, small sea bass and small weakfish. Small weakfish, short fish, were also thick along the ocean front from Avalon to Cape May. Farther from shore, bluefin tuna fishing was fair, and some continued to get nailed toward the Lobster Claw, and all were big, 100 pounds and larger. John Thomspon on the Rockin’ Robin went something like 3 for 7 on bluefins Saturday, keeping a 125-pounder. But the fishing was hit or miss for others, and anglers had to end up on top of the tuna, and chunking for them was most common. Farther from shore yellowfin tuna were scattered and small at the canyons, a strange year for the fishing so far, and last year the bite was on fire at this time. Only a few were chunked at night, and boaters trolled for the fish to cover ground, hooking a handful at Lindenkohl and Spencer canyons and part of the Wilmington. Waters were an even temperature everywhere, lacking fish-attracting temp breaks, and something was needed to change the fishing, like different wind directions or a storm. But September is traditionally a month when canyon fishing produces, and things will probably turn around. Shedder crabs are stocked, even if the supply was somewhat sketchy, and other baits, both for bay and offshore fishing, are well stocked.

<b>Cape May</b>

Croakers were the best bet on the bay near <b>Jim’s Bait & Tackle</b>, Matt said in a fax. The hardheads bit at Bayshore Channel at the top of the tides, and the bigger croakers came from the slough just inshore of Brandywine Light. Quality kingfish were found in the shallows from Higbee’s Beach to the Concrete Ship. Flounder fishing gave up the best catches at Reef 11 and the Old Grounds. Mike Cade, 15, fished the Old Grounds for a 6.4-pounder, and John P. Hoerter tried Reef 11 for an 8.37-pounder. A few of the flatties began showing up on the northeast corner of Cape May Reef. Bluefin tuna, mostly 80- to 150-pounders, kept biting at the Lobster Claw, mostly at first-light. Some still roamed 19-Fathom Lump and Massey’s Canyon, and first light was also the ticket there, but the fishing wasn’t hot and heavy at those spots. More and more wahoos got fought along the 30-fathom line.

On the <b>First Cast</b> the Carl Chambers group last week on Monday boated all the croakers they could want toward the Anchorage, and small sea bass and some weakfish were sprinkled in, Capt. Rob said. Derek Morris Morris, his daughter Alicia and her friend Kelly were aboard Thursday on the bay a little to the north, almost limiting out on weakfish, releasing lots of throwbacks and hooking a load of croakers, big spots and a large puffer. On Saturday Perry Campana and anglers flounder fished at Reef 11, bagging good-sized ones, including a 10-pound 3-ounce whopper and a 5-1/2-pounder. Lots of sea bass including a few keepers were lifted up. Waters were 73 to 74 degrees off the ocean beaches, and last year they were 78 degrees and stayed that warm until October, an interesting difference.

A couple of flounder trips fished 70 to 100 feet in the ocean south of Cape May with <b>Copacetic Sportfishing</b>, Capt. Mike said. Good numbers were belted, and most were sizeable, 22 to 26 inches, probably 3 to 6 pounds. About half the fish that bit were keepers, a decent ratio, and lumphead sea bass 2 and 3 pounds were also boxed, and ling and bluefish came up.

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