<b>Port Elizabeth</b>

Weather was rough throughout the weekend, and that’s supposed to continue in the next days, said Sharon from <b>The Girls Place Bait & Tackle</b>. The shop still had business during the weekend, and many of the anglers fished for summer flounder. Sharon knew that because they bought minnows for bait. The anglers fished for flounder on Delaware Bay and “all over,” she said. That likely included back bays but maybe not the ocean because of the weather. Fewer keeper flounder might’ve bitten than before, but keepers were around. Weakfish swam Delaware Bay, she knew. So anglers could bag their limit of one weak, she said. People crabbed, and many undersized crabs skittered around. But some crabbers trapped decent catches of keepers. Plenty of minnows, bloodworms and all usual baits are stocked. Shedder crabs were stocked regularly. Keeping shedders alive in the heat of this season is always a factor. The crew looks for the feistiest ones. 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 shut down throughout the weekend because of weather including rain and wind at <b>Beaver Dam Boat Rentals</b>, Paul said. Just before, striped bass, including big, and diamond back terrapin turtles invaded the creek. Both could interfere with crabbing, because both nibbled on crab bait. On Friday, customers on four of the eight rental boats fished for the stripers, and caught. The stripers that bit included big that broke off, like one that must’ve been 48 inches that all the rental-boaters saw being fought before it busted off. Big stripers are unusual in the creek, though small are not uncommon. Big invaded six or seven years ago, too. Back then, they refused to bite. They were biting now. The shop’s crew noticed that the turtles were attracted to chicken used for crabbing bait. Boaters who used bunker for bait avoided the turtles better and trapped more crabs than those using chicken. Customers crab and fish from rental boats towed up Oranokin Creek, running past the shop. Beaver Dam carries everything needed for crabbing, from bait, traps and nets to drinks, snacks and suntan lotion. The shop can host events like birthday parties and family reunions, and groups like scouts, including for an educational day on the water. Rental kayaks and canoes are available to paddle the scenic creek. Visit <a href=" http://www.crabulousnj.com/Home_Page.php" target="_blank">Beaver Dam’s website</a>.

<b>Fortescue</b>

Fishing for summer flounder was weathered out in past days on the bay on the <b>Salt Talk</b>, Capt. Howard said. But on days when he worked his day job, other boats did catch them. The boat next to his at the docks had a trip with three anglers that bagged eight or nine and a trip with two anglers that limited out on six. Howard was going to try to fish for the flounder yesterday, he said before the trip. He was going to see how strongly wind blew in the morning. Howard spoke with a commercial crabber who started seeing fish like croakers in his catches. A bunker netter also found spots in the nets. Howard would like to see fish like these schooling the bay, so trips could get after them, too. 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>

A few weakfish were heard about from near Brandywine on the bay, said Joe from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. He guessed a few summer flounder came from there, too. Joe heard about flounder boated toward Fortescue a week or two ago and not since. He didn’t know whether flounder still gathered there. Flounder were still angled on back bays, and began to be picked at ocean reefs fairly well, before this weather probably prevented the trips. Back in Cape May, kingfish began to be plucked from the surf. Brown sharks, required to be released, chomped in the surf. Triggerfish showed up along jetties. Cape May is located at the confluence of Delaware Bay and the ocean, and the town’s surf anglers fish both bodies of water.

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