Non-Yak Fishing near Monterey

I'll be taking a 5 yr.old boy to the aquarium soon and would like to take him on a short fishing trip as well.
Any suggestions on where to get into some surf perch close by?

It will be his first fishing venture and I'd like him to be able to actually catch a fish so a productive area would be helpful. You don't have to give up your super-secret glory hole....just point me in the right direction. Thanks.

Hey there Metalhead,
There are a few options to consider if you want to fish the Monterey coastline in February.
--surfperch from sandy beaches
--rockfish from rocky shoreline
--potluck off the Wharf or the Coast Guard jetty


Given that you'll be fishing w/child in tow, your options are slightly limited. I would either try for perch off the sandy beaches or try for potluck fish (rockfish, perch, eels, dabs, etc) from the CG jetty.


The best places to catch perch are towards the middle of the bay (Marina to Watsonville), where there's more wave action and turbidity. However, those might not be the best places to take a child....in which case, you might want to focus on the beaches closer to Monterey, where the wave action is less dangerous. Try the beach on the west side of Casa Verde Ave (from Del Monte Ave) or the beach by the freeway exit for Canyon Del Rey (aka the Beach Hotel). All you need is a 7-9ft rod w/8-12lb line, some sliding sinkers, swivels, hooks, and Kalins 1.5" grubs (in colors motor oil red flake or perch power). Thread the grub onto a size 6 or 8 baitholder hook. Or you can substitute those grubs with Gulp sandworms...I've had more success w/Gulp than grubs lately.
Rig it on a Carolina rig (sliding sinker) w/an 18" leader---sometimes I'll use heavier+stiffer line for the leader material to prevent dreaded line-twist in the leader [my regular setup is 8lb Trilene main line w/12lb Maxima green leader]. Remember, the perch are not out very far--they're often within 40ft of the shore. Vary your retrieves until you find a method that works. And sometimes just a slow, straight, steady retrieve works best....pausing as the wave recedes. You can also use this same setup w/bait. Have the little guy dig up some sandcrabs and keep them in a bucket w/water+sand and it's like a living aquarium of fun! Not to mention it'll keep him busy and make free bait!


The jetty can be a fun place for kids because there is plenty of interesting things to see, from the disgruntled sealions to the docked ships to the sealife in the jetty rocks. Here I would reccommend slightly heavier line, like 12-20lbs. Either use a sliding sinker or a high-low surf leader w/2 hooks. 2-3ozs should do the trick, along w/some 2/0 to 4/0 octopus hooks. For bait, I mainly use squid but other good baits include anchovies/sardines or shrimp. Try not to cast too far--you want to put your bait right along the inside edge of the kelp line, or right into the kelp. Lots of people drop their line straight down into the crevices in the jetty rocks.
Another relatively safe spot to bring kids is the Wharf. Although, the fishing usually stinks....literally!


Make sure to check the marine forecast and tide before going fishing. Here's the NOAA forecast: http://forecast.weather.gov/shmrn.php?mz=pzz535&syn=pzz500  And here's the tide predictor: http://tbone.biol.sc.edu/tide/sites_uswest.html
Lastly, for updated reports contact The Tackle Box in Salinas (Roger @ 831-757-9797) and/or J+D's Auto/Gone Fishin in Sand City (Jim @ 831-899-1111). Both are great shops with knowledgeable folks.

Feel free to send me a msg if you have any other questions.
Good Luck!
PK

Sin Coast,
You are a wealth of information plus a fine and wonderful person to boot....
Thanks for your help.