Think safety first when it comes to winter fishing ... Stripers should be around the shad, but not all shad schools attract stripers. Use brood minnows or live shad for bait. Keep a top-water lure ...

That means local fishermen are already prepping their tackle in anticipation of a new "striper" season. Sign up for our Newsletters A fisherman in Plymouth may have perfected the ultimate lure to ...

and a growing number of striped bass biting on sandcrabs or striper lures. Deepwater rockfish takes top spot though, with limits being common and quality very high for vermilion, chilippepper and ...