So I am heading up to PA to go fishing for a few days with my dad and brother for stripers. None of is have any experience but we thought it would be a good time. Anyways, I don't have anything heavier than MH bass gear which I think will be ok unless I get into so,etching real big.

I have done some research and it seems like minnow imitations are the way to go and specifically anything with blue since apparently the herring have blue on them. We have also been told that fishing 2 hours before and after the high tide is the time to focus and hit up any bridge likings and other current breaks where they may sit and wait for the herring to be forced in or out by the tide.

Anyone have any other suggestions or advice? I have never caught one so hopefully we can change that.

No question that tide is very important but fishing just before or after a tide change doesn't tell the entire story, to more finely tweek it, it's tide change relative to sunrise or sunset.  The tide change is at a different time every day, progressively the later the tide change the more the bite slacks off, reason being there is usually less bait swimming around.  I've spent a lot of time fishing stripers off NJ and Long Island, and now it's snook for me which are very similar to stripers.  For the average striper a mh bass outfit should be fine.  Over the last 30 years I have caught more fish on bucktail jigs than all other lures combined, don't leave home without some.

Thanks for the tips.....so the closer high tide is to sunrise or sunset the better I take it?

Quite often fish are more aggressive before a tide change, low or high, and times closest to the sunrise and sunset have been best for me.

Bucktails are certainly a produtive bait... In my opinion if your fishing a river for stripers than sometype of swimming plug is best... There is no need to spend $20 on a Rapala even though they produce just the same as the $10 (I think) daiwa saltpro minnow... And When fishing rivers (The Cape Cod Canal in my case) I use a 7' 6" rod and throw any type of topwater plug, swimming plug, bucktail......

 

For a heavy Jig head like a 2oz or 3oz with a 10"-14" eel like trialer I use a Rod ranging from 8' to 10'....

 

Hope it helps...

Thanks everyone. I just heard from my dad that the shad are showing up too so this could be a real fun couple of days.....I will be sure to post up a report with pictures

Idk about PA but I'll throw in my 2cent. Here in CA aqueduct maybe it'll help. A M and MH is good enough if you set your drag properly. As for lures use zoom super fluke color white ice, baitfish, and smokin shad are the best with a jig head and use rattle trap in 1/2 oz or 1 1/2oz. For top water I use heddon zara super spook. And if you have the buck then try lucky crafy pointer 95 in american shad color. There's alot more lure out there but im just telling you the one I use often. Also if you wanna sink the use anchovies and blood worm.

My dad went out today just to check his boat out since it was his first trip and apparently sme guys were catching them on bloodworms....guess we will see what happens and hopefully feel a tug or two on the end of the line

I did not want to overload you with too much information on lure types, imo the lure itself is a secondary concern, the main concern being in the right place at the right time.

No overload. The more info the better since it is all new to us.