Spring Run Striper Essentials: Surfcasters
When March 1st rolls around, everyone has "striper brain" the only thing they're thinking about is going out and getting on the board for the new striper season. Of course before you can even think about catching a striper, you need to get your gear ready. As a dedicated fishermen who never misses a season for any species, I'm going to "spill the beans" on some go-to setups and lures every angler should have in their arsenal.
Let's talk rods first, based off where you're fishing this spring they'll differ. For this post, I'll be talking to the surfcasters, boat fishermen will soon follow. My rod size of choice is a 9 footer, usually I'm fishing rivers and backwaters so I don't need my 10 footer to bomb plugs past a sandbar like I would during the fall run. Rods to choose from that are all available at Tackle World would include but not limited to: Jigging World Onyx Surf, ODM DNA Surf Rods, Tsunami SaltX or Forged Surf Rods, and if you liked the Daiwa Blackline, you can preorder the new 2026 Blackline rod series from us.
Reel selection is another big factor for when it comes to spring run fishing. Spinning reels in the 5000 size is my weapon of choice. Pairing the rod to your reel is all about comfort and balance. You don't want to under or over power your setup as this can affect your fishing negatively. Getting to the shop talk, my reel of choice for my 9 foot rod is a Van Staal VSX 150 and for my 10 foot rod I use a VSX 200 which I would recommend for the spring because there's big fish around, stronger currents, and a stronger reel can get a fish in faster if you're shoulder to shoulder with anglers. Other reel options I'd highly recommend from Tackle World includes the Shimano Saragosa, Tsunami Salt X, Penn Battle DX, and you can take advantage of our VR sales event where you can get 20% off any Van Staal VR model reel. Let us spool you up while you're here and you're one step closer to catching a spring run cow.
Now my favorite part to discuss, the lures you should be throwing for stripers this spring run. Every angler has their go-to lures a lot of them 'ole faithfuls' that have caught so many fish they should be retired from the plug bag. The first lure that pops in my head when I think spring is the Tsunami Tidal Pro Twitchbait, I have so many of these and have caught so many fish on them, including the main image for this post. They perfectly imitate a bunker baitfish and rattle too, riling up those striper to strike. Like all twitchbaits, retrieving them and giving a little twitch makes them act like a wounded baitfish in the water, like a bunker that has just been tailsmacked by a striper circling back to give its final blow. Another must have is the SuperStrike Darter, the model lure to throw when you're fishing strong current, which a lot of these spring run spots have. A Yo-Zuri Mag Darter is another feature to your plug bag, this is something I traditionally throw first to see if there's any fish around at my secret spots. Your biggest goal when it comes to lure hunting is to 'match the hatch' and when the bait is bunker, you want bigger lures to match that action and profile.
Now that the beans have been spilt, its time to come see us and stock up! See you soon!
