Surfcasters up and down the coast have been practicing these last few weeks, readying themselves for the biggest fishing contest of the year. Even more important than readying the gear, and choosing the lure or bait preferred is finding the best location for Saturday's 10th Annual Sand Crab Classic Perch Derby. Yes, our largest fishing competition features the smallest of our available sport fish, the surfperch.


Surf perching is a go-to activity in the winter season on Monterey Bay, when the weather and seas are often too nasty to get out of the harbor for crabbing or stacking the sand dabs in five-gallon buckets. Far from a simple activity, surf perching requires a good eye for conditions, and knowledge of perch feeding habits as well as their preferred prey. For those entered onto the Derby on Saturday, good luck and here are some tips.


Bait will always work for surf perch and is often preferred by some anglers when wind, waves and current are strong. Bait anglers can use a pyramid weight on the end of a two-hook leader, and load the hooks with mussels, clams, shrimp or the perennial favorite- live sandcrabs. Tossing the rig out to the deeper holes or troughs, an angler can sit back and watch the rod tip for nibbles and bites. The pyramid weight has the effect of digging into the sand, holding the rig in place. Bait fishing is appropriate not only for active surf zones, but also for deep pools below area cliffs and inside kelp beds where the larger black perch and striped perch abide. This technique also works well when fishing off the jetties or piers in our area.


Some anglers prefer artificial bait or lures. A sliding egg sinker over a three-foot leader to a #4 or #6 hook works very well for tossing grubs or plastic sandworms. Lately, the "Motor Oil Red Flake" grubs are working well, as are the GULP scented sandworms. If using the long worms and getting short bites with no fish hooked, try cutting the worm in half or even in thirds to improve your hookup rate. Casting artificials is a much more active style of perch fishing. The egg sinkers will flow along with the current and waves, which calls for repeated casting. The trick is to locate a good feeding area, gauge the littoral or rip current, and cast to a spot that will pull your bait into the deeper water, where hungry perch await. Throwing artificials is a lot like river fishing. You cast to a spot that will take your lure the area you want to reach. It is also important to keep the slack out of your line. Some perch bites are very subtle.


More valuable info and techniques can be found with a little online research. Try these websites for some expert education on the fine art of perch fishing:


www.santacruzflyfishermen.org/SurfFishingInfo.html.
www.zenflyfishing.com.
www.surf-perch.net.


Bushnell can also be heard Friday mornings at 6:45 on KSCO radio 1080 AM. Send your photos, comments or questions to scruzfishing@yahoo.com.