Oregon Surf Perch

[TheHumungus]

Spent the day fishing Gearhart Beach yesterday for Surf Perch. Came up empty but had a great time. Was fishing with live sand fleas.

Anyone else on these boards fish for Surf Perch? I'd be interested to hear where your favorite beach is for fishing, ease of access, etc...

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[edslhead]

I use clam necks and 2 hooks. Incoming tide seems best. I give em a half hour or so at a spot and if nothing move on. Ive always fished Long Beach, not sure whats good in OR.

 

[jbett98]

North side of Barview Jetty on an incoming tide, with the bait tossed behind the third row of combers hitting the beach.
Clam necks on a crappie rig with old spark plugs as weights.
They slide better then triangle lead weights when you retrieve them through the rocks as you scramble high and dry from those sneaker king waves that just love to wash you off the lower rocks.
Best when it's a dark moon because the pink finned perch are hungrier because they couldn't feed by the moonlight.

 

[Flymph]

Well the sandworms breed during new moons, which is something I hear perch like, so that might be another reason.
I usually fish off the jetties and in tillamook bay, but haven't done a whole lot.

 

[arakboss]

Spent the day fishing Gearhart Beach yesterday for Surf Perch. Came up empty but had a great time. Was fishing with live sand fleas.

Anyone else on these boards fish for Surf Perch? I'd be interested to hear where your favorite beach is for fishing, ease of access, etc...

Try these next time, we caught quite a few with them including one in photo:

Amazon.com : NEW Berkley Gulp! Saltwater Fishing Lure 2" SANDWORM GSSW2-C CAMO : Sports & Outdoors

Amazon.com : NEW Berkley Gulp! Saltwater Fishing Lure 2" SANDWORM GSSW2-C CAMO : Sports & Outdoors

www.amazon.com

 

[Flymph]

Save yourself a couple bucks and buy them locally tho. Sportsman's, Fisherman's, Barview Jetty Store, Tillamook Sporting goods all have those Berkley Sandworms in stock.
They are good bait, but sometimes you need clam necks or live sandshrimp, but it never hurts to keep some artificials with you.

 

[TheHumungus]

I appreciate the posts! I've used the Camo Berkley worms as well on a dual hook rig. I am going to fish the beach at Pacific City next weekend and will see how it goes..

 

[SUPER X]

I appreciate the posts! I've used the Camo Berkley worms as well on a dual hook rig. I am going to fish the beach at Pacific City next weekend and will see how it goes..

I used to do well off the docks in Garibaldi But that was many years ago.

 

[DirectDrive]

I appreciate the posts! I've used the Camo Berkley worms as well on a dual hook rig. I am going to fish the beach at Pacific City next weekend and will see how it goes..

Wrangle your way onto a dory boat for a good ol' time, if you can.

 

[Mikej]

I used to do well off the docks in Garibaldi But that was many years ago.

Do you mean the old coast Guard dock in Garibaldi? Man, there was a few years there that the the pile perch were crazy under that walk way around the pilings out in front of the boathouse. They were the size of dinner plates sometimes.

To the OP... Do you get out there well before high tide and scope out where the water comes in closest to shore? So you'll know where the deeper water, troughs will be when the tide is in. Watching for the darker water as the waves come and go shows where deeper water close to shore is.

 

[TheHumungus]

Do you mean the old coast Guard dock in Garibaldi? Man, there was a few years there that the the pile perch were crazy under that walk way around the pilings out in front of the boathouse. They were the size of dinner plates sometimes.

To the OP... Do you get out there well before high tide and scope out where the water comes in closest to shore? So you'll know where the deeper water, troughs will be when the tide is in. Watching for the darker water as the waves come and go shows where deeper water close to shore is.

Fishing was slow for me b/c I was not fishing at optimal times... I got down to the beach early and fished until noon as the crowds started working their way on to the beach. I knew as soon as the sun came out, the traffic on the beach would grow. When I left, the line of cars going to Seaside was backed up from the McDonalds in Seaside all the way to the turn-off from 26. I also personally don't like it when beach-walkers or dog-walkers approach me while I'm fishing to ask me about what I'm catching. Most are genuinely curious, but many are inconsiderate and rude. A full tour bus of Koreans emptied on to the beach right where I was fishing then I knew it was time to leave... I like try to fish the incoming tide, 2 to 3 hours before high tide, but the tides did not work out for me on Saturday. I left the beach at noon. Still, being out on the beach in the surf early in the day is very relaxing. I've caught perch along the beach at Gearhart before, but I did not help my chances much by fishing at an odd time...

 

[Mikej]

Fishing was slow for me b/c I was not fishing at optimal times... I got down to the beach early and fished until noon as the crowds started working their way on to the beach. I knew as soon as the sun came out, the traffic on the beach would grow. When I left, the line of cars going to Seaside was backed up from the McDonalds in Seaside all they way to the turn-off from 26. I also personally don't like it when beach-walkers or dog-walkers approach me while I'm fishing to ask me about what I'm catching. Most are genuinely curious, but many are inconsiderate and rude. A full tour bus of Koreans emptied on to the beach right where I was fishing then I knew it was time to leave... I like try to fish the incoming tide, 2 to 3 hours before high tide, but the tides did not work out for me on Saturday. I left the beach at noon. Still, being out on the beach in the surf early in the day is very relaxing. I've caught perch along the beach at Gearhart before, but I did not help my chances much by fishing at an odd time...

I haven't surf fished much, just read about it mostly. What I've heard makes good sense though. I'm looking forward to surf perching once we move. Less people, walking flat beaches, etc. Considering what's happened to the salmon/steelhead fisheries I used to do around here I can dig it.

Yeah, going to the coast closest to potland when it's in the 90s? Not going to do it! We had a train cab ride on the Garibaldi to Rockaway on one of those 90+ degree, midweek, days in June. Going down there at 8:30 in the morning was getting bad. All that relaxation a person would get would be gone well before potland city limit because of the "Coming back from the coast" traffic.

 

[Flymph]

Waited ten minutes to pull onto 26 yeasterday the traffic was that bad! Endless line of beach goers and those returning!

I've fished the coast guard dock, only caught little guys and never any good crab.
I do better north of there.

 

[Legs]

Spent the day fishing Gearhart Beach yesterday for Surf Perch. Came up empty but had a great time. Was fishing with live sand fleas.
Anyone else on these boards fish for Surf Perch? I'd be interested to hear where your favorite beach is for fishing, ease of access, etc...

Seaside Cove area works for me. Clam necks, double hook set up with spark plugs..... Same rigging for flounder in the Necanicum River estuary.

 

[bbbass]

I haven't fished the surf in Oregon. In S Calif we used these sand crabs, only the ones with soft shells. Does Oregon beaches have them?

 

[Flymph]

I haven't fished the surf in Oregon. In S Calif we used these sand crabs, only the ones with soft shells. Does Oregon beaches have them?

Yeah, tons! They're called mole crabs and the primary diet of surf perch in the surf. In the bays they eat more sand worms, clams and sandshrimp.
Great bait, and can only be caught by hand. Unfortunately I think they just bred and died off so you'll probably be hard pressed to find any.

 

[Flymph]

I haven't fished the surf in Oregon. In S Calif we used these sand crabs, only the ones with soft shells. Does Oregon beaches have them?

Yeah, tons! They're called mole crabs and the primary diet of surf perch in the surf. In the bays they eat more sand worms, clams and sandshrimp.
Great bait, and can only be caught by hand. Unfortunately I think they just bred and died off so you'll probably be hard pressed to find any.

IIRC Gulp actually makes an imitation of these, but I've only seen them at Tillamook sporting goods and the Barview Jetty Store.

 

[MannyGlocks]

Surf Perch, never eaten any, mild or fishy?

P.S. I've done a lot of surf fishing in the Gulf of Mexico using 52M28 Mirrolures, 1/4 oz. silver and chartreuse spoons (some swear by 1/2 or 3/4 oz, but I like 1/4 oz) and of course lots of different soft, gummy bear/soft plastic types of lures.

Primarily seeking what we call Specks and Red Fish with the occasional flounder when bumping along the bottom.

Man, I miss wade fishing.

 

[bbbass]

The forum servers are misbehaving!

Surf Perch, never eaten any, mild or fishy?


Man, I miss wade fishing.

Mild.

It would seem a trip to the coast is in order. I wish I could go. Fond memories of wading into the surf in North Carolina to cast for Bluefish!!!!!

 

[TheHumungus]

I haven't fished the surf in Oregon. In S Calif we used these sand crabs, only the ones with soft shells. Does Oregon beaches have them?

I use this sand flea rake to scoop up these bad boys... Amazon.com : Fish-N-Mate 181 Med Sand Flea Rake, 10-Inch : Fishing Equipment : Sports & Outdoors

I usually find plenty of them in tidal pools on the beach at low tide... Find the sand crabs, you'll usually find the perch in the surf...