The Hunt For Big Fish with Larry Dahlberg

One of the best outdoors show on Versus. Being a novice, the lessons on lure/rig building are a plus!
I plan on surf fishing as much as possible this year. I live in New Jersey, and have many spots along the coast (Island Beach State Park, Sandy Hook,ect.) to target Stripers.
As I stated, I'm a novice and need all the help I can get to be successfull. I have always (like yourself) enjoyed the action of topwater, and would love to hear your suggestions. Basically, what bait/lures/rigs, would you have in your arsenal, and what techniques would you use? Thank You!
Steve

IBSP is great for stripers and blues, I'd suggest pencil popers and bucktails.. The weakfish on the back-side of the hook like small crankbaits and surface plugs and dont forget about your soft plastics.. Larry I'm not sure if this is cool or not to suggest another website but it has a very active plug building forum and is primarily NJ firshermen... www.thebassbarn.com

To be honest fresh surf clam will outfish any plug or artificial every spring and fall, might even get a big black drum on the clam. fishfinder rig 50lb Florocarbon and an 8/0 hook. Find some calmer water between some breakers a nice slew, or down by the getty

Hi R
I'm flattered you ask, but I'm sure there are lots of guys on this forum who have much more experience with stripers than I and are in tune with your area as well! Hopefully a few will weigh in!
Glad you enjoy the show.
best
L

A "Whopper Flopper" Mr. D where can i get one? But with a 2.5" body and 2" tail...redhead w/white body and white tail or all chartreuse, maybe an even smaller one about 3"long all pink for the weakfish.

Watching the muskie shows reminds me of fishing for big chain pickerel as a kid, I love those fish...

Unfortuately a lot of the guys around here who make their own are making them out of wood..

Visited the Tackle direct store in Somers Pt today and saw these... I should of taken more pictures I like the one on the far left...

http://i825.photobucket.com/albums/zz17 ... /plugs.jpg

I reccomend three lures to customers who are just starting out. These plugs are easy to use, catch, and are cheap. redfin swimmer, bucktail jigs, and a polaris poppers.

I don't make it down to Jersey often (I'm not a huge fan of their fishery). But jump into a local club or tackle shop to ask more questions, and book a guide, or just beg them until they take you out. You learn more on the water with an experienced angler than you could ever learn on a website.

To JRisapirate,
Thank You for your suggestions. I'll put them to good use.
Larry, thank you for your honesty, and you're right, I recieved a lot of suggestions and help!
Steve

If you wanted to try a plastic lure you could always copy a Mann's Stretch 25 or Stretch 10...

Since its Jersey Stripers here are a couple caught this fall...
http://i825.photobucket.com/albums/zz17 ... ct2609.jpg
http://i825.photobucket.com/albums/zz17 ... cher-1.jpg

Mann's stretch's can be a great lure but I wouldn't recommend slinging them from the surf.

The 10's work well from the getties, but you are correct I would not stand on the beach and sling one...I forgot he was talking about surf fishing..

Hey Steve. I live on Long Island and am an absolute striper fanatic. When fishing the open beach in the daylight it's hard to beat a big pencil popper once you've learned to fish it correctly. Much easier to fish is the big Super Strike popper and it can be absolutely deadly. In the dark switch over to darters and bottle plugs. Again the Super Strikes are hard to beat. When fishing rips in an inlet then go with bucktails or soft shads, simply adjust the weight to the current. My favorite bait in an inlet is the Tsunami 7" soft shad in the bunker pattern. Simply cast uptide and allow the bait to settle and then work it back throgh the rip. Work the bait as slow as you can while still having it swim correctly. You will know it's swimming correctly because you will be able to feel it "shake" as it comes back against the tide. Of course you can't go wrong with eels either rigged or live. Your striper success will improve dramatically if you fish the night tides. If you're ever on the island let me know and I'll help you out in any way I can. Surf guys around here are pretty secretive and I'm no exception. Seeing as you are from Jersey however, and are unlikely to show up on my favorite rock during my favorite tide, I'd be more than happy to show you what has worked for me. Best of luck. Take care, John.

Eels from the sod banks and getties are deadly but can be a nightmare as well. The above striper picture from the boat was caught on an eel i think you can still see it hanging out of its mouth. If you decide to try them from the banks or from the getty I'd recomend hooking them about two inches up from the tail this will help prevent it from balling up..Just remember you'll need to give it extra time to take the whole bait since the hook isn't in its mouth. If you want to catch more than you cast just remember Fresh in the shell Clam..

Hey jr......I see you are from AC.....I'm right down the coast in courthouse.........great advice for the newbie, he should do well. Can't ever beat fresh from the shell surf turkeys...it's all i ever fish exept early spring river fishing, that's when i feed em the big bloods...as the season progresses, i'll fish 2 rigs,with one clam, and one bloods to see which one they want...by mid april it's all clam usually.(and pretty much back in the surf)...hopefully we'll meet up one day.........my screen name is also my boat's name so if you see me call out...............

I use to live behind Atkinsons bar!

Bloods are what we are using now. This year I'm going to try a double hook rig I've been messing with for the early season when they aren't woofing it down. Its a copy from a nightcrawer rig i saw a dicks...we'll see..

this new moon should start the Herring run up and then its game on for me..

Read a report that there were a couple bluefish weighed in also..

Just need the weather to cooperate.

Bluefish!? Holy Cow! try the double rig, it's a good deal......it's what i use on one rod and a single on the other when wormin them.........double always seems to be just a little better when they are on it, but when they are picky, stay with the single with a longer leader.....i wanted to hit it today, but i'm kinda flooded in here........maybe up the bay tomorrow....we'll see

Today? Its blowing 30 and gusting up near 60...ha. just sitting here watching branches break and my neighbors trash cans roll down the street..

As long as it isnt raining I'll be out tomorrow..

i don't mind the rain and wind as long as i can get there and back ok...........but today i'm kinda stuck...... some of my best spring days were alot like today! Got the gear, got the desire.......but it's pretty gnarly out there.... and my house is flooded in, not to mention the roads to where i want to fish up the bay.................

Caught the first Striper of the year Saturday, while perch fishing.. the big boat should be done this week. Game on..

white bass are running up the neuse river. i cought 3 mon. the striper will be up soon. good luck this year. LIVE TO FISH, Will

The bite is on.. 6 on Sat 2 yesterday, my buddy had 13 biggest at 44"