Keeping Things Simple in the Early Going

A Cocahoe on a jighead lured this
schoolie.

By now, it is safe to say a lot of fish, all schoolies, have been caught along the oceanfront. Certainly, the number of fishermen has increased also. I'll be hitting the Bay this week in search of fish there.
My son, Jon, made a comment the other night that holds true about early spring striper fishing.  He told me that it seems like just about anyone (beginner as well as expert) can catch them at this time of year. Yes, it is that simple.  Snap on a Cocahoe on a jighead and cast away.  If the fish are there, you are going to catch them. It will get a lot more complicated in the coming weeks as the fish get larger and more picky, but for now, everbody's an expert.

Shrimp fly teasers will get as many
fish as the jig.

My advice is to keep things simple in the early going.  Stock the surf bag with a variety of jigs and jigheads along with plastics.  Cocahoes are hot along the oceanfront; Zoom flukes are hot in the Bay. Teasers are also good along the oceanfront and will catch as many schoolies as the jig.  I like the shrimp fly teaser. I also stocked my bag with a number of small plugs. I put in small swimmers, small poppers and a few Rebel Jumpin' Minnows.  The plugs will work in late April in the Bay from shore and boat. I might even put in a few Slug-Gos that will work at the very end of April for larger fish when the water warms up into the 50's.