Go-to Surf lures

[Water_boy]

I came across this article and thought it was excellent. This is geared for Stripers in the Northeast but for anyone getting started this would be a great starting point fo what to put in your surf bag. I would also add the yo-zuri crystal minnow in the medium and large size, and a jar of Uncle Josh pork rinds in red to go on the bucktail. Also a Red Gill to use as a teaser in front of almost any of these lures.


Bag It

Any angler who works the striper surf knows the biggest challenge can be deciding what lures to lug to the beach. our expert shares his opinion after 40 years in the suds.

July 1, 2006
By John Merwin (More articles by this author)
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SHOULDER WEAPON: Don't head for the surf without these lures.
Photo: Carlos AlayoSurf bags are standard equip-ment in striper country from Maine to Hatteras, as well as on the West Coast. They range from small and simple belt pouches that carry three or four lures, to mammoth, triple-row tackle bags.
Simpler is better. After 40 years of pounding sand along the striper coast, I've settled on a single-row bag that holds a dozen or so lures. Such a bag is light enough to carry all night without fatigue, and can be counted on for grab-and-go success in the surf. The trick, of course, is in stocking a bag with lures that produce.
The contents of my bag may change slightly, as I reload it from stock boxes in my truck depending on location, tide and the rod I'll be casting. But the lures shown here are almost always in my bag in one form or another, as they have produced fish consistently for years.
THE A-TEAM
All of the lures shown here are available from major manufacturers. I often change out a factory rear treble hook with a bucktail-dressed, Siwash single hook to give the lure more wiggle and simplify releasing fish. I also sometimes replace factory treble hooks with heavy-duty split rings and VMC 9626PS trebles, which are stronger and sharper out of the box.
SWIMMING PLUG

Photo: Carlos Alayo
The Bomber Long A (www.bomberlures.com) is the bread-and-butter choice among plastic swimming plugs. The all-black version is stock and essential after dark.
SWIMMING PLUG

Photo: Carlos Alayo
The yellow, "chicken scratch," Bomber Long A is a favorite at dawn and dusk, and does an admirable job when the mullet are running in the suds.
BOTTLE PLUG

Photo: Carlos Alayo
These rear-weighted swimming plugs have a nice, easy wiggle and cast like rockets. This is a Super Strike Little Neck Deep Swimmer (www.superstrikelures.com). It's often my first choice when fishing into the wind on deeper beaches after dark.
NEEDLEFISH

Photo: Carlos Alayo
This lure (Gibbs; www.gibbslures.com) ranks as one of the best possible plugs for big bass in the fall, especially at night. I fish needles in various colors more often than anything else.
NEEDLEFISH

Photo: Carlos Alayo
This yellow needle is by John "Habs" Haberek (www.habscustomplugs.com). Effective when paired with a dropper, cast it out and retrieve s-l-o-w-l-y. A relative newcomer, it has quickly gained a reputation as a big-fish slayer.
DARTER

Photo: Carlos Alayo
Another classic, darters are especially popular around Montauk. They work best in moving water, such as a tide rip or inlet. This version is a Super Strike Zig Zag. Black-and-purple is a hot color for night work.
DANNY SWIMMER

Photo: Carlos Alayo
Fat, metal-lipped swimmers are traditional plugs for big bass, day or night. This is a Gibbs Danny Surface Swimmer. Tune the lure by bending the lip, the eye or both up or down as desired, so the plug trails a surface wake.
BUCKTAILS

Photo: Carlos Alayo
It's the most basic of all striper lures. I prefer Smiling Bill-style bucktails and usually carry a few in various sizes. Anglers often fish them with a porkrind or soft-plastic trailer, but bass sometimes show a distinct preference for unadorned bucktails.
POLARIS-STYLE POPPER

Photo: Carlos Alayo
A daytime plug for both stripers and bluefish, I use this lure most often when fishing in a stiff crosswind. The plug's cupped face digs into the surface well and keeps the wind from dragging both the line and plug out of control.
STORM SHAD

Photo: John Keller / Cliff Gardiner
These boot-tail-style soft-plastics (Storm Lures; www.stormlures.com) with an integral jighead have taken the striper world by storm, so to speak. Carry a pack with you always. They work anywhere but produce best in deep or moving water.
DROPPERS

Photo: Carlos Alayo
Once in a while I fish a dropper (an unweighted streamer fly) ahead of a plug. This works well if there are plenty of Twinkie-size bass around, or if larger fish are on small bait. White, yellow and black (for after dark) work best.
PENCIL POPPER

Photo: Carlos Alayo
One of the all-time greatest surface lures, pencil poppers are just plain indispensable. When worked correctly, the plug darts and dances in a surface frenzy while remaining almost in the same spot, but can be difficult to fish in a crosswind.
HEAVY TIN

Photo: Carlos Alayo
One of the great "tins," the Kastmaster (Acme Tackle; www.acmetackle.com) is actually plated brass. It casts like a bullet, even into a headwind, and is especially useful for extreme distances. And, yes, it also works at night.
LIGHT TIN

Photo: Carlos Alayo
A slim tin with a tight wobble, Deadly Dicks take both bass and blues (Deadly Dick Classic Lures; www.deadlydicklures.com). I mostly carry them in case bonito or false albacore show up near the beach within casting range.
EXTRAS
Photo: Carlos AlayoINSECT REPELLENT
Salt-marsh mosquitoes are the world's nastiest.
PLIERS

Photo: Manfred Koh
I most often use cheap, stainless, long-nosed versions because I keep losing the expensive ones.

Photo: Carlos AlayoSNAPS AND SWIVELS
I use a variety, but carry large snap-swivel combos for fishing metal-lipped swimmers.

Photo: Carlos AlayoLEADER MATERIAL
Always carry a couple of spools. I use 40- to 60-pound test for leaders and 20- to 30-pound test for droppers.

Photo: Carlos AlayoMEDICAL TAPE
I wrap the index finger of my casting hand for protection when using heavy spinning tackle.

Photo: Carlos AlayoSUNBLOCK
Had any cancerous lumps removed from your skin lately?
FLASHLIGHT

Photo: Carlos Alayo
I hate headlamps, however fashionable, because they're hard to direct properly and someone else's tends to shine into my eyes when they turn to talk. A simple, small flashlight on a neck cord works better for less money.

[Fishman]

Nicely done just a few things more to think about.

[Water_boy]

I've never tried the needlefish type lures but I hear a lot of good things about them so I'm going to give it a try this year. Other than that I have at least one of the rest of the lures in my box(s) plus a bunch of other crap. I'm surprised they don't list the Yo-zuri Crystal minnow in the top 10 but there are probably a bunch of other lures they could have added to the list.

[h2oboss]

All great choices and classics. I used to do a good bit of surf fishing, jetty fishing now more like once or twice a year...I would add the following
1.a small head lamp that clips onto the bill of your hat
2.a few jig heads with a 4" or 6" grub or shad
3. strip of measuring tape and a small lenght of 1/8 rope to carry your fish
4.black sharpie marker, I've caught some real nice flounder, trout and stripers with a shad or grub that was working great at evening/dusk but turned off as sun set. I colored the entire lure black and started tearing them up again....I add some smelly jelly or other attractant too.