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The Bomber Long A (www.bomberlures.com) is the bread-and-butter choice among plastic swimming plugs. The all-black version is stock and essential after dark. Carlos Alayo
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The yellow, “chicken scratch,” Bomber Long A is a favorite at dawn and dusk, and does an admirable job when the mullet are running in the suds. Carlos Alayo
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These rear-weighted swimming plugs have a nice, easy wiggle and cast like rockets. This is a Super Strike Little Neck Deep Swimmer (www.superstrikelures.com). It’s often my first choice when fishing into the wind on deeper beaches after dark. Carlos Alayo
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This yellow needle is by John “Habs” Haberek (www.habscustomplugs.com). Effective when paired with a dropper, cast it out and retrieve s-l-o-w-l-y. A relative newcomer, it has quickly gained a reputation as a big-fish slayer. Carlos Alaya
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Another classic, darters are especially popular around Montauk. They work best in moving water, such as a tide rip or inlet. This version is a Super Strike Zig Zag. Black-and-purple is a hot color for night work. Carlos Alayo
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Fat, metal-lipped swimmers are traditional plugs for big bass, day or night. This is a Gibbs Danny Surface Swimmer. Tune the lure by bending the lip, the eye or both up or down as desired, so the plug trails a surface wake. Carlos Alayo
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It’s the most basic of all striper lures. I prefer Smiling Bill-style bucktails and usually carry a few in various sizes. Anglers often fish them with a porkrind or soft-plastic trailer, but bass sometimes show a distinct preference for unadorned bucktails. Carlos Alayo
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A daytime plug for both stripers and bluefish, I use this lure most often when fishing in a stiff crosswind. The plug’s cupped face digs into the surface well and keeps the wind from dragging both the line and plug out of control. Carlos Alayo
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These boot-tail-style soft-plastics (Storm Lures; www.stormlures.com) with an integral jighead have taken the striper world by storm, so to speak. Carry a pack with you—always. They work anywhere but produce best in deep or moving water. John Keller / Cliff Gardiner
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Once in a while I fish a dropper (an unweighted streamer fly) ahead of a plug. This works well if there are plenty of Twinkie-size bass around, or if larger fish are on small bait. White, yellow and black (for after dark) work best. Carlos Alayo
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One of the all-time greatest surface lures, pencil poppers are just plain indispensable. When worked correctly, the plug darts and dances in a surface frenzy while remaining almost in the same spot, but can be difficult to fish in a crosswind. Carlos Alayo
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One of the great “tins,” the Kastmaster (Acme Tackle; www.acmetackle.com) is actually plated brass. It casts like a bullet, even into a headwind, and is especially useful for extreme distances. And, yes, it also works at night. Carlos Alayo
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A slim tin with a tight wobble, Deadly Dicks take both bass and blues (Deadly Dick Classic Lures; www.deadlydicklures.com). I mostly carry them in case bonito or false albacore show up near the beach within casting range. Carlos Alayo
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Salt-marsh mosquitoes are the world’s nastiest. Carlos Alayo
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I most often use cheap, stainless, long-nosed versions because I keep losing the expensive ones. Manfred Koh
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I use a variety, but carry large snap-swivel combos for fishing metal-lipped swimmers. Carlos Alayo
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I wrap the index finger of my casting hand for protection when using heavy spinning tackle. Carlos Alayo
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I hate headlamps, however fashionable, because they’re hard to direct properly and someone else’s tends to shine into my eyes when they turn to talk. A simple, small flashlight on a neck cord works better for less money. Carlos Alayo
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Had any cancerous lumps removed from your skin lately? Carlos Alayo
