<b>Port Elizabeth</b>

Summer flounder surely swam Delaware Bay, but not a lot was heard about fishing because of the weekend’s storm and the heat previously, said Sharon from <b>The Girls Place Bait & Tackle</b>. Flounder surely also held at ocean reefs. But the heat previously, not the just the weekend’s rain and wind, even kept boaters from sailing. The heat could be oppressive, even while bobbing in a boat on open water. Sharon had been reporting kingfish plucked from the bay. Nobody who fished for them was heard about in past days. Still, when anglers could head out, fish were around to be caught. White perch were hooked from Maurice River. Weather became gorgeous Monday and looked calm for the next days. Another spell of heat was coming, but not like the previous one.  The weather is what it is, and is part of fishing, she said. Most customers stopped in for crabbing supplies recently, and crabbing was good. Bait stocked includes minnows, shedder crabs and bloodworms. A few green crabs are carried for blackfishing. Not a lot of customers blackfish this time of year, so not a lot of the crabs are kept in supply. A few more tend to be stocked on weekends. Blackfishing’s more popular when the bag limit is increased to six beginning Nov. 16, from the current limit of one that began July 17, after blackfishing was closed previously. 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 was slow, no good, said Paul from <b>Beaver Dam Boat Rentals</b>. Tides were high, and that seemed a reason. Weather also became cooler a few days around the storm, and was 50-some degrees yesterday morning. The parking lot was flooded for a week. The reason tides were high was unknown, but maybe the storm caused that in past days. Crabbers would’ve expected to slam catches this weekend. Crabbing’s been good this season. Yesterday afternoon was the first time somewhat of a low tide happened. So the hope is that the tides will drop and crabbing will be good again. Four rental-boats crabbed yesterday morning, one returning with almost a bushel, the others coming in with two dozen keepers apiece or fewer. But sizes were up or the number of large crabs increased. One rental-boat trip angled white perch from the creek. A couple of rays were hooked recently. Baby black drum began to be seen in the creek, and that usually happens in June. They were late. Customers crab and fish from rental boats towed up Oranokin Creek, running past the shop. Rental kayaks and canoes are available to paddle the scenic creek. Beaver Dam stocks everything needed for crabbing, from bait, traps and nets to snacks, drinks and suntan lotion. A celebration of Delaware Bay, named Crabs and All That Jazz, will be held throughout the bay’s communities, including at Beaver Dam, on Sept. 16. That will replace the similar Bay Days celebration that used to take place but does no longer. Crabs and All That Jazz will include a crabbing contest and a dinner, featuring the crabs caught, at the end of the day. Visit <a href=" http://www.crabulousnj.com/Home_Page.php" target="_blank">Beaver Dam’s website</a>.

<b>Fortescue</b>

<b>Update, Tuesday, 8/1:</b> The most recent trip with <b>Erica Leigh Charters</b> reeled up a couple of keeper summer flounder and some throwbacks and blues, Capt. Tom said. Someone he knew docked a 5-1/2- or 6-pound flounder. The fish was taken inshore of Miah Maull and Flat Top on the New Jersey side.

The next charters were set to fish Delaware Bay on Monday and Wednesday of this week on the <b>Salt Talk</b>, Capt. Howard said before the trips. Summer flounder were hooked from the bay. A boater docked next to the Salt Talk bagged two on Sunday among throwbacks released at the Wreck Buoy Slough. The angler also broke off two fish that he thought were good-sized flounder. Pods of bluefish schooled the bay like usual in summer, chasing bunker. They popped up at the flats near the Wreck Buoy Slough in mornings and could be caught on cast bucktails. One of Fortescue’s party boats reportedly turned up a few cobia. The Salt Talk used to be a party boat from the port. Howard sold the vessel, and the new Salt Talk is a charter boat for 1 to 4 passengers. 

<b>Avalon</b>

<b>Fins and Feathers Outfitters</b> had been going to fish for summer flounder on Delaware Bay on Saturday, Capt. Jim said. But strong, northeast wind canceled that. A buddy’s trip boated eight keeper flounder and about 20 throwbacks on the bay at the stakes last week on Monday or Tuesday. A trip this coming Saturday with Fins might fish the inshore ocean for mahi mahi or catch-and-release sharks. When trips aboard fish Delaware Bay, the boat is trailered and launched wherever’s near the fishing. Otherwise the boat fishes from the slip at Avalon near the ocean coast. Fins offers a variety of outdoor adventures, including duck and goose hunting on Delaware Bay. Salmon fishing becomes available at Jim’s <a href="http://www.sjlodge.com/" target="_blank">lodge near Salmon River</a> in upstate New York beginning on Labor Day weekend. Guests can hire a guide or fish on their own. A discount is offered for the lodge on Air Bnb, but only in summer. Guests often drive quadrunners or go bicycling or kayaking this season.

<b>Cape May</b>

Summer flounder were boated from Delaware Bay along the edges of 20-Foot and 60-Foot sloughs, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. A couple were picked up pretty well. Flounder were angled from ocean reefs, and a few were still bagged from the back bay. Warming water might’ve been triggering the fish to depart the back bay for the cooler ocean. A usual summertime mix of fish like kingfish, croakers, weakfish and flounder were boated off Cape May Point, at the confluence of the bay and the ocean. Surf anglers banked kings and not so many croakers but a few. They also landed small bluefish, sometimes flounder and a few weaks. Crabbing was excellent.

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