<b>Port Elizabeth</b>

A few small bluefish and a few small weakfish were boated from Delaware Bay, said Sharon from <b>The Girls Place Bait & Tackle</b>. Not a lot of news circulated, and this was a period between summer fishing and fall striped bass fishing. Anglers waited for the season’s migration of stripers. Weather was often windy for fishing, too. White perch fishing was okay in brackish waters like Maurice River. Crabbing was slowing for the season. A few shedder crabs were stocked periodically for bait, but the supply was considerably less than previously. Sharon wondered when all crabbers would pull their pots for the year. The Girls Place, located on Route 47, just after Route 55 ends, carries a large supply of bait and tackle, and is the long, one-story, yellow building on the right. It’s on the way to the bay.

<b>Newport</b>

Crabbing from the rental boats was available this weekend for the final time this year at <b>Beaver Dam Boat Rentals</b>, Paul said. It’ll become available again on the weekend before Memorial Day. But the store now remains open daily for crabbing and fishing supplies and, later this season, duck hunting on the creek. Crabbing was actually good this weekend, the best in a while, on the creek. Female crabs mostly departed, and males or Jimmies came in. Rental-boat trips made up of people new to crabbing even trapped a couple of dozen keepers in a short time. On Sunday, not a lot of the boats headed out, but a few returned with two-thirds of a bushel of keepers. Crabbers prefer to keep males, not females, because they believe that’s best for breeding. Plus, the females had been pregnant, and crabbers definitely prefer to release those. When females are in, males mostly move elsewhere. When females depart, males return. Customers also fished on the creek, landing a variety of croakers, spots, baby black drum, white perch and small striped bass. Crabbing from the boats in past years was offered through Columbus Day weekend, next weekend. But the crew at the store noticed that weather always prevents or discourages crabbing that weekend, so they closed a weekend earlier, though crabbing and fishing was good. Customers crab and fish on rental boats towed up Oranokin Creek, running past the shop. Visit <a href=" http://www.crabulousnj.com/Home_Page.php" target="_blank">Beaver Dam’s website</a>.

<b>Fortescue</b>

A trip fished Delaware Bay on Sunday on the <b>Salt Talk</b>, Capt. Howard said. Wind blew fiercely on Saturday. The trip, fishing inshore, landed bluefish to 2 or 3 pounds and weakfish. Spots and small croakers were also reeled in. Actually, the fishing was pretty good. The spots and croakers were cut into strips and used for bait. These fish should stick around, as long as the water fails to cool drastically. Howard didn’t know the water temperature, but could feel that the bay was cooling. He heard about no striped bass catches, and the migration of stripers showed up late in fall in recent years. Maybe if a cold snap happens, the fish will migrate earlier. Anglers will see what happens in three or four weeks. The Salt Talk used to be a Fortescue party boat. Howard sold that vessel, and the new Salt Talk is a charter boat for up to four passengers.

<b>Cape May</b>

Surf fishing went pretty well from Poverty Beach on the ocean to the concrete ship on Delaware Bay, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. Bluefish were beached, and a couple of small striped bass were mixed in. Cape May is at the confluence of the ocean and the bay. Frozen mullet, or fresh if available, seemed the preferred bait. Blackfish were hooked along jetties. In the back bay, resident stripers were played. Lots of baitfish schooled the back bay, so the stripers were fairly active. To catch them, boaters anchored and fished and chummed with either clam or bunker. Anglers also beat the bass on soft-plastic lures or top-water plugs along sod banks in early mornings or bridges in evenings.

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