Me and a buddy are gonna go out and try to catch us some stripers on Saturday. Neither one of us have ever fished for stripers before. So can someone chime in and give us some pointers. He has a small boat we'll be in, and we'll be fishing near the Benjamin Harrison Bridge on the James River. Fishing report looks like it's been good in the early evening. Tide chart says that high tide is at 3:45pm so we're gonna be on the water at 3pm. I've been told that light spining gear w/ 12lb line should be ok. Also that storm swim shad should work. Other than that, I have no clue, and nither one of us have fished this area. Any help is very much appreciated.

You sound like you're on the right track. If you see bait breaking, don;t be afraid to try topwater (spooks/chuggers). I love inline spinners (roostertails) in smaller sizes early in the season and gradually larger as teh season progresses. Look for current, and fish breaks in the current. I like to start with a fast steady retrieve and adjust up or down from there. Jerkbaits, both soft and hard, are usually worth at least some small fish.

Did you have any luck when you went? We went out on Friday 12/30 and fished for a few hours after dark with no luck.