surf fishing

Got myself a light tackle surf outfit. But don't know where to go! I know they say the bite is decent up in Marin for Stripers, but anyone got any local SC spots? Perch, stripers I'm just looking to catch something!

 

  You'll get a few replies.  Me personally, I haven't done any fishing this year due to work travel and leaking roof (Repaired)  but, when I did, I tried just south of Sunset beach, down from the Pajaro dunes (South).   Did a Fish & Chill with a few here a few years ago, I think it was HMB, I remember I landed a small BSP then.
  good luck, post where & how you do.

for perch most any beach that has some type of wave action.  If I had to choose just one area, I would opt for Manresa beach and south. Stripers are seasonal and somewhat rare. Capitola and locations south are typically good in the summer.

Surf perch are usually everywhere, if you find sand crabs you can use them as bait . It's always worth a try by throwing a buck tail out there just to scout the area. Who knows you might come up with a striper or halibut .

Hey Chewy,

you're hometown hosts one of the best surf perch fishing tourneys! Seacliff, Manresa, Capitola, etc; and if you venture more south, that's where some of the winners are pulled out from....

Red Flake Motor Oil grub on a carolina rig!!! and just look for holes (pockets) in the surf...... you find them!!!

Thanks for all the info. Was planning on going out today but it seems I misplaced my sunglasses!!! That plus my ongoing costochondritis, is making me think today is a day to stay home. I will try to get out there tomorrow.

Im either going to carolina rig or do a jig head with 5" plastic with a #4 hook with a grub 12" higher.

The strippers are an east coast transplant into San Francisco Bay so they are found in the bay and as far south the beaches around  Half Moon Bay in numbers. Few make it down to Monterey Bay.

Beach areas near tidal flow like at Elkhorn Slough or river mouths (Aptos Creek, Pajaro River, Salinas River, etc.) are usually the most productive areas for surf fishing. Structure helps if it is within reach of your rod and reel and technique.

The same rod and reel you have for the beaches can also work at public piers and at a jetty (SC Harbor, Moss Landing) or off the rocks.

I have not fished at 4 Mile Beach as I dread going through the SC area with all the traffic, but this has been a productive spot of late. It is also not too far for a SC denizen to go to the beaches around Davenport. 

The strippers are an east coast transplant into San Francisco Bay so they are found in the bay and as far south the beaches around  Half Moon Bay in numbers. Few make it down to Monterey Bay.

Bummer, somebody better tell those hundreds of stripers I've caught in the last few years! Or all the peninsula locals that have been coming down here the past few years (although the surf striper folks are a pretty tight-lipped bunch).
You can find stripers in the same areas as surfperch. But you're more likely to encounter them near rivermouths, in general (Salinas and Pajaro). Also, you want to find a beach with plenty of wave action--they thrive on the turbulence that riles up food (sandcrabs mostly). Same deal for perch.

I would personally start by casting a 1.5" Kalins grub on a Carolina rig. Plan to cover a lot of ground and try to be mobile (aka don't bring the kitchen sink...just a backpack of gear and 1 rod). Those Gulp sandworms are pretty good too. 
Look for irregularities in the surf hydraulics...those are indicative of structure: troughs, rips, bars, holes, etc. Make a few casts at different angles then move down 50ft and repeat. Until you've found some perch or covered a mile of sand.  Then tie on a bucktail jig or swimbait or spoon and start casting for sripers/halibut as you walk back to the car. 

From north to south, the beaches I would suggest include: Seacliff/RDM, Manresa, Sunset or Palm, Zmudowski, Moss landing, Salinas River, Marina Dunes, Reservation Rd, Ft Ord Dunes, and Tioga St. Some are free and others require a day-use fee...I tend to avoid those haha. My favorites are probably Zmudowski and Reservation Rd.

http://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php?topic=16692.msg162040#msg162040
http://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php?topic=11868.msg110225#msg110225
http://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php?topic=7216.msg61461#msg61461


Also, if you want to change it up and target rockfish, cabs, lings from shore that's an option too. But an entirely different technique & conversation

+1 on that list of beaches Pat mentioned.  That whole stretch has fish in, what appears to be, good numbers.  I've sat up on the cliffs many-a-time and watched guys haul in good sized/quan of 'em.  Seasonal but I would well imagine that there are local fish year round too.

Perch can be caught year round. I usually us a MORF colored 2" grub, #2 bait holder and a 12"-20" leader depending on conditions. 1 oz weight. Carolina rigged. I've had good success in beach's from moss landing to Monterey. I would start working you local beaches and go from there. I've heard Capitola is a good spot but have never fished there.
Let us know how you do!
Tight lines,

GS

Have caught multiple Striper at Carmel Beach..... yeah, there. Also Salinas River State Beach, (the long walk). Also Marina. Pencil Poppers, bucktails in white/red. Perch at any beach with sand crab.

going to try perching today ! Headed down to Manresa and work my way down to maybe Mosslanding

Caught a couple little guys at zmudowski. Did not do my homework on how big they should be to keep! So it was catch and release. I used Gulp sand worms cut in half. Then threw a buck tail with no luck. Had a good time thanks for all the info.

The transplant is public knowledge and the fact that you do not know the facts is a measure of your own laziness and ignorance. Easy enough to check the information if you have access to a computer and the internet.

Look at the numbers of strippers being caught and the location. Lots are being currently caught inside SF bay. How many strippers have been caught in Monterey Bay this year?

My odds of catching one is 100x as great inside SF Bay as it is off the beaches of Monterey Bay. There have been strippers caught around the Half Moon Bay area this year as well. I have not seen a single report of a single stripper caught in 2014 off one of our beaches.

Anyone who says they have caught hundreds of strippers off the beaches of Monterey Bay is not being truthful and not helping the OP by making such claims.

The transplant is public knowledge and the fact that you do not know the facts is a measure of your own laziness and ignorance. Easy enough to check the information if you have access to a computer and the internet.

Look at the numbers of strippers being caught and the location. Lots are being currently caught inside SF bay. How many strippers have been caught in Monterey Bay this year?

My odds of catching one is 100x as great inside SF Bay as it is off the beaches of Monterey Bay. There have been strippers caught around the Half Moon Bay area this year as well. I have not seen a single report of a single stripper caught in 2014 off one of our beaches.

Anyone who says they have caught hundreds of strippers off the beaches of Monterey Bay is not being truthful and not helping the OP by making such claims.

ok......thanks?