Spring Striped Bass Secrets! Brandon Weitz Talks Hots Spots & Tackle for 30lb Bass

This past weekend at the Ward Melville High School Fishing Club Expo, Captain Gaige caught up with Brandon Weitz from Causeway Bait & Tackle for a quick but action-packed podcast conversation right on the show floor. The annual expo continues to grow every year and brings together anglers, vendors, and fishing enthusiasts from all over the tri-state area — and this year’s turnout was incredible. Brandon had a busy weekend working both sides of the industry. On Saturday he was running the Causeway Bait & Tackle booth, helping anglers gear up for the upcoming fishing season, and on Sunday he was representing Joe Baggs Tackle, one of the most well-known lure brands for striped bass and surf fishing. Between helping customers and talking tackle all weekend, Brandon still made time to sit down with Bay Rats and Buoys to talk about what anglers should be excited about as we head into the 2026 spring striped bass season. In this quick episode, we dive into early spring fishing strategy around the Long Island Sound, including some of the types of areas and conditions we’ll be targeting when the bass start pushing into the region. Brandon and Captain Gaige talk about the kinds of structure, bait movements, and seasonal patterns that often produce some of the biggest bass of the early season. We also break down some of the gear and tackle we discovered at the expo that we’re excited to put to work this season. From new lures to proven favorites, there’s a lot of great tackle hitting the water this spring and we can’t wait to see what produces when the season kicks off. Brandon also talks about his appearance earlier this year on the Bay Rats and Buoys NY Boat Show Podcast Series, where he joined Kurt from Pursuit Boats to talk about boats, fishing, and the lifestyle around the Long Island fishing community. As a Pursuit Boats brand ambassador, Brandon brings a unique perspective to both the boating and fishing sides of the industry. If you’re gearing up for the season and looking for insight on where the early 30-pound striped bass might start showing up, this is a fun conversation packed with local knowledge and fishing excitement. Be sure to follow Brandon Weitz on Instagram and subscribe to Bay Rats and Buoys for more fishing reports, tackle talk, and updates as we get closer to opening day. The spring bite is coming… and the Bay Rats are ready.