<b>Vineland</b>

At <b>Blackwater Sports Center</b>, Jeff heard nothing about summer flounder fishing on Delaware Bay, he said. But the angling will probably pick up now, and anglers might hear about that in the next couple of weeks, he thinks. 

<b>Port Elizabeth</b>

Keeper summer flounder 20 or 21 inches were heard about from near Fortescue on Delaware Bay, said Kyle from <b>The Girls Place Bait & Tackle</b>. More flounder catches were reported from back bays than anywhere, but some were also shoveled from along ocean reefs and wrecks. Triggerfish were hooked along the Cape May ferry jetty on Delaware Bay. Triggers and sheepshead were landed along the ocean at Avalon at the jetty rocks. Croakers showed up in Maurice River. No sizable were talked about, but the catches were made. White perch fishing picked up in the river again. 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’s been excellent this year at <b>Beaver Dam Boat Rentals</b>, Linda said. Catches have included bushels, and the crabs weren’t huge this time of year, but were good-sized. Lots of 5-inchers were in the mix. Many small were seen, and that seemed to bode well for the rest of the season. Crabs grow quickly throughout the next months. Bunker are usually best bait, but chicken can work better around full and new moons, the crew has noticed throughout the years. Crabs often mate and shed around the moons, and the theory is that chicken becomes best bait for hormonal reasons during mating. Customers who fished began to pluck white perch from the creek. Customers crab and fish on rental boats towed up Oranokin Creek, running past the shop. Rental kayaks and canoes are also available to paddle the scenic creek. Catch the new Coastal Day Celebration that will take pace Sept. 16 along Delaware Bay’s communities from Fairton to Matt’s Landing, including at Beaver Dam, replacing the Bay Days celebration that used to take place. The day will feature various activities to celebrate the bay, including a crabbing contest and a dinner at the end of the day that will feature the participants’ cooked crabs. Entry is $20 for the contest and includes the dinner. Or people can simply attend the dinner for $20. Other activities will include a Chinese auction and a game like Geocast where participants will identify different locations.  Visit <a href=" http://www.crabulousnj.com/Home_Page.php" target="_blank">Beaver Dam’s website</a>.

<b>Fortescue</b>

Summer flounder fishing seemed to begin picking up on Delaware Bay, said Capt. Howard from the <b>Salt Talk</b>. He was headed on trips for them Monday and Wednesday, he said before the outings, and heard about a few more of the fish boated at the stakes than before. Howard knew about a party boat that reported catching a few near Miah Maull in deeper water farther from shore while anchored for weakfish and kingfish. But most flounder seemed boated on the drift at the stakes, in shallower water closer to shore than lighthouses along the shipping channel like the Maull. A pretty sizable population of weaks with kings mixed in seemed to swim near the lighthouses. A few small bluefish seemed to school the bay like usual in summer. Howard heard about another party boat landing the “greenies,” as they’re called, around the Ditch off the stakes. The bay was reportedly 65 degrees during the weekend, but that was unconfirmed. South wind cooled the ocean in past days and might’ve affected the bay. One might think that south wind would warm the ocean. But wind from south causes upwelling along the Northeast Coast near shore that cools the water.

<b>Avalon</b>

<b>Fins and Feathers Outfitters</b> was going to fish Delaware Bay for flounder Monday, Capt. Jim said before the trip. He hadn’t heard about the bay’s fishing for flounder, but was going to scope out the angling and see what it’s like for himself. When Fins fishes Delaware Bay, the boat is trailered to wherever’s nearest the fishing and launched. Otherwise, trips depart from the slip at Avalon.

<b>Cape May</b>

Croakers, good-sized, showed up in Delaware Bay’s surf, said Joe from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. One person said they were sizable, and those were the year’s first croakers that Joe heard about from there. Nothing was heard about summer flounder from the bay. But most customers fish the back bay and ocean for flounder, and anglers from farther north, like around Fortescue, are more likely to work Delaware Bay for the flatfish. The surf tossed up kingfish, a few big, too. Small weakfish nipped in the surf, and both the kings and the weaks were bloodwormed. Small blues popped up in the surf, and all of these fish were mostly heard about from the ocean surf. Still, some probably roamed Delaware Bay’s surf. Cape May is at the confluence of the ocean and bay. Striped bass were played under bridges at night or during low light like they are all summer. Tuna were angled on the ocean at offshore canyons and inshore at usual spots like the Elephant Trunk.

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