Help me catch my first striper?

I'll be fishing right below a dam, from the bank. I have a medium action rod and 20 lb. monofilament test line. Is that gear okay? Also, i'll be fishing with bucktail jigs with paddle tail and curly tail trailors. How do you fish these jigs? do you jig them along the bottom or keep them from hitting the bottom or what? the more details about how to use these the better. also, should i use a leader with a swivel for these jigs? or can i simply tie them to the main line? any other additonal tips would be greatly appreciated.