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Decided to post this due to lack of info for red tail surf perch which at the moment is good and getting better. Plenty of surf anglers out there old and new so I hope you can get in on the action before summer! As the weather holds and the waves get smaller, we're coming up on a time where the kids can get in on this viable fishery. Actually fished 3 days with good results. Waders recommended but some anglers around me were knee to waist deep in 52 degree water. Not so bad when the sun is out and wind is down. BTW, let me stress the importance of watching out for sneaker waves that blast you when you're not looking. Easy to do when you cast into the honey hole and are getting multiple hits. Tide was low coming and coming in, bite held for 1-2 hours consistently. My rig was an 8-6" med/hvy rod with a Penn Captiva 5000 spooled with 12 lb mono. Weight was 2-3 oz pyramid or flat disc, depending on current. BEST to go when low wind and waves are small, longer sets (10 seconds plus). Size 1 or 2 Octopus hooks. Tie swivel to end of line to attach weight. Lots of guys losing weights/gear by tying directly to eye of weight, but breaking them off when they cast so hard with their steelhead noodle rods. BTW, if your rod is rated up to 1 oz only, you're asking for trouble! (Swivel is also easier to change the weight as the tide fluctuates). 18 inches up from weight tie one hook on a 4 inch dropper loop, another 10-12 inches second hook, again on 4 inch dropper loop. I've used the extended wire rig before but I like to keep it simple...less gear, less foul up. Remember, these fish aren't big but taste oh so good and the hotter bite usually doesn't last that long! You'd swear someone turned off the switch when they stop eating. Used a variety of baits: Sand shrimp, razor clam necks, Gulp worms, etc. All work. Saw others using nightcrawlers and squid which seemed to work as well. Wrap the red magic thread around hook to keep the sand shrimp from flying off during your cast. You'll want to look for the areas BEHIND the first set of breakers for holes or depressions that these fish stack up in. Find one or two and keep casting EXACTLY in this same area to catch them. 10 yards to the left or right and forget that cast. You'll cover a bit of water up and down the beach but once you find them, it's on! (AND you'll gain a few new angling friends who come on over when you're hooked up). Limit is 15, but I only kept 5-6 of the bigger ones each day. (Most slightly bigger than your hand but some bruisers at 1.5-2 lbs+ that will give you a decent fight on light gear) Hope this helps, I'll post more when I go again soon. Forecast is clear weather for a bit, just need tide and swell to cooperate...GET SOME!

mtngrizz

5/4/2013 9:18:00 AM

Complete report, good tips , especially safety related.

clamdigger

5/4/2013 1:09:00 PM

Very good report. We were out to Ocean City last weekend and got 3 real nice ones. Will be at Westport 2 weeks from now to try for more.

kuyamonster

5/4/2013 1:50:00 PM

@clamdigger...Been researching jetty area by Westport as well as Grayland Beach. Let me know how well it goes for you and where you fished. Haven't yet tried that area but would like to. Tried Damon Point for a few average ones and one bruiser. Only down side is the long 3/4 mile walk out towards the Point. Best areas are by the giant driftwood logs past the one that sticks out perpendicular to the beach. If you fish here, try not to go past the flatter beach area closer to the Point. I've had much better success on the sharply sloped beaches. Plus you don't really need waders since you are only casting 15-20 yards when the swell is small. You can get away with 7 foot spinning/casting rods and 1-2 oz. lead at this spot. Look for the locals wheel tracks left in the sand from pulling their gear carts out there...

HoeDog80

5/4/2013 2:18:00 PM

Thank you for writing a good report on perch fishing on the harbor. It's hard to find good information on perch fishing unless it's in California.

schu7498

5/4/2013 2:39:00 PM

Great report! Thankyou for the details. I fished for surf perch for the first time yesterday. We fished at ruby beach. Bite lasted for a bery short time but the ones we hooked were all big. I didnt realize how big they get. Definitely a fun fishery and boy do they taste good!

Slacktime

5/5/2013 10:44:00 PM

Gray land beach is a great place to catch them, we got a 3lbs there the end of April. Good report !!!

Slacktime

5/5/2013 10:50:00 PM

There's lots of good info on red tailed perch on YouTube and google. That's where I got all my info before going out. Also northern calif. is a lot like the Wa coast. I have 3 reports on the Wa lakes website about red tail perch fishing in gray land area also. As a fisherman I am always happy to help out another fisherman. Tight Linz !!!

rayborbon

5/6/2013 7:15:00 AM

Nice catch what kind of rod do you recommend?

kuyamonster

5/6/2013 8:33:00 AM

@rayborbon...all depends on you casting ability and the wave swell and wind. I currently use med/heavy, fast action 8-6" Penn spinning rod matched to a 5000 size reel for most of the times I surf fish. Anything capable of tossing 2-4 oz. weights with 12-15 lb. line. I really like using my 7-9" Penn Sabre baitcasting rod when I'm only using 1-2 ozs. It's a lot more fun catching the red tails on this lighter setup. 10 foot rods seem to defeat the purpose of battling these little guys although we'll be seeing bigger ones closer to summer when the females give birth. Nail one that's 2-3 lbs. and enjoy the fight! Spoken to other anglers who use their steelhead rods which work OK for them. The reels matched to these rods just don't hold enough heavier line. (plus I'm not quite at the level of snapping the tip off my Loomis or Lamiglas rod for a surf perch). IMO I think it doesn't quite get a further cast into the productive zone unless you've waded pretty far in the surf (read:caution on rogue waves). Overall the best rig is the one you feel comfortable casting with consistently from 40-50 yards. Cabela's blue Whuppin' Stick or Ugly Stik Lites are affordable, beat up rods for this type of fishing. I'd venture to say it's more important to have a solid saltwater reel with sealed drags/solid bearings, preferably graphite or full metal body to resist corrosion. Spray reels with Salt-X and rinse with fresh water after your session. Reel should hold a minimum 200+ yards of 14 lb. test. Okuma Sentara or Safina Pro reels are inexpensive options. I like the Penn Pursuit models although my next upgrade will definitely be the Penn Fierce 5000 reel matched to a 8 or 9 foot Okuma Longitude surf rod . Get out there when you can, looks like the end of this week is shaping up for ideal conditions! 1-2 foot waves @ 15-16 second intervals, low/high tide times where you can fish morning or afternoon/evening twice daily, 55-63 degrees and sunny for Thurs/Fri/Sat. (Ocean Shores area) Take what you want to clean and eat, leave the rest for the future...C & R rules!

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