<b>Port Elizabeth</b>

Black drum were boated from the bay late last week, said Sharon from <b>The Girls Place Bait & Tackle</b>. Forecasts for terrible weather limited fishing during the weekend. Saturday’s weather ended up better than predicted, but people canceled fishing that day because of forecasts. Fortescue party boats that do business with the shop said their parties canceled fishing aboard during the weekend because of that. On Sunday, strong wind blew, and rain fell. Quite a few summer flounder were bagged during this past opening week of flounder season. The flatfishing went well on back bays, but the shop had customers that scored well on Delaware Bay on flounder, too. Some number of flounder seemed to be swimming the bay. Weakfish were reported boated on Delaware Bay near Cape May. If weaks schooled there, they should be holding pretty much throughout the bay. More people crabbed than before, and more crabs began to be picked than previously. Many crabs were small, and none was huge, and that’s typical for early in the crabbing season. Crabs grow as the season goes on. 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>Port Elizabeth</b>

<b>Beaver Dam Boat Rentals</b> was closed Saturday because of forecasts for poor weather, Paul said. But the weather turned out fair, and the shop could’ve been open. Forecasts were also rough for Sunday, but five rental boats were rented for crabbing. The shop brought the boats back early at 1 p.m. because weather looked like it was about to become worse. After the boats were returned, rain poured the rest of Sunday. But crabs were trapped on those boats. Crabbing’s going better than Paul might’ve expected. Some people thought last winter’s severe cold might’ve killed many crabs. They thought that could slow crabbing this spring and summer. But the shop’s customers trapped a healthy number of crabs since the rental boats became available the past two weekends for the crabbing season. Many crabs were small, and that’s usual early in the season. They grow throughout spring and summer. But keepers were also trapped. Nobody fished on those boats Sunday. But customers sometimes fish on the boats for catches that can include striped bass, white perch, croakers and more during different times of season. The stripers are usually throwbacks but fun to hook and release. Customers crab and fish from rental boats towed up Oranokin Creek, running past the shop. The boats are available on Saturdays and Sundays until becoming available daily beginning June 23, when schools let out for summer. Rental kayaks and canoes are available to paddle the scenic creek. Beaver Dam can host events like birthday parties and family reunions and groups like scouts, including for an educational day on the water. Everything needed for crabbing is stocked, from bait, traps and nets to drinks, snacks and suntan lotion. Visit <a href=" http://www.crabulousnj.com/Home_Page.php" target="_blank">Beaver Dam’s website</a>.

<b>Fortescue</b>

No fishing sailed in rough weather during the weekend on the <b>Salt Talk</b>, Capt. Howard said. He heard that black drum bit well in the bay Wednesday and Thursday. He heard nothing about the fishing afterward in the weekend’s rough conditions. Howard knew about nobody who fished for summer flounder on the bay since flounder season opened. He didn’t know whether anglers still caught anything from Fortescue’s surf, because he worked his day job, wasn’t around, in the rough weather. The surf casters scored a good spring on striped bass fishing. That usually tapers off by now. 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>

Five black drum were docked from the bay with Kevin Driscoll’s charter Saturday on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>, Capt. George said. Forecasts for rough weather canceled a drum charter that was supposed to fish Sunday aboard. Wind gusted to 30 to 35 knots, and rain fell. George knew no boaters who fished that day.

Black drum fishing was excellent on the bay on the last trips for them with <b>Fishin’ Fever Sportfishing</b>, Capt. Tom wrote in a text Sunday.

A few striped bass were still slid from Cape May’s surf, on clams from the ocean and on bunker chunks from Delaware Bay, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. Cape May is at the confluence of the two waters. Not much was heard about black drum from the bay’s surf recently. But check out this drum that was kayaked from the bay. Boating for the bay’s drum was good. They were still marked tight to shore, but catching them went much better a little farther out. Heavy current seemed to make them pull farther out. A healthy number of weakfish were angled from inlets and along surf jetties. Fish bloodworm on a float or a soft-plastic lure on a lead jighead tight to the rocks at the inlets and jetties. Summer flounder fishing went pretty well on the back bay since flounder season opened on May 25. Nick mentioned nothing about flounder from Delaware Bay for this report. But for the previous report he said his bunker netter found flounder in catches from the bay.

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