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The surf is alive, the foam lines are loud, and the biggest stripers of the season are sliding into casting range. We invited Bayside Dave to dig into a land-based masterclass: how to read Long Beach Island’s sandbars, troughs, and rip seams, and how to choose baits and lures that turn those spots into steady hookups. Whether you fish beaches, jetties, inlet edges, or bayside docks, this guide puts you exactly where the fish want to feed.

We start with structure: spotting the whitewater that marks a bar, identifying the darker “hole,” and finding the openings where current and food funnel together. Then we get surgical with timing and placement—why casting to the bar tip and trough mouth out-produces bombing the second bar, and how many big bass eat shockingly close, even in ankle-deep water. For bait, we break down bunker heads and chunks, salted clams, and mullet pieces, plus practical drag and sinker tips that stop your rig from skating and keep circle hooks pinning cleanly.

Artificial addicts get a full spread: half- to one-ounce bucktails with trailers for the lower column, SP minnows and Hydro minnows for midwater, and mag darters when you need that hunting wobble. On top, we swear by Tsunami Talking Poppers and bottle poppers for explosive eats after the pause. Metals have their moment when sand eels stack—diamond jigs with a sand eel teaser above, and Hopkins for speed and lift. We also cover metal lips in inlet current: cast across the flow, feed line, and let the plug swim itself tight to the rocks.

We finish with fish care that actually matters: surfing fish in with the wave, supporting big bass horizontally, and reviving forward—never backward—until they kick strong. If you’re eyeing the LBI Surf Fishing Classic, we hit rules, prizes, and land-based access points. Fall run surf fishing rewards anglers who read energy and fish the first ten yards with intent. Subscribe, share with a buddy who needs more tight lines this season, and drop your confidence lure in the comments—what gets you bit when the surf is churning?

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