In surf fishing, metal lures have many advantages. They’re durable, cast far, come in a variety of profiles to match any number of baitfish, and their reflective surfaces catch the eyes of striped bass from a distance. Metals—commonly referred to as “tins” by surfcasters—are versatile lures that can bounce along the bottom, swim through the middle of the water column, and even skip across the surface. Depending on the shape, these metal lures make a convincing imitation of peanut bunker, herring, butterfish, mullet, and, most famously, sand eels. There are a vast number of tins available to anglers, but these are some of the most effective metal lures for stripers in particular.
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Slender Metal Lures
Ava-Style Diamond Jig with Tube Tail
When sand eels are in the surf, it’s not uncommon for every angler on the beach to be fishing one of these classics. The slender metal casts well and is easily bounced and jigged along the bottom. Meanwhile, the tube trailer spins and flutters like a sand eel seeking refuge from pursuing stripers.
Fishermen debate the best color for the tube, but green and red are good starting points. And while the original Ava Tackle diamond jigs are no longer in production, tackle manufacturers like Jigging World and Tsunami Tackle are keeping this long-standing classic available to surfcasters.
Point Jude Lures PoJee
Thanks to its flared design, this slender metal has a bit more versatility than the diamond jig. While it scuttles across the bottom quite nicely, it also has an enticing kick when retrieved through the middle of the water column at a moderate speed.
The PoJee works well with a simple bucktail trailer hook, but it is also available with a tube tail or spinner tail, which adds flash and keeps the lure higher in the water column on a slower retrieve.
Deadly Dick
The rounded edges of the slim, aerodynamic Deadly Dick allow it to cut through onshore winds and swim effectively in choppy, turbid surf. With a steady retrieve, a heavy-duty split ring and barrel swivel impart a tight, frantic swimming action that resembles a disoriented sand eel or silverside.
The lure’s flat prism-printed sides and nickel-plated finish catch and reflect light with ease. The Deadly Dick can be fished effectively in different portions of the water column, whether sub-surface with a steady to rapid retrieve, or by dragging it over bottom to stir up the sand like a burrowing sand eel.
Deep-Bodied Metal Lures
Hopkins Shorty
The Hopkins No=Eql is a flat-sided metal designed to cast long distances and ride slightly higher in the water column. When peanut bunker are thick in the surf, the textured metal reflects light and gives the lure a perceived scaliness as it kicks side to side.
On a faster retrieve, the lure planes on the surface, which is ideal during peanut bunker blitzes. With a slow and steady retrieve, it generates a tantalizing flutter action beneath the surface like a lone, fleeing peanut bunker.
Acme Kastmaster
The Kastmaster is another wide-bodied metal that is designed to be fished higher in the water column. It is most effective when fish are actively feeding near the surface. The wide, flat build allows it to flitter along the surface like a peanut bunker in escape mode, but it can just as easily be worked subsurface.
Along with giving it a realistic swimming pattern, the flat sides catch and reflect light like a mirror, making it an effective choice under relatively calm and bright conditions. Like other metals that feature tube or bucktail trailers, Kastmasters are also available with a bucktail flag over the rear single hook, which generates its own subtle action.
Luhr Jensen Krocodile Spoon
The Krocodile Spoon provides a large profile without being too heavy to fish in the surf. It swims with a pronounced side-to-side kicking action on a slow to moderate retrieve; however, on fast retrieves, the Krocodile tends to spin unnaturally.
Because of their deep-bodied profiles, Krocodile Spoons are a great choice for imitating larger peanut bunker, mullet, herring, and other baitfish that swim in the upper part of the water column.
Luhr Jensen Crippled Herring
The narrow, flat-sided Crippled Herring accurately mimics a wide variety of other baitfish in the surf like herring and peanut bunker. It has some action on a straight retrieve but is very effective with a lift-and-drop jigging motion because the bait flutters on the fall like a dying herring or peanut bunker.
The Crippled Herring casts extremely well and is an excellent choice for reaching distant fish. It also sinks fairly quickly, which has made it one of the mainstay metal lures among Cape Cod Canal fishermen for decades.
Tips for Fishing Metal Lures for Stripers
Though fishing with metal lures is pretty straightforward once you’ve learned which styles to fish and when to fish them, the following tips will help you catch more fish on these classic lures.
Choose the right rod: An 8- to 11-foot surf rod rated from 1 to 3 or 4 ounces will cover most of your metal fishing needs. Make sure the lures you are casting fall within the capabilities of your rod. A moderate- to fast-action rod will work just fine, but the faster the rod action, the farther you will be able to cast metals.
Use a Swivel: Because metals occasionally spin during the retrieve, use a barrel swivel to attach your leader to your main line. Otherwise, your line will twist and eventually cause a major tangle.
Switch to Single Hooks: Avoid treble hooks. It makes unhooking fish more difficult, and hooksets simply aren’t as solid with a treble hook. A large Siwash hook has more “bite,” allowing for more secure hooksets and fewer lost fish. A single hook dressed with bucktail gives the lure some added appeal, as well.
Change-up the Retrieve: Fish will hold at different depths and different lengths from shore. Changing the speed of the retrieve could be the difference in cranking your lure right over a fish’s head, or giving it ample time to strike.
Add a Teaser: Metals make an excellent lure to “deliver” lightweight teasers to fish that are focused on small baits.
Adding a Teaser
There are times when even a small or slim metal lure that closely matches the hatch won’t trick your target species; that is when a teaser shines.
A teaser features a downsized hook that is then dressed with bucktail hair, a mylar skirt, or a soft plastic to impart subtle action. The teaser is tied into the leader using a dropper loop 12 to 18 inches above the metal lure of choice.
There are a handful of teasers that will do just fine when fished in the surf, although they all differ. For example, Tsunami Glass Minnows feature mylar skirts tied to a hook shank that protrudes from a virtually weightless minnow-style head, while SPRO bucktail teasers are as simple as they come—a clump of bucktail hair, pre-tied on a 2/0 or 3/0 Gamakatsu hook.
In the fall, when bass key in on small bay anchovies or sand eels, fishing a teaser is sometimes the only way to get a bite. Because teaser rigs increase an offering’s wind resistance, fishing teasers reduces casting distance with most plugs and soft plastics. Coupling teasers with metal lures, however, will mitigate this problem and help you reach the feeding fish because of the lures density and aerodynamic qualities. When using a teaser with metals that also “match the hatch,” double headers are not uncommon.
The only limitations metal lures have in the surf are the ones you impose on them. When you factor in how well metal lures cast, they may be even more versatile than the bucktail jig. So toss some of these oft-overlooked lures into your plug bag next time you’re headed for the high surf. Casting tins have been catching striped bass and blues for generations and will continue to do so for many years to come.
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Excellent article; Thank you!!!
Don’t forget to use a black tin at night as well. My favorite is the Black Knight by Pt. Jude.
I believe the article has a picture and description of the action of Hopkins Shorty, while labeling it the Hopkins No=Eql. The first picture of all the metals hanging from the plug bag includes picture of the Hopkins No=Eql… but that has a different action and doesn’t swim the same way up through the water column. For what it’s worth, the “Shorty” is my go to metal and and I much prefer it for surfcasting/shore based angling relative to the No=Eql
Looks like you’re right! The text should read Shorty, as that’s the better peanut imitation, and, for me too, the more productive in the surf. Thanks for letting us know – we adjusted the copy.
Crippled herring is a favorite of mine and has landed many bass and blues. Simple.. but they work
Crippled Herring is a silent sleeper. It’s a bit forgotten about over the year since it’s older, but sometimes the older lures work the best.