Manrisa Beach Perching /Santa Cruz Pier 10/21

Fished the in-coming tide at Manresa and caught a few 10" barred perch with-in the first hour of fishing. I guess 10" barred perch is typical for this stretch of beach cause I never catch any thing bigger.

 By ten O'clock the tide peaked and all the dead seaweed started to get washed back out into all the prime fishing holes. That pretty much killed it for me ! (not to much fun when you have to keep cleaning the weeds off from your line and hook).    The conditions were just right for the surfers though because there were groups of them scattered up and down the beach.  Looks like they were having a great time.               

I decide to check out Santa Cruz Pier since I got a report that there were mackrel being caught. Not Much going on as far as fishing except for small kingfish, Jacksmelt and Anchovies. I rigged up with a size 14 Sabik's jigs and spent the next four hours catching 4" Anchovies.

Ended the day with 5 barred perch and over a hundred Anchovies

okay, alien, don't tell me you are going to bbq those anchovies?!?!?

what's the plan there?

J

let me guess, first a really sharp fillet knife, a sedative to steady the hand and then BAM!  Chovy fillets for the ceasar salad right?

Eugene

Ever have Fish sticks! 

Well " I'm  going to put a cornstarch batter on them and fry them up whole. Comes out with a crunch! 

let me guess, first a really sharp fillet knife, a sedative to steady the hand and then BAM!  Chovy fillets for the ceasar salad right?

Eugene

That would of been a good Idea!

I knew several guys in San Diego that swore by whole fried chovies.

MolBasser

I have had whole fried Anchovies as an appetizer at a Greek Restaurant and also as a Tapas plate at a Spanish restaurant in London. Deliciious! Maybe I should go get some. BTW, that Mackeral are all over Santa Cruz just outside the Harbor by the sailing buoy. If I have been fishing for them, would have had a great day Sunday 

For those of you who ever went grunion hunting in southern cal that's how we cooked the ones we caught.  Dipped in batter and deep fried.  Like eating fish french fries...the bones were not a problem.  Catching grunion late at night on the beach, by hand was quite a southern cal adventure.

Yep, same guy that liked the chovies sang big praises for grunion.

I only used them for bait.  Slays the halibut.

MolBasser

Went out on a half day boat in San Diego, when the day was done there was a half dozen old timers bagging the live bait, mostly sardines.  Deckhand told me they were c&r'ing the baracuda and taking the bait home for dinner.  After tasting the barries I realized why   

Barracuda is good if you cook it right.

MUST BLEED!

In fact, if I am going to eat ANY fish these days I bleed them.

MolBasser

I just got back from Italy and in Cinque Terra (close to PortoFino) they eat fried anchovies, marinated anchovies in lemon and olive oil and baked ones.  All were pretty good! 

Jody

Cinque terra (pronounced Chin kway tair ah) is an incredible place. The ambience, the food. Qui bella!  Molto squisito! Bravo!