I’m going fishing in Delaware bay – what types of fish are there, and any recommended baits?

When it comes to detailing what fish you will find in Delaware Bay, it would probably be easier to tell you what fish you will NOT find there. In short, the fishing is fine on Delaware Bay! Whether you choose to target game fish for catch and release, or table fish, you will likely find your target on Delaware Bay. At present, Fluke/Flounder, Shark, Striper/Rockfish, Triggerfish, Sea Bass, Cobia, Blackfish/Tuatog, Bluefish, perch, Spadefish, sea trout/Weakfish, kingfish, porgy, and croaker all seem to be biting well and putting up a fight on the way in. When it comes to bait, the general rule of thumb is to use, whenever you can, with natural forage from the waters in which you will be fishing. Yes, that does entail fishing for, or trapping (when the law allows it) bait before setting your rigs for your ultimate target, but it is often worthwhile to do. Another option is to visit a local bait shop or to use lures that mimic the natural forage in your area. Some baits that have shown particularly good results recently are: Shredder crab for weakfish, especially the bigger weakfish. Bloodworms for kingfish and croakers. Squid and Gulp for flounder. Bloodworms for Kingfish. Sabiki rigs for spot. Now, one of the most popular fish you can toss a hook for, is striped bass. The best way to catch striper is to chunk fresh bunker. The head of the bunker will hold up best, and works well on a circle hook. Use about a 20 pound class outfit and snell the hook to about three feet of 40 lb test, clear fluorocarbon leader. The single best time to fish for striper is at the ebb tide. Catch it just as the tide is beginning to ebb for best results. You can use your basic fish finder to put your bait about fifty feet behind your boat anchor, and put it right on the bottom. Bring those striper right to you by chunking a little bunker every now and then. This will not work well if the tide is fast running, though. It is too hard to hold your bait on the bottom then. An alternate bait to substitute for bunker is live eels, and hook them through both lips. One way to slow them down so they are easier to handle is to put ice in your water bucket.