How-To: Jetty Casting for Stripers #159

Jetties are serious producers. Although they can be fished around the clock, they often produce best at night. The best jetties offer some sort of rip line and give you access to get behind some sand bars. 

Approach: Fish swinging and fan casting are great methods for targeting surf, including sand bars and rips. Sometimes, jetties will help when casting heavy lures to reach fish "way out there," but never forget to fish the water close to and on both sides of a jetty. Fish often hang closer to structure, such as jetties, than people realize. 

 "If I Had Just One" with Capt. Mike Hogan
LOCATION: Cape Cod
TARGETED SPECIES: Striped Bass
LURE: Hogy Charter Grade Popper

"I would grab the 5.5” Hogy Popper."

1. PROFILE: This 5.5” Hogy Popper is the perfect size to match herring, bunker, macks and squid and colors to match. 
2. WEIGHT: The Hogy Charter Grade Popper is thru-wired for big fish capabilities and features fish attracting rattles. The rattles are oriented toward the back for extra castibility. At 1.5oz you can cast the Hogy popper on a wide range of outfits from medium to medium heavy power.
3. POPPING: The popping sound of the Hogy Popper is clean and tight, similar to the sound of a baby herring getting popped on the surface at sunset.

Steps:

1. Fish the swing in the rip. Often the rip on a jetty will be light. A Hogy Pro Tail Paddle can be effective as it creates fish attracting vibrations.
2. Work the surf created by sand bars. Fan cast around them. 
3. If there are multiple bars, inside the jetty, a slowly retrieve paddle tail can help find scattered fish. 
4. Fan cast the open water. Distance is often needed, but don't forget fish can be at your feet, especially at high tide.