The soft-plastic lure fluttered and kicked like a struggling frog across the weed mat and into the open pocket. Then, with the abrupt swirl that never gets old, a solid bass rose in a boiling strike.

The author with a 47-inch striper caught off North Jersey on a 10-inch Stride glide bait. Photo by Joe Cermele Though the official timeline is a bit hazy, many anglers point to the swimbait revolution ...

We find ourselves back in the saltwater, this time using top water plugs targeting striper and bluefish. For attached your top water plug to your line, you can tie it direct, though I suggest using a ...