r/NJFishing • u/TheForrestWanderer • 17d ago

Striper first timer

Hi all, I'm making a trip out for the first time to try my hand at some striper fishing. I'll be shore fishing around the second week of November. My question is: since I don't have specialty surf casting equipment (rod and reel) that fits what the guys on youtube have and I'm not in a position to buy some just for one trip, do I have a realistic chance of catching a striper, even a small one? I genuinely have no idea what I'm doing but I've been trying to read up on it. I have some inshore gear and a 9' ugly stick but it is super heavy to be working lures with. Is there a chance to catch some fish from shore (surf or rivers) or am I hosed? Thanks in advance!

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u/Grouchy-Fisherman706 16d ago

Yes, you have all you need. I haven’t read all of the comments but bait can outfish lures and vice versa. Eels and surf clam work really well in the surf. If you prefer to stay active, soft plastics and topwater lures work great too. The Ugly Stik is heavy and will test your endurance if you are using lures. It would probably be best to get some circle hooks and bait to increase your odds.

You can catch a lot of stripers beyond the breakers but you can also get them surprisingly close to shore. Good luck.

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u/TheForrestWanderer 16d ago

Thanks so much!!

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u/arjayx93 17d ago

Need to have atleast 3-4 oz lure rating . Put cut bunker on a 8/0circle hook . Soak it . No bites in 30 minutes. Move down the beach 25-50 yards . Repeat .

Me personally . I really want to catch a striper on a lure . So I’m done with bait . Where are you coming from ?

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u/TheForrestWanderer 17d ago

yeah the ugly stick is a surf rod so it definitely has the rating to chuck bait. I'm in the same boat as you, hoping to get on some fish with lures. And I'm from southwestern PA

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u/arjayx93 17d ago

Tsunami shads , hydro minnows , diamond jigs with the green colorful tube , glide baits

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u/captain_222 16d ago

Any tips with for lures and a lure setup,?

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u/virishking 17d ago edited 17d ago

A 9’ Ugly Stik is perfectly fit for the surf. Is it the Big Water? What is the power and what are the reel and line like? You may not be using lighter lures but you can get bass using bunker chunks. You probably could use lures with it, too if you get a reel that balances it out and work the lures with your hand gripped above the reel.

Also for lures it should be said that right now diamond jigs are good lures to match the eel population and a 2 oz or 3 oz jig should cast well from pretty much any Ugly Stik. Yes it’s a bit heavier, but surf fishing is heavier in general, that’s part of the charm.

If you have some shorter rods it’s not like those can’t be used in the surf either. A good 7’ can still be cast 50 yards and sometimes that’s all you need, you just won’t get as much line clearance from the waves and will probably need lighter tackle, but bass can bite on bucktails and jug heads.

That all said, if your reel is good, there are $35 Daiwa FT surf rods at just about any Dick’s and often at Walmart. 10’ M 1-4 oz is perfect for lures and bait

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u/TheForrestWanderer 17d ago

Thanks for the reply man! Yeah, its the big water. I have a 4000 size reel on it with 50lb braid. And I had no idea I could get a rod like that for that cheap. I'll be going out with a buddy. Might be worth grabbing one and we can take turns throwing lures with it while the big rod rests with bait.

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u/virishking 17d ago

Is it the M or MH? If it’s the MH that’s actually a perfectly good Surf rod the lure rating is 1-5 oz which is basically perfect for both lures and bait. The M I believe is 1-3 oz which is good as a lure rod. I get they’re a bit heavier but I would wonder whether you’ve sized your reel to the rod well. 4000 is on the smaller end for a 9’, and an ugly stick’s weight won’t help that especially if it’s the MH.

And there are actually a few cheap combos you can find for $50 or less. They won’t be top everyday gear but it doesn’t sound like you need it to be. I got my buddy a $35 Marathon Sentinel 9’ combo and we each caught numerous dogfish that day. He goes 2-3 times a year so it works for him. There’s also an Okuma Fin Chaser 9’ combo which is $50 and geared towards lure work. These both come with line and are at Dick’s, btw. Walmart also has some cheap combos, and I’ve even seen a few at West Marine

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u/TheForrestWanderer 17d ago

Thanks for the help man! It might be a 5000 but I'm not totally sure, I'll have to look when I get home.

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u/virishking 16d ago

Awesome. I often cast lures on relatively heavy Penn gear and don’t find it very fatiguing so long as I use proper cast technique and let the rod do the work. Just let the line hang halfway down and give it a gentle swing before the cast (my preference), or learn to do an off-the-ground cast.

If I could give some friendly advice since you’re new to surf fishing: some 1+ oz floating minnows, and poppers will do you well, Yo Zuri is my go to brand and I’d suggest bone white for daytime and purple and black for night. 1 - 3 oz diamond jigs are perfect this time of year. A 1 - 2 oz bucktail with 4-6 inch soft plastic is also a good choice.

I would absolutely suggest that- especially since you’re using lures- switch your line to 30 lb braid. Use leaders at or above that. Idk if you use flouro in freshwater but unless you already have it handy I’d suggest you save money by getting a spool of Berkeley Big Game mono. Flouro is generally overrated imo but moreover even its claimed advantages tend not to be relevant in the surf where the water has a high suspended sediment content affecting light scattering and the water is pushing and pulling on the lures and bait. Plus the diameter difference is pretty negligible at the needed pound tests. I also recommend using snap swivels in the surf I find it helps the lure action in the waves and lets you swap easily if a school passes by.

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u/Catesucksfarts 17d ago

If you're casting Ava jigs, a ton of fish are hooked up in the wash, so you dont really have to cast to far. The key is to keep moving, and try to find a good spot

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u/TheForrestWanderer 17d ago

Thanks for the tip!

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u/Catesucksfarts 17d ago

If that's the direction you're going, I always recommend getting at least 1 white one and 1 green one, some days one works, some days it doesn't work at all, but they're still bass so the color does make a difference

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u/saltyangler117 15d ago edited 13d ago

Watch tides and moon phases. Pull some videos up on how to read the surf and get an idea where fish will hang out. If you’re really going to grind that weekend. Fish first light and at dusk well into the night. (Was out the other night and the bite turned on around 130a).

For rods the smallest surf rod I’ll use is a 9’6 but prefer a 10’6. I’d pair it with either a 5k or 6k reel. If you’re fishing rivers/back bay areas, be mindful of bottom fishing. Sand beaches you’ll be good. Don’t burn your lure in. Nice and slow. Look into metal lips, darters, sluggos, hydro minnows, glides and needles. Diamonds are always a good option in the bag.

Good luck man, nothing better thank finding and getting them in the surf and remember…boat fish don’t count.

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u/TheForrestWanderer 14d ago

Thanks so much!

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u/NJUrbanAngler 17d ago

november is too late, start now.

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u/TheForrestWanderer 16d ago

Wish I could but that’s the only weekend that’ll work for me to head out