<b>Port Elizabeth</b>
The netter found quite a few kingfish in the 60-Foot Slough area, said Sharon from <b>The Girls Place Bait & Tackle</b>. The kings seemed to be moving somewhat inshore and shallower in that area. The netter also caught lots of spots and some sizable weakfish from the bay. If these fish were around, summer flounder probably remained in the bay. If anglers look for flounder, maybe they should fish deeper water for them this time of year. The storm in past days probably riled up the ocean, and the remnants of a hurricane are forecast for later this week. The New Jersey side of the bay is leeward from easterly winds like from the storm in past days. Sometimes that makes the bay fishable when the ocean is not. Sharon fished Cape May Reef on the ocean two weekends ago on a trip that landed plenty of throwback flounder, a keeper, a few bluefish and some small sea bass. A trip she joined at ocean reefs the previous weekend also reeled in croakers. Crabbing currently was still pretty good, including in the Maple Avenue and Dividing Creek area. Customers were still crabbing, and some good-sized crabs were trapped. If crabbers could crab on small boats, like on tidal ponds or creeks, that could catch better than crabbing from shore. All baits are stocked including minnows and shedder crabs. The supply of shedders will diminish soon. Crabs will stop shedding in cooler water. 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>
Crabbing was weathered out last weekend at <b>Beaver Dam Boat Rentals</b>, Paul said. Crabbing was attempted Saturday, but weather chased crabbers back in. Crabbing is now available at 6:30 a.m. Saturdays and Sundays through September, and will go on break afterward through winter. However, the shop will be closed this Sunday. Crabbing was available daily previously this season. Customers crab and fish on rental boats towed up Oranokin Creek, running past the store. Everything needed for crabbing is stocked, from bait, traps and nets to drinks, snacks and suntan lotion. Rental kayaks and canoes are available to paddle the scenic creek during the same hours. Visit <a href=" http://www.crabulousnj.com/Home_Page.php" target="_blank">Beaver Dam’s website</a>.
<b>Fortescue</b>
One trip, on Friday, fished a short time on the bay on the <b>Salt Talk</b>, before weather became worse in the storm since, Capt. Howard said. A couple of undersized summer flounder and a few bluefish were tugged in, before the trip returned to port. At first, the trip fished inshore at a couple of places, because Howard knew someone who’d been catching panfish there. Nothing bit, so the trip moved and fished for flounder at the stakes and the rips nearby. Forecasts had called for rough weather during the trip. Skies were overcast, but wind and seas were calm. They became rough later that day. 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>
Fishing for summer flounder sounded good near the 19 buoy or Miah Maul on the bay last week, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. Back bays held tons of throwbacks that week, and any keepers there seemed near inlets. The fish seemed to be migrating out. Croakers and kingfish schooled off Higbee’s Beach in the bay. Boaters and shore anglers hooked them. Cape May Channel off Cape May Lighthouse held kings, croakers and snapper blues. That’s at the confluence of the bay and ocean. Crabbing was fairly good.