Weakfishing was fair at the usual places, like the bay toward the Maurice River, and croakers kept swimming throughout the waters, said Rick from Big Timber Bait & Tackle. Strong winds kept boating to a minimum. Smallmouth bass were on a bite in the Delaware River, including near the shop, and the bronzebacks roam as far down as the Schulykill River. Entrants in a smallmouth tournament at Gloucester City bailed the fish. Small crank baits, Spro Aruka Jr.’s, small buzz baits and small spinners will attract hits at almost any of the docks or weed growth. Largemouth bass fishing was good at the mouths of creeks such as Big Timber Creek or Mantua Creek, as waters started too cool. Loads of small stripers stacked up along the island off National Park, aggressively attacking diamond jigs, bloodworms and cut baits. Plenty of catfish to 8 and 9 pounds could be pulled from the Big D. Along the coast surf casters started to beach a few striped bass, and they found a resurgence of kingfish. The fall migration of mullet was trickling into the suds, not yet the full run. Practically nobody could know how offshore fishing was going for tuna and big game, because the winds kicked up seas and prevented trips. 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.

Pennsville

Matt from Shag’s Bait & Tackle boated at Dunk’s Bar north of the Cohansey River with two other anglers for a catch of about 30 striped bass to 22 inches, five short flounder, a few 3-pound blues and a croaker, he said. They fished with shedder crabs, bloodworms and spots, and Matt heard about no weakfish hooked around there. But customers knuckled in the trout from Sea Breeze and Ben Davis Point to Fortescue. Surf casters at Fortescue also dragged them in. The fall striped bass migration usually kicks in during late October and November or when water temps range 55 to 60 degrees. The bay was currently 75 degrees. In the local area the migrators push as far north as the Cohansey but usually no farther, unlike in spring, when loads move way upstream to spawn. The autumn fish are just making a stop to feed on the way south for the winter. Local anglers catch the stripers on fresh bunker, and the bait will be carried at the shop when the action turns on. Shedder crabs are no longer available this season for weakfish bait, but bloodworms, nightcrawlers and frozen baits are stocked.

Newport

Crabbing was tougher in the past days, maybe because of last week’s full moon, said Linda from Beaver Dam Boat Rentals. But a couple of suddenly cold nights might’ve shocked the crabs a moment, and lots more striped bass appeared in Oronoaken Creek, where Beaver Dam is located, and the stripers can drive the hardshells to hide more. Whatever the cause, crabbers had to give more effort. The more time that passes since the moon, probably the better the crabbing. But a few days of inclement weather were forecast to start soon. Still, this month is traditionally a great time to crab, and the blueclaws supposedly have grown to their largest sizes, after going through sheds all season. Beaver Dam remains open seven days a week, but hours might be cut back soon. Calling ahead to reserve the rental boats that customers crab from is recommended to make sure the vessels are available. The boats are towed up the creek, and the staff checks on the crabbers 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. Autumn is also a beautiful time for Beaver Dam’s canoe and kayak rentals, because the season’s migrations have started, including the duck migration. Customers usually use the vessels to paddle up the creek to soak in the wildlife. For fans of the radio show Sportsman’s Hotline on WFNJ--at 5 p.m. Fridays on 1240- and 1440-AM--the crew from the show will crab at Beaver Dam on Tuesday, and feel free to stop by and meet them, and go crabbing. Beaver Dam is gearing up for duck season and rents duck blinds to hunters. The first duck 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 depends on the weather. But the blinds will be available the entire second season. Beaver Dam is also a deer check-in station, and two eight-point bucks were already checked in from the fall bow 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.

Fortescue

Forty blues, eight weakfish and a slough of croakers were boated on the Buccaneer on a charter Saturday, a good day, Capt. Ralph said. Blues 2 to 3 pounds, not a bad size, could’ve been caught all day. There were weakfish to be had on the bay around the 6 buoy at the right place, right time. Chicken and cut bait were used and worked well, and shedder crabs were becoming scarce for bait. The Buccaneer will keep chasing these fish until switching to striped bass charters during the fall migration around mid October.

Weakfish numbers were down, but their sizes were up, and charters on the Andrea caught them both days of the weekend, Capt. Dave said. He thought they grabbed 20 on Saturday and 16 on Sunday, sometimes fishing in 16 feet north of Fortescue, along the edge of a 20-foot-deep hole there, 1 or 1 ½ miles from shore at most. But the boat also fished along the cable that runs to the Elbow. Dave also thought one of the anglers limited out the first day and two limited out the second. Bigger weaks but smaller numbers are typical toward the 6 buoy like this toward fall. The anglers fished with shedder crabs, and Dave was able to order them several days in advance, and the shedders were tipped with strips of croakers or spots hooked on the trips. A fluorescent green Gulp twister tail was in the stomach of one of the trout that was cleaned. Bluefish and blowfish were also reeled up, and so were a few kingfish. The blues were 2 or 3 pounds and plentiful, and if anglers like blowfish, plenty could be found. One of the anglers during the weekend loves to eat them. Andrea Charters will keep weakfishing, one of the boat’s specialties. Striped bass trips will begin in mid October. At first, charters will probably hunt weakfish in the mornings and afterward go after stripers toward the shipping channel, until they exclusively target the linesiders. Stripers at first are usually smaller but include some keepers. Those are fish that move out of the creeks and back waters into the bay. Then bigger stripers that come from the ocean head up the bay to feed while on a migration south for the cool months.

Boaters could pluck weakfish, decent-sized ones 14 to 18 inches, from the first drop-off straight off Fortescue, said Dave from Al’s Bait & Tackle. Windy weather was the only challenge, and today was blowing. Plenty of blues were around for boaters, and Fortescue surf anglers also banked good catches of weaks and blues. Spots also schooled everywhere, including the suds. More and more striped bass, including a couple of keepers during the weekend, were rustled up from Fortescue Creek, and white perch also swam the creek. The fall migration of stripers should take off toward the end of October, but the shop might start carrying fresh bunker for striper bait this weekend.

Capt. Howard from the Salt Talk fished on a friend’s private boat Friday and in the morning Saturday, and they limited out on weakfish one day, and on the other they bagged 10 or 12, he said. The trout measured up to 18 inches, and they were around, if anglers went after them and used the right bait. Shedder crabs were difficult to obtain, but cut up croakers and spots that could be nabbed in the bay worked. Winds blew all day Friday, and seas were rough on both trips. Howard also took a few anglers out on a crew trip on the Salt Talk on Sunday for a catch of a few weaks, some blues and a couple of blowfish. Around a half-dozen, out-of-season flounder were also released throughout the trips. Howard didn’t check the bay temperature, but Fortescue Creek was 69 degrees, down from 74 last week. The Salt Talk is sailing for weakfish and other catches like bluefish 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily, and charters are also available. Daily striped bass trips, fishing with live eels or bunker chunks, will probably kick off during the third week of October.

Bivalve

Bill Hills, his sister Barbara and nephew Matt beat 11 weakfish, lots of blues and a kingfish, said Pat from Longreach Marina. They also released a sizeable, out-of-season flounder. Weakfishing wasn’t bad at all, and customers stuck the fish anywhere from the 1 buoy to closer to shore. A bunch of the anglers reeled them in Sunday, even if they didn’t give Pat the details. Bluefish were also abundant, such as 37 of the speedsters that Jerry Groover, Bill Weeks and Joe Smith came back with. They also hung one weak, four kings and a load of croakers, keeping two that were large enough. Dave Omrod hammered a 31-inch striped bass and five blues, all around 19 inches, except one slammer that was 28 inches. About three to six dozen shedder crabs were usually stocked each day for weakfish bait, but the supply was running low by this time of year.

Dennisville

The windy weather kept most from fishing during the weekend and even during the week, but a few got out and apparently hooked weakfish, said Rusty from Captain Tate’s Bait & Tackle. Details were hard to pin down because of the scarcity of anglers, but previously the trout mostly came from the stakes off Reeds Beach or north of Bug Light and off Thompson’s Beach. Only a handful of shedder crabs were available to be stocked for weakfish bait, but squid soaked in shedder oil, clam strips, Gulp artificials and strips of croakers or spots that could be caught in the bay got strikes. Croaker fishing at least before the weekend was best at places like McCries Shoal, off the Ferris wheel and at the reef. Anglers fished the back bay at times, finding several weakfish and some striped bass. An occasional striper, usually a short but once in a while a keeper, got picked up in the surf at Poverty Beach in Cape May or at Diamond Beach in Wildwood Crest. Sometimes they were plugged, because the east winds drove bait into the wash. Or they were clammed, or if mullet were around, they worked, too. Blues sometimes stormed the wash. Several boats actually fished offshore, getting into hot catches of white marlin at Poorman’s Canyon. But the vessels had to be big, because seas were sporty. Back on Delaware Bay, fall striped bass fishing in the past couple of years took off toward the end of October, though anglers usually start searching by mid October. The fish move in once the bay drops to 63 or 65 degrees. Check it out: Captain Tate’s now serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, especially for anglers. Meals like boxed lunches are available. Customers can call ahead, order bait, breakfast and lunch, and have it ready to go for pick up the day of the trip. One-stop shopping.