Hi woodsman welcome to SB.
The canal is tough place to start fishing but you got a couple so you know more than most.
Swimmer is right, there is tons of info at your fingertips,
the how to forum -->
http://www.striped-bass.com/Stripert...splay.php?f=33 is a good place to check out and use the search function on all forums.
most important is to keep fishing and keep your
and ears open.
Good luck.