<b>Port Elizabeth</b>

Kingfish and weakfish were known about from inshore in the bay, like just offshore of the turn buoys or the 2 and 3 buoys off the Maurice River, said Sharon from <b>The Girls Place Bait & Tackle</b>. Not many striped bass except throwbacks were heard about. Some of the stripers, mostly throwbacks, were banked from shore at East Point. Out-of-season summer flounder seemed to remain in the bay. A customer boated and released a couple of throwbacks. Bloodworms were the most popular bait for customers currently. A few shedder crabs were still stocked. Crabbing was pretty good, and this was becoming late in the year for that. Warm weather seemed to keep crabbing and some types of fishing going. Customers bought bait to fish for sheepshead they said bit along jetties. Sheepshead are a southern, warm-water species that seemed to linger in New Jersey later in the year than usual because of warmth. Even kingfish are usually gone already. Green crabs are preferred bait for sheepshead, but none was stocked yet. They’ll be stocked for blackfish when the blackfish bag limit increases later this fall. But shedder crabs will catch sheepshead just as well. Sea bass season opened beginning Monday, and anglers will boat for them on the ocean. Fresh clams are favorite bait for sea bass, but the clams are scarce from suppliers. None of the clams is stocked, but frozen, salted are. Sea bass will also bite squid, jigs, teasers and other things. 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>Fortescue</b>

Capt. Howard from the <b>Salt Talk</b> and a neighbor boated bluefish, a decent catch, and a few kingfish aboard Saturday off Egg Island Point, he said. Wasn’t bad, actually, and the blues weighed less than 3 pounds. On Sunday, he and a friend boated a few of the blues and kingfish and some weakfish and blowfish in the area. The water was 75 degrees, Howard heard on the radio. 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>

Bluefish to 25 inches, decent-sized, showed up in inlets and the back bay, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. Fishing went well for them on mullet or lures. Blues mostly to 18 inches and throwback striped bass bit in the surf on mullet or lures. That was from the ocean to Delaware Bay, and Cape May is at the confluence. On the Delaware Bay side, spots, kingfish, a few croakers and maybe still pompano probably continued to be around like before in the surf. A few weakfish loitered the bay’s surf. Fishing for blackfish and triggerfish along surf jetties was a little slow, but a few gathered there. Blackfish and triggers swam fairly abundant at inshore wrecks in the ocean. Sea bass season opened Monday, and trips will fish for them often at small inshore wrecks on the ocean and at spots like Cape May Reef. Crabbing was excellent on the back bay.

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