During the early morning or evening in the spring & summer or anytime during the fall is an excellent time to find a good shoreline fishing location on a beach or jetty to cast artificial lures for predatory species. Fish during a rising barometer and an incoming tide, especially if there is a stout wind over the ocean. The key is to find as much white water as possible either in the surf or where the sea crashes against rocks, and the current caused tiny whirlpools as it rushes by.

Since the water in these areas is not very deep, using floating plugs is very effective. If the wind and sea is not cooperating or the water is known to be deeper, metal jigs and diving plugs can be used. Your objective in either case is to cast your lure as far from the shoreline or jetty as possible.

Let your floating plugs go with the current while sharply pulling the lure so it dives and resurfaces. Striped bass will usually have in the middle water column in these conditions to pick off baitfish caught in the surf or current. Once they notice your plug they will charge to the surface and engulf it. Allow the strike to happen without pulling the rod. Most top water plugs are equipped with 2 or 3 sets of 4/0 treble hooks, which are not easily spit out. So allow the fish to take some line before tightening and setting the hooks.

If you are using metal jigs, diving plugs or bucktails, retrieve the lure at a minimum pace allowing bucktails to bounce off the bottom as you reel them in. Again the slower speed is triggering the gamefish to prey on an injured or confused fish. Blues will usually strike when the bait is at its furthest from the shore. Weakfish have a tendency to grab bucktails as they bounce off the bottom closer to shore.

When fishing from a jetty, fish the side of the jetty that offers the most white water for stripers, fish the calmer side with a faster retrieval for blues & weaks. Occasionally fluke will take a lure close to the bottom during the early spring or late summer. Piers & bulkheads in rivers also offer structure and wash.

On a pier it is possible to jig a metal or bucktail, much in the way one would on a boat. The most important factor when you choose to cast lures from shore is not to waste your time and energy in areas that do not over the rough currents or structure, or during outgoing or low tides.