Fall is one of the best times of year to fish the Northeast, and the next few months bring some of the most exciting saltwater opportunities on the calendar. From albies off Montauk to sea bass stacked on offshore structure and the first wave of migrating stripers, nearshore anglers have a short, intense window to get it right.
Released this summer, the TFO Deep Eddy series was purpose built for exactly this kind of fishing. Designed around the demands of Northeast nearshore anglers, the Deep Eddy lineup covers the full range of actions needed to fish albies, sea bass, and fall stripers from the same boat, often in the same day. Here is a breakdown of the fall bite and the Deep Eddy rod for each one.
The telltale tiger stripe back of a false albacore, one of the many target species this rod was built to chase.
Albies: Deep Eddy Medium Spinning
Albies are already showing around the tip of Montauk, and the run will continue to push through Long Island and the rest of the Northeast coast over the coming weeks. The Deep Eddy Medium Spinning rod (DE S 704-1) is built for this fishery.
This rod is designed to cast half ounce to one and a quarter ounce epoxy jigs and other small, fast moving albie presentations with ease. The blank delivers the distance, lure control, and responsiveness anglers need to cover water fast and reach breaking fish before they sound.
Ideal for:
- Albies
- Half ounce to one and a quarter ounce epoxy jigs
- Small metals and similar fast moving presentations
- Long distance casting to surface feeding fish
A deep bend and a long fight, exactly what the Medium Spinning rod is designed to handle.
Sea Bass: Deep Eddy Heavy and Medium Heavy Casting
Sea bass season opens in New Jersey on September 23rd, and fall is one of the best windows to target them around structure. The Deep Eddy casting lineup gives anglers two options depending on depth and current.
In deeper water and stronger current, reach for the Deep Eddy Heavy Casting rod (DE C 706-1). It has the lifting power to get heavier weights down to structure and pull hooked fish away before they can wrap you up.
For shallow structure or lower current situations, the Deep Eddy Medium Heavy Casting rod (DE C 705-1) offers a lighter, more versatile setup that still has the backbone to fish structure effectively.
Built to handle heavy sinkers and hold fish away from structure once they’re hooked.
Deep Eddy Heavy Casting, best for:
- Deep water sea bass
- Strong current
- Heavy sinkers and weights
- Fishing directly over structure
- Pulling fish away from structure
Deep Eddy Medium Heavy Casting, best for:
- Shallow water structure
- Lighter weights
- Lower current areas
- Anchored up situations
Locating structure before the first drop, the Heavy Casting rod stays rigged and ready on the rail.
Fall Stripers: Deep Eddy Medium Heavy and Heavy Spinning
As water temperatures drop and bait pushes through the region, the fall striper migration arrives, and matching rod to lure becomes critical.
The Deep Eddy Medium Heavy Spinning rod (DE S 705-1) is an excellent all around choice for swim shads, sand eel imitations, and other medium sized striper presentations. It delivers the power needed for bigger stripers while staying sensitive enough to work a wide range of baitfish imitations.
A striped bass surfaces boatside as the fall bite gets underway.
When it is time to throw larger, heavier presentations, step up to the Deep Eddy Heavy Spinning rod (DE S 706-1). Built for one and a half to three ounce lures, this is the setup for glide baits, metal lips, and bucktails.
Deep Eddy Medium Heavy Spinning, best for:
- Swim shads
- Sand eel imitations
- Medium sized plugs
- General fall striper fishing
Deep Eddy Heavy Spinning, best for:
- One and a half to three ounce lures
- Glide baits
- Metal lips
- Bucktails
- Larger fall stripers and heavier presentations
The Deep Eddy lineup, one series built to cover many applications in Northeast fisheries, all year long.
The Complete Deep Eddy Lineup for Fall
One series, one boat, every fall application. Here is the full breakdown:
Medium Spinning (DE S 704-1) – Great for albies, half ounce to one and a quarter ounce epoxy jigs
Medium Heavy Casting (DE C 705-1) – Ideal for shallow water sea bass, light structure fishing
Heavy Casting (DE C 706-1) – Deep water sea bass, heavy weights
Medium Heavy Spinning (DE S 705-1) – Swim shads, sand eel imitation for stripers
Heavy Spinning (DE S 706-1) – One and a half to three ounce striper lures, glide baits, metal lips, bucktails
Whether you’re running down breaking albies, dropping bait on sea bass structure, or working the beach and boat for migrating stripers, the Deep Eddy series was designed for this stretch of the Northeast season. Built this summer for anglers who fish all three patterns from a single boat, it is the lineup to have rigged and ready before the fall bite kicks into gear.
