#surfperch

Ocean Surf Fishing along the beautiful California coast is one of the most relaxing ways to spend a day or two. Hidden below the waves are fish ranging from Perch to Halibut to many other species looking for a meal. Surf fishing involves wading ankle-deep out into the incoming waves. Tossing your bait selection as far as you can into the deepening water. When heading out for an afternoon, I usually have 8-10 types of artificial baits and my trusty rake. The rake is for digging out sand crabs. What's fun about this type of fishing is that you can use freshwater tackle. Saltwater is corrosive and will devour tackle not saltwater specified even if you're meticulous about cleanup. Call it suicide, but when I go out ocean surf fishing, my rig consists of a spinning reel loaded with 10 or 12-lb monofilament line. One would think I'm fishing for panfish but in the back of my mind is the potential for larger species. Those species include striped bass, white seabass, and halibut. Sharks are always in the water but nothing to worry about other than getting busted off. Ocean Surf Fishing Bait(s) of ChoiceOther than telling you what I use, you're on your own deciding what to throw into the drink, okay? Many surf fishermen use soft plastic baits, hard plastic baits, spoons, and live sand crabs. Live bait usually out fishes artificials but you never know what's lurking under the surface. Overall, plastic baits produce more bites across a wider number of species but having access to live bait reduces the risk of being skunked.Fish caught in the surf is not bad table fare. For me, the real prize when ocean surf fishing is Halibut. When using larger bait in the surf, you must consider using heavier lines with fluorocarbon leaders. Halibut has sharp teeth, get large, and are mean making it a challenge to land anywhere. Stripped Bass can also be caught when surf fishing so tackle selection is important and centered around bait choice. There are many other flavorful species available so try what you catch and decide for yourself what you like to eat. Ocean surf fishing is fun and good exercise. Being out on the water always makes me feel at peace whether I catch fish or not. Please take a moment to peruse our online store where you can see many of the baits I personally use. Most rigs the serious ocean surf fishing community uses are extremely long rods and the reels can get expensive. I started off with low-end tackle and graduated to the good stuff once I decided surf fishing is something I was interested in. And with all the walking I've managed to lose weight and improve my health. Ocean Surf Fishing is one of the best cardio exercises available. PSASharks are often caught in the surf so keep that in the back of your mind when tossing bait into the surf. I usually release the large "breeders" to keep the species safe so feel free to contribute to the next generation.