Saltwater fishing lends itself to both live bait picked clean from the ocean to artificial lures. Whether you need to drop quickly (using a 16 ounce diamond jig) to interfere with the group of bluefish, or you need something splashing across the surface such as a top water plug you have to determine which is the time and place for each.

Fresh bait can be extremely expensive and quite a nuisance. First you need to spend a small fortune at a live bait shop, and then you have to transport it to the boat to get to live fishing grounds. Unfortunately, all of this moving tends to upset the fresh bait, and by the time you arrive at your fishing spot, but they could be very stressed. This is of course assuming that you are able to find the live bait you with looking for at your local bait shop. There are times, when it's preferable to gather your live bait yourself.

Anglers in the Northeast love chasing striped bass. Fortunately, the favorite food of the striped bass is menhaden which is known locally as a bunker. The good thing about bunker is it is usually readily available in nearly all bait shops. The downside of this is that it's nearly always frozen. However, rather than purchasing frozen bait that could be very old, you can find fresh bunker fairly easily. These bait fish can be caught using hooks or nets by the hundreds. Any leftovers you can freeze them in the event you're unable to locate fresh bait for a future fishing trip.

Live bait is also the preferred bait for fluke fishing. Although many anglers prefer to use dead or frozen mummies (mummichogs), they quickly find out that their live bait fishing partners are doing far better than those who are using frozen or dead bait. Flounder prefer the fresh mummies and they are not that difficult to trap with a simple can of cat food and a minnow trap. In fact, inside of 30 minutes you can have a trap full of mummies if you place it properly.

Blackfish season in the Northeast means that many fishermen will be looking for green crabs. While they are easy to find in most bait shops, they tend to be rather expensive. The predicament comes in that blackfish are great at stealing this bait off the hook. Most anglers have discovered that in the long run, they will be far better off financially if they purchase a cheap crab trap. Rocks, jetties, docs, marinas and creeks are hiding spots for green crabs and Asian crabs. They swarm there in the thousands. It is not difficult to catch them, simply throw a filleted fish carcass into your trap and before you know it, you can fill a 5 gallon bucket.

While not everyone wants to take the time to catch their own bait, some find that it's as much of a challenge as game fishing. It also allows you to learn more about the fish you intend on landing by learning the habits of their preferred prey. Not only can catching your own bait save you money, but it can help you become a better angler.

When you are out saltwater fishing it is important to make sure you have the right supplies. Some of the most popular brands include Shimano Fishing Reels, Penn Fishing Reels, and Team Daiwa Reels.