A break in the weather and smaller swells provided Monterey Bay anglers with much-needed opportunities to hit the beach this week. Surfcasting for perch is getting better with more, and bigger fish being reported caught.

One of the best aspects of surf perching on Monterey Bay is the amount of sandy space we anglers have to enjoy. Exploring new spots or hiking a mile or two down the beach away from the parking lot guarantees not only solitude but the opportunity to find the perfect beach structure that holds feeding perch.

Marina fisherman Robert Lonsinger usually fishes towards the Monterey side of the bay, and has reaped rewards lately with a strategy of extended hikes and starting early. Lonsinger targets the bigger holes and inside troughs on beaches towards the middle of the bay. Even when the waves are big, these spots can produce well. Of course, we all shoot for the largest fish possible, and Lonsinger is no exception saying, “I think perching has been good everywhere. (I look for) Lots of big holes and rougher water. I think only the big fish can deal with it.” On Wednesday he retained a near-limit of big barred surfperch, with the largest measuring 15 inches, pretty much the upper end of BSP size.

A new swell is forecast to move in this weekend, with waves forecast in the eight-10 foot region. Don’t let the high surf keep you from surfcasting. Take an opportunity to walk the long beaches and find some fantastic structure with big, feisty perch just waiting for you to cast. And, be extra careful of sneaker sets that can knock you off your feet.

The big swell this weekend is likely to deposit more sand in the Santa Cruz Harbor entrance. This week, the Harbor dredge operations were able to clear enough of a channel that a few boats transited the Harbor entrance. According to Port Director Lisa Ekers, the transits were not without worry.

Ekers reported “The Shana Rae and the Misty Dawn, both fairly deep-draft vessels, successfully exited the harbor this week, but watching them do it was both a nail-biter even for the most experienced boaters. These professional skippers know their vessels' capabilities and the fickleness of the ocean extremely well - even so, they only risked it at a +5 foot tide with the Harbor Patrol and Dauntless there to guide and assist if needed. Both vessels were perilously close to the east jetty and timed their escapes perfectly with the swell. The Port District is still not recommending transiting the entrance until the federal channel is restored back to safe depths, and can't guarantee that the Harbor Patrol will be available for assistance, so please - don't put your vessel, yourself or others at risk.”