Surf Fishing for Sea Perch The Washington

Surf Fishing for Sea Perch

The Washington & Oregon coasts offer a multitude of locations for "Surf Fishing". This term generally refers to surf fishing off the sandy beaches where clam digging is normally done. These sea /surf perch are abundant in the above waters the year around, so even a sunny week-end during the winter can be a chance to get the rod out.

There is a surf perch fishing derby on Long Beach, Washington every summer in May as seen below, & one just starting at Westport in 2006, where many fisherpersons, young or old, do participate.

This fishery can be something you may consider getting the kids or grand kids involved in. However a saltwater or a combination fishing license is required in the state of Washington. Surf fishing also fits in nicely with a claming outing in the spring or fall.

Picture supplied by Andy Le from Portland OR and the redtails were caught in Newport OR. in 2005.

The Fish Themselves: Sea perch many times called surf perch are widely available in our marine waters. The three most popular are red-tail surf perch, striped sea perch and then pile perch. Red Tail surf perch are the largest and most abundant of the three species of perch caught along our coasts. Their fins have a distinctive reddish coloring and dark vertical bars can be seen on their sides. These fish, depending on the exact specie, can reach a length of 15" & can weigh in at 2# to 3#, with the average slightly smaller. The current state record for red tail surfperch (Amphistichus rhodoterus) is 4.05#, while striped surf perch (seaperch) (Embiotoca lateralis) is 2.07#.

They are an eager biter, making for younger fisherpersons enjoyment. Like all sea/surf perches, the red-tails & stiped sea perch are oviviviparous – which means instead of laying eggs like most fish species, the females hold their eggs in their bodies until they hatch, and release live offspring about 1" long into the water.

Bait: The old standby bait has been clam necks. As this may be one of the natural food for them. It has been said that these fish will bite off the necks of clams that are "necking in the surf". With the reduced seasons of clamming, the perch fisherpersons have had to resort to other baits. The easiest to acquire & equal in natural abundance for these fish would be sand shrimp. They however do not stay on the hook for the extended time as the tougher clam necks used to.

Sand shrimp can be dug on the beaches, with some saying a low tide being best, while others say a high tide is better. I guess it is where you plan on digging. I have found them higher on the beach, & in this instance then the higher tide would be best. Look for small volcano like mounds with holes in the top. Use a round clam gun that is common now. You can actually do better by pumping than digging. Just find an area with a lot of shrimp holes and put your thumb over the hole on your clam gun and push it into the sand or mud. Keep this up for a bit. Release the pressure of your thumb on the backstroke and close it again on the downstroke. You apparently pump enough air or pressure into the area that they can't stand & the little buggers will come shooting out all over.

Others say you can use a shovel or PVC gun & dig a large hole down until you hit water, wait a while & the shrimp, seem to migrate into the hole & float on the water.

Sand or piling worms are another bait used occasionally. Chunks of squid also will work for bait & stays on the hook well. If you can not come across any of this bait, then using a egg snelled steelhead hook, you may be able to use a small sponge or yarn saturated with shrimp scent.

A curly tail or marabou crappie jig works just as good in 1/4 to 1/2 ounce. Just bounce it back over the sand.

Terminal Gear: A pyramid sinker of from 2 to 4 oz. is needed to cast as far as you can in the surf. This sinker dropper can be from 2' to 3' & is attached to a 3 way swivel at the end of the mainline. The leader to the hook needs to be about 3' long & of a slightly lighter weight than the mainline. On this leader a hook of an approx size of from #4 to #1 or larger is attached, with a #1 being preferred by many. If you go too small of a hook, they will take the bait, but not get hooked. It has been found that normal steelhead hooks & leader seem appropriate here. The hook tied with a normal egg snell, just like the steelhead egg loop works great, as this can help hold a shrimp onto the hook better than just threading it onto the hook itself.

You might consider attaching 2 leaders with a single hook attached. Here I would use the leaders shorter, say 8" to 12" & place the shorter lower leader closer to the bottom or nearer the sinker, but far enough away so it is not right at the sinker.

The above illustration used with permission of Russ Mohney & The Chronicle from an article 11-11-05

Tackle: Probably the most used rod/reel combo would be a 8 1/2' heavy steelhead rod with a spinning reel capable of holding a minimum of 100 yards of 12# to 15# test monofilament line. However if the weight of the sinker gets over about 2 oz. the rod will need to be heavier & longer, 10' or 12' does not hurt at all. Many dedicated surf fishermen will use a heavy 12' rod.

Here it is suggest you use as light a sinker as needed to hold your gear on the bottom for a reasonable length of time. A 1 or 2 oz. would be ideal, but depending on the water conditions even a 4 or 5 oz. sinker may be needed. This also may depend on how far out in the surf that you are casting. But remember these fish may not be way out, as they are trying to pick up feed off the beach. Most times, just behind the first series of breakers is sufficient.

Most reels used here will be large spinning type reels. Level-wind reels work great also, IF you are used to them & can control backlashes.

Extras: There are a few items that my be beneficial to have along for this fishery. One would be something to carry your fish in after you have caught them. This is not a place for a bucket since you may be moving along the beach, in the water, or following the waves in or out. Plus if you happen to be one of those who use chest waders & are in the water most of the time, you need a method of retaining your catch with you. The simplest thing would be one of the small nylon/rubber nets that attach to your belt that the clam diggers use.

Another thing would be some method of carrying extra tackle with you. What works best for many is the canvas rubber lined creels made by Danielson. They are inexpensive, have a large rubberized inner pouch, have a couple of pockets on one side & have a shoulder strap. Or use a small day backpack.

Time to Fish: Most surf fishermen will tell you that the incoming tide is the best, as the fish will be moving up the beach to snatch up anything left by the outgoing tide. However you may be fighting weeds being washed ashore. A few dedicated surf fishermen may confide that fishing can be productive all the way thru & into the bottom of the outgoing. Now this makes a lot of sense in that you are not fighting any weeds, plus the waves are pulling your gear outward instead of toward you. I think it is important if you can find a depression or deeper spot that they could congregate in.

The best fishing is when the surf is moderate to calm. When the surf is rough and the waves are breaking far from shore seems to not be conducive to good fishing. It is a common belief that at this time the fish retreat from the rough waters & feed farther from shore. When fishing rough water conditions is usually slow and the surging surf can be dangerous.

For those of you who clam dig, this can be an additional chance for recreation during the day since most of the clam digging is in the afternoon, even into dark, depending on the time of the low tide. This gives you a chance to surf fish at a different time than the clamming takes place.

Method: Perch are caught off the beaches by usually casting as far into the waves as possible. You have to pick the right spot, not just cast anywhere into the surf. These fish are looking for food that washes out as the waves pass over. Find a trough that this food collects in & you have found the fish. But be aware that they will be moving all the time, so if you catch a few & then it goes dead, move one way or the other to try to intercept them again. A good strategy would be to find a prospective spot, cast & move a little up or down the beach with each successive cast until the fish are located. Then your next cast can be adjusted so the bait will pull through the same area. The fish are there possibly because of a depression or it liked something about the wave or current action. The normal method is to cast far out and up current and reel in slowly as the bait arcs around to about a 45 degree position. Then reel in & start over. This will usually take about 4 to 5 minutes.

A more sophisticated method would be to drive down the beach at minus low tide and pick out all the big depressions or troughs that where when the tide comes in, the perch may inhabit. Walk out & inspect any possible good looking location. Mark each spot on a handheld GPS unit. If you do not have a GPS, then drive tall stakes with flagging on the top in the sand to mark your spot. Make notes as to which location was furthest out and which ones would be good as the tide comes in on a piece of paper so that if the first one you try does not produce, you have a backup or two. The key is finding calmer areas where the fish will be in feeding close enough to reach them.

A possible problem driving on the beach during the summer is that with little rain, the upper sand becomes so dry that unless you have a 4 wheel drive vehicle, good tires & know how to drive in sand that you can very well get stuck. It is not that bad once you get onto the beach itself, but getting on or off at the approaches is where the fun comes in. Getting off may be worse because you many times can not really see where the main driveway is. If you start to bog down, do not stop but just keep the power to it without spinning the wheels. Do not give it gas to speed up as you will bury the tires.

Once you decide which spot looks the best, & head for it as the tide comes in. The fish will move around in these troughs so it may be best to keep moving your casts around, but stay on the same "hole" for a while. If your bait happens to be on a shelf & not in the trough, you may not get as many bites as your fishing partner a few feet away down the beach. Cast out & slowly reel in, moving your bait across the bottom. This also keeps the sinker from becoming "sanded in".

Here is a lesson if you enter the derby below, be there a week or so before & mark some spots, then try out these marked locations. Pick your spots the day of the derby and then camp on the best one for at least an hour before the tide is best at that trough. Don't go searching at this time because other fishermen will stake it out as the tournament starts. Remember IF you are here to try & win money, you will need to keep your lines in the water for the maximum exposure to have a chance to catch the most fish.

These fish travel in small schools which usually consist of the same size fish, so if you are regularly getting small fish, you may want to change your casting location hoping to find a school of larger fish.

If you can cast far enough, then you can stay on the dry beach. Others may want to don hip boots or chest waders & enter the shallower parts of the surf to do their casting from. A point of safety here, be ever vigilant of the waves & move around slightly to keep the waves from washing out around your boots & creating a hole that you may stumble in.

You may have to move to a different location if your best pick was one that is subject to lots of floating grass as the tide comes in. It is unproductive if every time you pull in a large gob of sea grass.

One of the breakwaters on "the point" at Westport.

The above picture is of one of the revetment breakwaters on "the point" looking toward the ocean from Westport. This can also be a good location to use the same tackle as used for surf perch fishing, with the chance to also catch black sea bass, flounder, or even a ling cod.

Pile perch are more common in Puget Sound, where they're often caught around docks, floats and piers on an incoming tide. One method used around the docks is to use herring jigs. These are a section of line with many short leadered small gold colored hooks attached to the mainline. These simulate Krill or many smaller insects that these fish feed on.

Safety: This fishery can well be one that the whole family can participate in. However, it is highly recommended that EVERYONE who fishes wading IN THE WATER wear a Personal Flotation Device. The best is the newer self inflating type that are worn like a shoulder harness. They are not anywhere as bulky as the older units & are quite comfortable to wear. The reason for wearing these here is that if you are wading in the surf to get farther out, & a sneaker wave comes in & knocks you down, things can get pretty disastrous very quickly. Also if children are present, be sure to have them wear a PDF, as you the fisherpersons can not watch them all the time, if you are concentrating on fishing also.

Be prepared & fish safe with a friend if possible

Share the Beach: With the advent of "Surf Boarding", there may be surfers where you want to fish. Be courteous & offer to share, or move to another area out of their way. They need big waves but in somewhat protected areas to do their thing, & these areas may well be confined to certain locations as to compared to the water that the fishermen will be using. You can move to a new area a lot easier than they can, plus if they are there, the fish may not be.

Limit: The state of Washington's limit on sea perch is 15 per day.

Method of Preparing the Catch: All specie of sea perch are also a very good eating fish if large enough to make it worthwhile. These fish can be filleted, & skillet fried, deep fried in peanut oil & batter dipped, or many other methods & can produce a nice change of diet for many.

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For a link to the below derby website CLICK HERE & entry forms 6th Annual Surf Perch Derby May 19th 2007

Long Beach Peninsula Community Calendar
Contact: Visitors Bureau Staff

Complete Description
6th Annual Surf Perch Derby (A Family Event) Saturday, May 20, 2006, Come enter Long Beach, Washington's 6th Annual Surf Perch Derby!

Pre-registration is $20.00 per person (or $25 on the day of the tournament) and includes a breakfast with "all you can eat pancakes" from 8 a.m. to 12 noon. Enjoy the world famous Kiwanis breakfast of pancakes, ham, scrambled eggs, cranberry juice, coffee and milk. Extra meals are $6.00 per person. The breakfast will be held at the Bolstad beach entrance at the north end of the boardwalk in Long Beach and is open to the public.

Questions? Contact Al Harper (360) 642-8322. Prizes are offered for the total weight of fish-caught for individual and 3-person teams: GUARANTEED! Individual Prize 1st Place ……………… $100.00 2nd Place…………… $50.00 3rd Place……………$25.00
3-Person Teams 1st Place………………$300.00 2nd Place……………$150.00 3rd Place…………… $90.00

Winners based on total weight of catch for individual and 3-person team. Heaviest Surf Perch Prize…………… $25.00 Team entries need to come in together. No extra fee for team event. $20.00 entry fee per person covers all. If you do not have a team, you will be placed with others not having a team. Registration ends at 10 am on the day of the derby at the booth at the Bolstad Approach at the north end of the Boardwalk. This booth is also the weigh-in location.
Weigh-in can be done from 12 noon to 4 pm. Winners will be announced at 4:30 pm. Raffle drawings and door prize drawings will also be conducted at this time. Those taking part in the derby must possess required fishing permits/licenses from the State of Washington Dept. of Fish &\ Wildlife. This Derby is sponsored by the City of Long Beach with the support of the Kiwanis Club, Ocean Park Area Lions, and Long Beach Lions. The beach on the Long Beach Peninsula is a public beach and highway. Those using the beach are responsible for their own safety, not the sponsors and volunteers of this event. Please be careful.

The 2006 derby 1st place brought in 64lbs total & 53lbs was good for 3rd . The big fish for the day weighed in at 3.02#

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Beach Perch Fishing Derby at the Westport/Grayland / Tokeland area May 26, 2007
Entry fee $20.00, no ticket sales after 9:AM derby day & weigh in closes at 4 PM,
Awards at 5PM at weigh in station at Angler Charters across from float 8 in Westport
pay out to be cash, based on percentage of ticket sales
360-268-1030 or www.anglercharters.net

Originated 6-05-04, Last updated 03-02-2007
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