Summer Slots Are Ready

Every year we get to fish for slots in the Delaware Bay and its tributaries

Striped bass fishing has changed up in the Delaware Bay for the summer. It is now striped bass summer slot season.
The slot limit for Delaware Bay and its tributaries is 20 – 25 inches and 2 fish per angler per day.
The season lasts from July 1 to August 31.
Also the one issue some anglers have, much like striped bass season is carrying these fish in waters they are not legal. For example if you fish the Lewes canal, and then run to the inland bays on your boat. You are now in possession of illegal striped bass.

Delaware bay tributaries are just that any waterway that dumps into the Delaware Bay. The Lewes Canal is also a Delaware bay tributary. Keeping slot sized striped bass is legal only from the Freeman Highway bridge to the Roosevelt Inlet. Yes. we think it is odd the entire canal is not a tributary like the rest of the tributaries.
Canary Creek, Broadkill River, Mispillion River, Murderkill River etc. are all tributaries.
The entire Delaware bay is under this slot season. These are the best sized striped bass to eat in my opinion.
Unfortunately the Inland Bays are not part of Delaware’s summer striped bass slot season. I wish that would change. It isn’t like it is a huge body of water, but the fishing is pretty good for short striped bass. It would take changes by the ASMFC to allow Delaware to do that I have asked. No one seemed too motivated to try and change it or care. The politics of a fishery are strange and annoying.

Fish On!
Rich King