More surfperch action!

[mustardthetrout]

Hit Cannon Beach earlier today to try and get some late fall/early winter surfperch. I was a little concerned that it wouldn't be good fishing because the incoming tide was in the middle of the day, but they were still biting. It wasn't completely off the wall like it had been my last few times out, but I still caught several decent ones and kept a few of the larger ones. All caught on Gulp! sandworms on carolina rigs. I love surfperch fishing, especially since I had so much trouble getting the hang of it at the start. I used to get skunked on nearly every outing until I figured out the key to catching these scrappy fish. If anyone has any questions or comments about surfperch fishing, I'd love to hear them!

 

[playhooky]

More Surfperch Action!

More Surfperch Action!

Glad you got into em'. I love catching surf perch myself....like you said....they're "scrappy".....particularly fun when you load two hooks and drag em' up. Looks like by the pics you had a bluebird day as a bonus. The other bonus to surf fishing is that you're usually the only one doing it! Cheers & congrats!

 

[troutdude]

Great lookin' stringer!

 

[Stonefish]

Nice bag of groceries. Some good eats there.
SF

 

[Irishrover]

Looks like you had a great day. That Carolina rig is the way to go. Most folks still use the 4oz pyramid with the hooks above. It is effective but heavy in comparison. Nice pictures, and good informative post.

 

[Billamicasr]

I haven't fished for surf perch for at least 15 years. Are you by chance targeting the second pool after the first breaker; Roughly 12-20" of water?

Did quite a bit of surf fishing for both striped bass and perch just south of Pacifica, south of San Francisco. Heavy gear for the bass because of the size of the fish and distance of casting the 5-6" Cotton Cordell plugs and 3-4oz. Micky Fin lures.
Trout rods and mostly white Worden Rooster Tail spinners for the perch. Don't recall the spinner size, but they were about 1 3/4" to 2" long. Worked better than anything else most times. Started out fishing surf perch using sand crabs and pile worms; don't think Berkley Gulp had been invented yet.

I believe the perch caught were barred surfperch. They had vertical stripes along their sides and some were quite large.

Have you tried any spinners for these perch?

Very nice stringer of perch... Yum.

 

[mustardthetrout]

Thanks for responding! I usually just target the first couple sets of breakers by casting out my rig and slowly retrieving it in with frequent pauses. The beaches I usually fish have several sets of breakers that extend well beyond casting distance, so I usually only focus on the first few sets of breakers.

I haven't tried using spinners, but I heard that lures can often times produce bigger perch than standard tactics. I talked to a few halibut fishermen down in california that said they had caught monster perch by accident while targeting halibut with rapalas and similar diving plugs. I've also talked to guys who were fishing for other species with whole anchovies and accidentally catching huge perch as well. I'd like to try using lures or similar one of these days.

And as for the perch species, I'm pretty sure they're redtails. I've never caught a barred surfperch this far north; I think they're strictly a california species. The redtails have the namesake red tails and a long first dorsal spine. They seem to be the northern counterpart of the barred. The silver surfperch also pictured are the equivalents of the walleye perch you probably saw in california.

 

[jamisonace]

How do you cook them? I think I caught some once and when I fried them the flesh was really soft and fell apart. I was told later to soak them in butter milk to firm the meat.

 

[playhooky]

I breaded my fillets with a mix of Old Bay Seasoning and Corn Meal before frying them in Olive Oil which worked fine. I ate them as fish tacos....yum! I caught the perch in cool weather so it wasn't a problem but I've heard if you fish them in warmer weather they should be put on ice until you're able to fillet them as the meat can become soft before long if not kept cool. That may be why yours was soft and fell apart....(?)

 

[mustardthetrout]

I usually cook them by wrapping them up in foil and grilling them. The meat is usually a bit soft, but this can be remedied by immediately bleeding them and putting them on ice with a draining rack. I've wanted to try fish tacos, but they seem like they'd be too bony for that.

 

[cdumitru78]

It would be interesting to go out there with some larger baits such as half or full anchovies, always wondered if that would lead to larger fish. Anyone ever tried it? Also, do perch bite year round? I've done really well about a month ago, not sure if the bite dies off in the winter.

 

[Billamicasr]

Mustardthetrout,
I've heard about using Rapalas for perch. The ones that suggested for the barred surf perch were silver with black back. As soon as the lip hit the bottom and stirred up the sand it was fish on. Never tried it, the Rooster Tails worked very well.
I Googled surf perch fishing near me (Winchester Bay) and most articles say the perch are plentiful in June and July in the Umpqua River. There is a large beach area just south of me that I've never tried; wonder if it produces in the winter like your area.

The barred surf perch has 2 pretty large fillets; like the slab crappie or bluegill. I think I'd try to see if I could fillet a red tail. When I worked in SF one of my favorite places for lunch was an Asian place out in the avenues; don't recall the name, but there was always a line of working people waiting to get in. One of their specialties was grilled or steamed perch. They made a few diagonal slices in the sides and cooked it head on.

 

[C_Run]

I think spring is regarded as the best time to fish them but they are there year round. I have fished in December and January and picked some up.

I've used a half sand shrimp and caught both large and smaller fish. I wonder if the grade depends on location sometimes. We had a stellar day on the south coast last May and had to hike to get there. These are just the ones we kept. We probably C&R'ed close to a hundred for four people.

 

[Gary W]

The spring run of pink fin perch in winchester bay are when the females come into the bay and river to spawn usually april and may through June. Males will not come in with them but stay in the ocean and you can catch them year round in the surf so I am told. I have not tried in the surf.

 

[bass]

Great report! I have not been surf perch fishing in quite a while. They are certainly a blast to catch when you are on them. I still don't think I have a great feel for finding them though. I have never done well when the surf was really rough (which seems like a common occurrence for when I am at the coast). It seems that when either the current is ripping (6oz won't hold completely) or there are bigger waves that I feel luck to catch a few sculpin.

Do you pick days with a calmer surf? Have you had success in a rough surf?

 

[playhooky]

I personally like a mild surf. Much easier to fish. Seem to get bit just as much in a tamer surf and it's a much more pleasant time. And IMO.....safer. I've found fishing against big breakers can be a little spooky now and then.....particularly when a BIG wave runs behind you and returns. Lots of water with lots of force can take you off your feet. A few Redtails are not worth your life. Please be alert, careful and NEVER turn your back on the ocean when fishing a big surf. Good luck out there!

 

[Casting Call]

A few years back when I fished Pacific City. I asked one of the Dory boatman, How do you know when it's a good time to launch? Against wave highth ,strength, and duration of breakers. I have used this sight along with one of NOAAs coastal conditions and predictions."surf-forcast.com" should tell all that is needed for the conditions you may want to fish on the beach. Hope this helps some of you. Tony

 

[bass]

For checking conditions I like to go to magicseaweed.com. It is a surfing website and seems to fairly accurately report the conditions. My problem is that trips to the coast are based on family schedule and not weather conditions. Seems like I have really bad luck getting family schedule and calm surf conditions to line up.

 

[cdumitru78]

In the past I would try to get in the water at least knee deep if not further... last few times I tried to stay completely out of the water and fish in much shallower waters. Results have been significantly better, and I don't get wet anymore! Sometimes when I slowly reel in I get some really really close in you would be shocked the kind of fish you can catch 10 feet in front of you and you will never have to worry about waves hitting you.

 

[newspin]

great article have tried a few times with family along.
but i was trying from shore wherever the family was that day, not where i would pick for surf fishing.
i was also using sand shrimp on a crappie rig with heavy weight
so i will totally try this method next time the planets align and i get to try surf fishing again.