Who's ready for Spring??

[Hookmanski]

I know I am! Just organized all my saltwater lures and tackle and filled up my new plug bag yesterday. Can't wait til the water gets a bit warmer and the fishing really turns on!

I know spring time is associated with bait fishing, but bait and wait fishing has never really been my thing. What's your favorite spring time lure? Mine might have to be a bucktail or deadly dick just because they catch so many different species.

Hoping this year we'll have some more surf/shore reports on the site. I know its been a struggle for a lot of people the past few years and spot burning is definitely a thing but as a mostly landlocked non-boatowner I always love reading the posts from the surf guys.

Tight lines and a goos spring season to everyone!

[Jigman13]

big ass surface poppers, metal lips, gliders and hydro minnows... save the bucktails and deadly dicks for the fall run unless you're swinging bucktails around bridges...

[krob8979]

My man, pot and pans. I personally can't wait. I like you Hook am a non-boat onwer, so surf is what I do. I'll be posting a lot more this year as I plan on fishing a lot more this year. Tight lines to all and be safe out there.

[torchee]

I'll be losing sleep from now until May. I may even try tonight. I have a friend who scored some fish up to 26" down Barnegat Bay area.... But I think I'll try Raritan Bay first.


Last year SP minnow caught me some beautiful early season keepers. Even when the bass bite daytime is on worms/clams - I find some hungry keepers in the dark hanging around bunker that'll take a swimming plug - slow and low.

[WhaleFart]

Spring is a fun run on the beach, I will fish lures exclusively if bait is present in the surf zone (bunker). Like above, big pencils, metal lips, and darters have put some solid fish on the sand for me over the years.

I will say, in may/June, i have done very very well fishing with fresh bunker chunks, this is NOT a bait and wait game, this is fishing cuts on the beach, no sand spikes, no multiple rods, just cast the chunk out, if nothing happens in 25min, walk down to the next hole or cut. Very similar to lure fishing. However bluefish can clean you out of bait if they are thick, and sometimes they only want meat and lures won’t get them to commit so it’s part of the game, but of course fun.

I’ve also landed a number of MASSIVE rough tail rays in June fishing this way, that fight will make any bass/bluefish look like a sunfish.

[Gerry Zagorski]

So ready I can actually taste it and clocks go an hour forward Monday for more daylight

You got some great suggestions above for spring lures... Why not do both, throw your lure and set up a bait pole in a sand spike. This time of year blood or sandworms or clams.

PS if fishing Raritan Bay from the shore at this time of year, we always did better an hour plus or minus from high tide. As far as Bunker, you may see them but the fish seem to ignore them until the water warms up. They'll start to hit chunks first as the early spring wears on. This year is unusually warm so I'd definitely bring a snag cause you never know...

Go get'um and make us proud