New to striper fishing

[topwater]

Hello All,
I am new to this site and I just recently got into surf fishing for striper's early this fall. I was invited by a buddy of mine to go throw some fresh bunker and clams into the ocean at IBSP. The minute we pulled up and walked our gear onto the beach in the pitch dark I was hooked. Since then I ran out to Sports Authority and bought 2 cheap combos for $40 ea. A 10 foot 'Okuma' setup for chunking and an 8' 'Quantum Optic's" setup for throwing lures.

I have been a few times since that day and have enjoyed walking the beach and throwing lures better than soaking bait and would like to pursue 'plugging' alittle further. The Quantum setup i have feels kind of heavy and I was wondering what an 'acceptable' weight for a spinning outfit would be and what kind of line capacity should I look for if I would choose to use braided line? my budget for a reel would be in the 100-150 dollar range

Also, I was wondering if I should increase the rod size to 9' and if anyone had any opinions on a decent quality rod in the same price range.

Ive read about 3 books since the end of the fall run and most of them really only touched on brand names/ line capacity/ weight. besides the Van Stall (which is way outa my league).

I would also like to add that I would plan on going about 1-2 times a week.

I have alot more questions, and totally appreciate all of your time and knowledge shared.

-Topwater

[blynch]

Heres my issue with a bigger rod in this situation- its going to be heavier.  Though you might lose alittle casting distance with a shorter stick, you will have more ability to work lures effectively without tiring.  I think a tsunami airwave rod (8ft) and a shimano spheros reel to match (5000 or 6000) is a light and fairly bidget-freindly way to go.

[Hotrod]

Welcome Top Water.  This is a great post.  and sure to be full a great information for you

[Jeffish]

Ive read about 3 books since the end of the fall run and most of them really only touched on brand names/ line capacity/ weight. besides the Van Stall (which is way outa my league).

All the books that I read are only trying to sell you their own poles, or poles from the sponsors. The "best" pole for me, will probably differ from the "best" pole for you. It all depends your style of fishing, and what you're fishing for.

I've gathered so much information from this website, it's just unreal. Here are a few nice topics for you to start with if you'd like to learn more about surf fishing, and some tips and tricks.

Reading The Sand: Ped579

Jigs, Rigs and Lures, How We Use Them: Hotrod

Striped Bass Tips: Catfish Hunter

[Bucktail]

All the books that I read are only trying to sell you their own poles, or poles from the sponsors. The "best" pole for me, will probably differ from the "best" pole for you.

Andy Griffith and Opie fished with "poles".  If it's got a reel and guides it's a "rod".

[ped579]

Lighten up BB,  Welcome to the site topwater.  There are many guys on here that will be jumping in so hang on and be ready to learn.  This site is the greatest site for gaining information about saltwater fishing.

I have fished IBSP for years and I consider it my back yard.  Your beat bet is to read the articles that Jeff mentioned and well just go out and keep at it.  I have brought many people out onto the sand and many are now pretty proficient at catching, but I have to warn you you will have to put in your time.

Learn how to read the beach, spend some time in the local B&T's and listen to the chatter from the locals.  The best tactic you can have is inside information.  The only way to gain that is to frequent this site or frequent your local Bait & Tackle shops.

The beach is a living thing and changes day to day, learning to know where to throw your offering is half the battle.  There is a lot of structure off the beach so be patient and you will be rewarded.

You will learn real fast that the best bait to use is what is in the suds.  Match the Hatch is a phrase used in saltwater as well as in fresh water fly fishing.  IBSP especially the southern end is full of clam beds off shore and when the weather gets snotty they litter the beach and when stripers are around well lets say you don't want to be using topwater plugs.

Again, welcome to the site and above all have fun.

Happy Catching

Paul

[Hotrod]

All the books that I read are only trying to sell you their own poles, or poles from the sponsors. The "best" pole for me, will probably differ from the "best" pole for you.

Andy Griffith and Opie fished with "poles".  If it's got a reel and guides it's a "rod".

[topwater]

Heres my issue with a bigger rod in this situation- its going to be heavier.  Though you might lose alittle casting distance with a shorter stick, you will have more ability to work lures effectively without tiring.  I think a tsunami airwave rod (8ft) and a shimano spheros reel to match (5000 or 6000) is a light and fairly bidget-freindly way to go.

Just checked out the Tsunami rod and Shimano reel, they are definately within range and got good reviews, Thanks! Cabelas carries the reel, but only the Tsunami Trophy series rod and they are on backorder ofcourse. So a reel that holds about 200-250 yds of 10-12 lb test mono would hold a little more of 20 lb Power Pro. And im just learning about the mono backing from another thread. Thanks for the info. There is a fishing flea market i heard about at the Silverton Fire house on Super bowl sunday, so I will put that info to use and see if i cant find a bargan.

[topwater]

Welcome Top Water.  This is a great post.  and sure to be full a great information for you

Thanks Hotrod, I think i received my welcome post from you. And i just got my NJ Saltwater Fishermans stickers from 'Irish Eyes'. So now all i need is a 4x4 to put it on, and a giant lineside on the end of my line!!! thank you both!

[topwater]

Ive read about 3 books since the end of the fall run and most of them really only touched on brand names/ line capacity/ weight. besides the Van Stall (which is way outa my league).

All the books that I read are only trying to sell you their own poles, or poles from the sponsors. The "best" pole for me, will probably differ from the "best" pole for you. It all depends your style of fishing, and what you're fishing for.

I've gathered so much information from this website, it's just unreal. Here are a few nice topics for you to start with if you'd like to learn more about surf fishing, and some tips and tricks.

Reading The Sand: Ped579

Jigs, Rigs and Lures, How We Use Them: Hotrod

Striped Bass Tips: Catfish Hunter

Thanks Jeff, I agree, I did learn a good deal from some of the books, but i also noticed alot of expensive gear talked about.

I will check out some of those threads, and I think thats what draws me to this sport the most, the ever changing and non stop education.

[topwater]

Lighten up BB,  Welcome to the site topwater.  There are many guys on here that will be jumping in so hang on and be ready to learn.  This site is the greatest site for gaining information about saltwater fishing.

I have fished IBSP for years and I consider it my back yard.  Your beat bet is to read the articles that Jeff mentioned and well just go out and keep at it.  I have brought many people out onto the sand and many are now pretty proficient at catching, but I have to warn you you will have to put in your time.

Learn how to read the beach, spend some time in the local B&T's and listen to the chatter from the locals.  The best tactic you can have is inside information.  The only way to gain that is to frequent this site or frequent your local Bait & Tackle shops.

The beach is a living thing and changes day to day, learning to know where to throw your offering is half the battle.  There is a lot of structure off the beach so be patient and you will be rewarded.

You will learn real fast that the best bait to use is what is in the suds.  Match the Hatch is a phrase used in saltwater as well as in fresh water fly fishing.  IBSP especially the southern end is full of clam beds off shore and when the weather gets snotty they litter the beach and when stripers are around well lets say you don't want to be using topwater plugs.

Again, welcome to the site and above all have fun.

Happy Catching

Paul

Ive read alot of your older posts, and learned alot too, I just cant wait to start applying some of it! Ive started to try to read the beach, mainly just throwing a lure (spoons, diamond jigs, deadly dicks) to where the water looks different, Im not to sure if its a cut, rip, or what, but it just looks different. I actually pulled in 3 shorts on a deadly dick ( my favorite so far ) the day before that big Nor Easter hit, but it was so windy and my line was all over the beach so im not sure what i hit to find those 3 little guys (beautiful fish by the way).

I just really enjoy being out on the Island, really feels like Im somewhere else in the world.

thanks again

[NJ Guy]

Lighten up BB,  Welcome to the site topwater.  There are many guys on here that will be jumping in so hang on and be ready to learn.  This site is the greatest site for gaining information about saltwater fishing.

I have fished IBSP for years and I consider it my back yard.  Your beat bet is to read the articles that Jeff mentioned and well just go out and keep at it.  I have brought many people out onto the sand and many are now pretty proficient at catching, but I have to warn you you will have to put in your time.

Learn how to read the beach, spend some time in the local B&T's and listen to the chatter from the locals.  The best tactic you can have is inside information.  The only way to gain that is to frequent this site or frequent your local Bait & Tackle shops.

The beach is a living thing and changes day to day, learning to know where to throw your offering is half the battle.  There is a lot of structure off the beach so be patient and you will be rewarded.

You will learn real fast that the best bait to use is what is in the suds.  Match the Hatch is a phrase used in saltwater as well as in fresh water fly fishing.  IBSP especially the southern end is full of clam beds off shore and when the weather gets snotty they litter the beach and when stripers are around well lets say you don't want to be using topwater plugs.

Again, welcome to the site and above all have fun.

Happy Catching

Paul

Ive read alot of your older posts, and learned alot too, I just cant wait to start applying some of it! Ive started to try to read the beach, mainly just throwing a lure (spoons, diamond jigs, deadly dicks) to where the water looks different, Im not to sure if its a cut, rip, or what, but it just looks different. I actually pulled in 3 shorts on a deadly dick ( my favorite so far ) the day before that big Nor Easter hit, but it was so windy and my line was all over the beach so im not sure what i hit to find those 3 little guys (beautiful fish by the way).

I just really enjoy being out on the Island, really feels like Im somewhere else in the world.

thanks again

the biggest thing ive learned about lures is that your essentially copying live bait so you need to copy the bait that is present in that particular region or season for example sand eels or bunker ect ect ect...if there is sand eels covering the beach then the stripers are eating sand eels so cast those metals with teasers

[ped579]

Just a hint for right now if you go out.  Get some salted clams and a hi lo rig with 3/0 or 4/0 hooks, cut the clams into small pieces and look for a cut and have fun.

The water is cold now and the stripers are only looking for scraps that are there for the offering.  Their metabolism rate is very slow and being so they are looking for small stuff that will not take long to digest or chase.

There are hold overs around just think small and you should be okay.

Happy Catching

Paul

[blynch]

hmm that capacity does seem alittle small for surf fishing... it probably pays to check out a larger one (8000 or 9000 possibly?) before ulling the trigger.  Strangely, the 8000 series spheros equates to about a 5000 or 6000 series stradic

[topwater]

Thanks guys, I was always told that fisherman are tough to get info out of, this forum is awesome for me since I am really the only one in my fam / freinds experimenting in saltwater striper surf fishing to this degree.

Those were my next questions.

How does one identify what bait is in the area?

I have heard that the fall run starts with the Spanish Mackerel showing up in late summer, correct me if Im wrong, or if IBSP is the exception. With that said, is there different times of year for different types of bait to show up?

And for a reel, should i shoot more for approx 300 yds of 20lb braid (8 lb mono equiv) capacity?

[topwater]

Just a hint for right now if you go out.  Get some salted clams and a hi lo rig with 3/0 or 4/0 hooks, cut the clams into small pieces and look for a cut and have fun.

The water is cold now and the stripers are only looking for scraps that are there for the offering.  Their metabolism rate is very slow and being so they are looking for small stuff that will not take long to digest or chase.

There are hold overs around just think small and you should be okay.

Happy Catching

Paul

Nice! just got some 'hi-low' rigs in my xmas stocking from the wife! what a woman!!! she knew that i would need them before i did! (atleast the guy at the tackle shop did anyway) ha!

To describe what i think a rip is: An area of the beach where the sand is further back and turbulent water is being pulled out to sea creating white water around or past the breakers?

[NJ Guy]

Thanks guys, I was always told that fisherman are tough to get info out of, this forum is awesome for me since I am really the only one in my fam / freinds experimenting in saltwater striper surf fishing to this degree.

Those were my next questions.

How does one identify what bait is in the area?

I have heard that the fall run starts with the Spanish Mackerel showing up in late summer, correct me if Im wrong, or if IBSP is the exception. With that said, is there different times of year for different types of bait to show up?

And for a reel, should i shoot more for approx 300 yds of 20lb braid (8 lb mono equiv) capacity?

Interesting question but in my opinion not really labeled to a calender as far as one bait this month this bait the other month for example...

When you show up at the beach and walk out in the water a little bit if you see alot of sand eels
then its good to work a lure that is similar in nature because this is probably what the stripers are naturally feeding on at this time

Then again if you show up to the beach and see birds diving into the water just off shore or what have you then they are usually following schools of baitfish probably peanut bunker or snapper blues these schools are mostly followed by bluefish and stripers. This means crack out the lures and or live bait.

Last example if the particular beach you are on is covered is sitting on a clam bed off shore then the fish there will naturally feed on clams.


Hope this was helpful always try to replicate whats naturally occuring in there inviroment

[Hotrod]

Here are some Good Tips From Capt John.
REEL FUN SPORT FISHNG

Capt. John's Fishing Tips....

Striped Bass Fishing Tips:

The current New Jersey Striped Bass regulations are 2 fish @ 28" or greater per angler. No closed season from 0-3 miles from shore.

We usually start out clamming for spring Stripers and then as soon as the bunker arrive, we will switch over to chunking. Sometimes we troll Stretch 25's on braided line throughout the bay which can be productive too. Last spring, trolling the 25's was very productive along the Reach. Chunking bunker is a great way to catch Stripers and everyone gets to participate. In the fall, we fish for Stripers using eels as bait while drifting area such as the "Rip" at the tip of Sandy Hook, Sandy Hook Channel and other "striper hangouts" stored on my GPS..

Tips:

1- "Chunking" To catch the really big Stripers, our bait of choice are "bunker heads", using the remainder of the fish cut into small chunks for chunking. Discard the tails! To catch "fresh" bunker, our most effective way is to throw a cast net. Our 10' Calusa net sinks really fast in waters up to 10 feet. One good cast and you have enough bunker for a full days trip and more. We will also throw a weighted treble hook and "snag" bunker too. We like to hook the bait (head) through the gill plate so that the head lays facing an oncoming Striper. Remember, Stripers swallow the bait head first as they don't have teeth and can swallow the head for an easy pickup. We use a 24" long leader tied to a 6/0 to 9/0 circle hook on a fishfinder rig and cast the head away from the stern of the boat and fish our reels in "free spool" and the clicker on until pickup.

2- "Clamming" is also another very successful way to catch Stripers. A bushel bag of "sea clams" is usually enough for a 4 man trip for a couple of hours. Anchor up around clam beds or wherever you "mark" fish and chum using cracked clams as bait. Put 4 - 5 clams in a bucket and break them up with a hard object (baseball bat) and then add some sea water to make a soupy mixture. Then disperse this mixture in the water around the boat....works great. Shuck another clam for your hook making sure you impale the clam on the hook securely through the belly first and then through the tongue of the clam. We make it a habit of using 24" long leaders with a fishfinder rig and cast the clam bait away from the stern of the boat and fish our reels in "free spool" and the clicker on until pickup. DON"T set the hook in the normal way with circle hooks, just lock the reel. We use 6/0-9/0 Gamakatsu circle hooks exclusively......more hookups, and less wasted fish.

3-Trolling Stretch 25's- Trolling Stretch 25 deep diving lures from Mann's products can be very successful if you use some common sense and some very easy techniques. It might take you a few trips to get the hang of it, but learning this technique will pay off in the end.

First of all, I like using med-heavy 7-8' rods that have a moderate taper. Couple that with a conventional level wind reel (we use Penn's 320 GT2's) but the choice of reel is up to you. There are numerous makers of really good level wind reels that you have available to you in whatever price range to fit your budget.

First, we load our reels with about 1/4 spool of mono backing, then using a loop to loop connection, fill the remainder of your reel with 40 lb braid line. Once again, the choice of braid is up to you, but I really like either Stren or Suffix products as they are a very supple braid. At the end of your braid, add a good high quality barrel swivel (I love the 80-100 lb. Psunami Pro) and then attach about a 6-8 ft. shot of 40-50 lb. leader tied to another high quality snap swivel. Now attach your Stretch 25 to your snap swivel and you're ready to go. Trolling speeds are crucial to success as anyone who trolls bunker spoons will tell you. I've found that a good speed for my boat is around 2-3 kts. You know that your lure is doing its thing when your rod tip is pulsating rapidly as you won't see the slower pulsation that a bunker spoon gives you. Drop the lure into the water and feed out enough line until you just start to dig into the sandy bottom and then crank in 5-6 turns of the reel. You should be trolling in 25-30 feet of water and NO MORE! Any deeper and your Stretch's will be swimming out of the strike zone of the Bass. Remember.....BIG Stripers feed almost exclusively within 5' of the bottom. (If you want proof of this, get you hands on the video "Stripers Gone Wild" and then you'll know why) If you decide that you want to troll Stretch 25's in deeper water you can always add an egg sinker to the braid line just before the barrel swivel to get it down deeper. A 2,3,or 4oz. egg sinker will work wonders getting that lure to the depth you want. I've had better success trolling "with the current" than against it. But that's me so experiment and see what works for you. Good Luck........

REEL FUN SPORT FISHNG

[topwater]

Thanks guys, I was always told that fisherman are tough to get info out of, this forum is awesome for me since I am really the only one in my fam / freinds experimenting in saltwater striper surf fishing to this degree.

Those were my next questions.

How does one identify what bait is in the area?

I have heard that the fall run starts with the Spanish Mackerel showing up in late summer, correct me if Im wrong, or if IBSP is the exception. With that said, is there different times of year for different types of bait to show up?

And for a reel, should i shoot more for approx 300 yds of 20lb braid (8 lb mono equiv) capacity?

Interesting question but in my opinion not really labeled to a calender as far as one bait this month this bait the other month for example...

When you show up at the beach and walk out in the water a little bit if you see alot of sand eels
then its good to work a lure that is similar in nature because this is probably what the stripers are naturally feeding on at this time

Then again if you show up to the beach and see birds diving into the water just off shore or what have you then they are usually following schools of baitfish probably peanut bunker or snapper blues these schools are mostly followed by bluefish and stripers. This means crack out the lures and or live bait.

Last example if the particular beach you are on is covered is sitting on a clam bed off shore then the fish there will naturally feed on clams.


Hope this was helpful always try to replicate whats naturally occuring in there inviroment

Thanks PA Guy,

Identifying what bait is around is something i need to work on. and Im waiting for the day i get to witness and hopeufully partake in a blitz! Or atleast see some bird activity. ( Ive only been to the beach a handfull of times and have yet to see anything like that)

[ped579]

Keep at it and your dream will come true.

As for fishing from the surf there are a few baits to have while your are out there when you are not sure what is in the suds.  Clams are the bait of choice most of the time, followed by bunker chunks, mullet and then the list goes on from there.

You can not go wrong with them especially if the stripers are running in the Spring.  One thing to remember Blues like the tail and stripers like the head.  So with that said I think the bait I have most of my luck on is the lowley clam.

Happy Catching

Paul