Santa Cruz Perchin 3-9-15 / tips please

   Took the family to Santa Cruz for the weekend, to play on the Board Walk. Wife gave her blessing on some fishing and a new rod since we were staying right on the beach. Hit the beach before first light this morning, found a spot that produced some hits and one nice fish. Fished for 3 hours before I had to get back to the family, beautiful morning in Santa cruz, no one on the beach. Makes Mondays OK when your not working !   
   So I'm a novice at this perchin stuff, I've read the perchin article and as many post as I could, but I seem to be having a hard time hooking these perch. Got around 15 to 20 hits today for one fish. I'm using the Carolina rig with a motor oil grub ( 1" )  and a #6 Gamakatus baitholder. I've tried letting them take it, a steady pull to get a hook into them, and a soft hook set ( crappie set ). My last experience was at Pismo for a couple hours, catching a few small perch, and figured their size was the issue. I had a couple hard take downs today that make me think size of the fish isn't the issue.
   

Sounds like your doing better than me!    Although I've read Alex's article a few times, I had to ask him a few more questions before I started catching pretty much anything on the usual Carolina rig. But he told me to hook the grub straight through the bait, instead of threading it on the hook, letting the perch grub swivel a bit on the hook.  Once I started hooking that way, the bites turned more over into hook sets for me. That and the length of the leader has mattered, sometimes shorter sometimes longer. 

A few thoughts.

Did you check that your hook was still sharp?  Sand has a way of dulling a hook fast.

Was your hook buried deeply in the grub?  Try hooking the grub differently to expose more of the hook.  Bring it out sooner from the grub, or just nose hook the grub.  Or try a bigger hook.  I use #4 or #2 hooks.

-Allen

great picture ..nice fish

A few thoughts.

Did you check that your hook was still sharp?  Sand has a way of dulling a hook fast.

Was your hook buried deeply in the grub?  Try hooking the grub differently to expose more of the hook.  Bring it out sooner from the grub, or just nose hook the grub.  Or try a bigger hook.  I use #4 or #2 hooks.

-Allen

Sounds like your doing better than me!    Although I've read Alex's article a few times, I had to ask him a few more questions before I started catching pretty much anything on the usual Carolina rig. But he told me to hook the grub straight through the bait, instead of threading it on the hook, letting the perch grub swivel a bit on the hook.  Once I started hooking that way, the bites turned more over into hook sets for me. That and the length of the leader has mattered, sometimes shorter sometimes longer.

Thanks guys. Hooks were Sharp today, changed hooks a few times, still nada. Had no problem hooking my fingers. Hesitated sizing my hook up because the grubs were so small, guess i should tried anyway. Did change the grub hooking around so more the hook was exposed. Didn't think of nose hooking though. Is their any rule of thumb as to how long the leader should be, when to lengthen or shorten it. Max or minimum length? I'm going to read the perchin article again, I think it said in there.

Thanks for the help Allen and Alshobbie. That gives me some more things to try next time.

You were probably getting molested by little walleyes. Happens sometimes. 

I have had great times with those surf perch just south of you at Pajaro Dunes/Sunset Beach. Seems like they hit the back of the grub very often so we always were switching out chewed up motor oil (with red flake) grubs so we always had the little spinning tail. Funny, reading this conversation I never even thought about moving the hook further back.

Yeah I move the hook further back, didn't help at all. No lost tails either. All I know is I couldn't hook'em.  That's alright though, just gives me a reason to go again. Beat them into submission!

Happens to everyone.  You need to drop the hook to smaller size try #8 or 10.   Also may have to shorten the sandworm to about an inch.  All depends on size of fish.

If you can't hook the fish on a 2" grub or sandworm and a #4 hook then it's probably not worth catching anyway...

Yeah, they're probably just little guys.  I would suggest scaling down instead of up.  And for me, especially if I'm going to sneak away for only a few hours of fishing, ANY fish is worth catching!

I'm game for any fish that will nock the skunk off. I was already using a 1" grub, could of down sized the hook. Tried a 2" Big Hammer Grub, they didn't want any part of it. Gone nose hook and shorten the leader next time. Any one ever throw a skibi in the surf for tiny perch, to see what's molesting ya.

Absolutely!  Can catch those shiner perch with a Sabiki and a bobber.  Shorten the Sabiki to 3-4 hooks.

Good to know. Thanks