<b>Port Elizabeth</b>

From <b>The Girls Place Bait & Tackle</b>, Ray heard about summer flounder decked from Delaware Bay near Fortescue, he said. Somebody also mentioned the fish biting a couple of times near the No. 1 buoy on the bay. Michelle from the shop heard about kingfish landed in the Cape May area, she said. No details about location were heard. Crabs trapped were mentioned from the Turkey Point, Dividing Creek and Matt’s Landing areas. One crabber showed photos of coolers full of crabs. 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 had begun to improve last week but slowed since the weekend’s full moon, said Paul from <b>Beaver Dam Boat Rentals</b>. Full moons can cause crabs to shed and mate, and Paul assumed they were doing both. Shells were seen at the boat ramp, suggesting crabs were shedding, at least. Trips returned with as few keepers as six to four dozen. Maybe the outlook is good for this coming weekend during the waning moon. Two weekends ago, tides were exceptionally high, apparently because of a nor’easter. That made crabbing difficult. Then the full moon came. Crabbing can slow during shedding or mating around the moons, because crabs won’t eat while shedding or mating. But that only lasts several days, and not all crabs shed or mate at once. Some can always be trapped. In-between moons or waning and waxing moons can be times for the best crabbing. Crabbing was good this season until the nor’easter and this moon that followed. The hope is that the catches will kick back in. Spots began to swim the creek. They weren’t big but were good-sized for bait to liveline for fish like striped bass. White perch roamed the creek. Customers fish and crab from rental boats towed up Oranokin Creek, running past the shop. Rental kayaks and canoes are available to paddle the scenic creek. The shop can host events like family reunions or birthday parties and groups like scouts, including for an educational day on the water. The store stocks everything needed for crabbing, from bait, traps and nets to snacks, drinks and suntan lotion. Visit <a href=" http://www.crabulousnj.com/Home_Page.php" target="_blank">Beaver Dam’s website</a>.

<b>Fortescue</b>

Eight or so summer flounder including two keepers were boated at the stakes south of Fortescue on Delaware Bay on Sunday on the <b>Salt Talk</b>, Capt. Howard said. The boat’s also been catching flounder at the Wreck Buoy Slough on the bay. On a trip last week, the angler wanted to fish for a variety of small fish that schooled close to shore on the bay. Small croakers, bluefish, a couple of 14- to 16-inch weakfish and some flounder were landed. Weakfish were there, and bait had to be kept moving to hook them. If bait is left still when croakers or other catches like kingfish are in, a croaker or king can be likely to find the bait first and bite. Flounder fishing might’ve been slower than expected on the bay, but Howard heard about some quality catches. A 10-pounder was reportedly heaved in, but that was unconfirmed. The Salt Talk used to be a party boat from Fortescue. Howard sold that vessel, and the new Salt Talk is a charter boat for 1 to 4 passengers.

<b>Cape May</b>

Summer flounder that were boated were sometimes heard about from Delaware Bay, mostly from along the edges of 20-Foot and 60-Foot sloughs, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. Sometimes the fish were slid from the bay’s surf in town. Croakers were around in the bay at drop-offs like at the sloughs and elsewhere. Snapper blues schooled along the bay’s shore. Weakfish seemed to hug the Concrete Ship near the shore and surf jetties at Cape May Point. Good kingfishing and croaker fishing was beached from Cape May’s surf. Blackfish, triggerfish and sheepshead gathered along jetties. Flounder fishing at ocean reefs seemed to be turning on. Flounder were still bagged from the back bay or in the harbor and along the Intracoastal Waterway. Crabbing was excellent.

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