Surf fishing for the noob

[Majja]

I will be in Central CA for a week and would love to do a little Surf fishing. Can some one please give me some inside on what I would need tackle wise for surf perch or others that can be caught form the beach.

Thanks
Majja
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[tubeN2]

I'll be back on this one but to start, let me know what kind of poles you have in the 7' on up category. Do you bait cast, or use spin gear? I'll check back on this in the afternoon.[cool]
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[Majja]

I spin. And i have not got the rod yet, since the selection for salty gear is pretty meager here in SLC. I was going to look at some when I got down in CA. I have a 7ft MH spinning set up for fresh water currently. As well as a 6'6" UL, a 6' 8" light action drop shotter and a 6'6" M bait caster.
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[tubeN2]

Is your 7' MH a 2 piece or 1 piece? If you didn't want to buy another rod, I would go with the 7'. If it is 2 piece, it will be easier to travel with.

If your budget would allow, a 10 or 12', two or three piece would be better.

For fishing the Surf Perch you would need the equivelant of a Shimano 4000 series reel with some 12lb line on it. Okuma CD 50 would also work fine.

Tie a double drop shot with the first hook at @ 1foot from the bottom and the second one at 12 to 18 inches away from that one.

For heavier species on the same rod get yourself an Okuma CD 90 size reel with bait runner or equivelant size of another brand.

Spool that with some 20lb test. Tie a Dropper Loop with a long lead on it. Attatch a 4/0 or 6/0 Gamakatsu Octopus hook and a whole frozen squid. Cast out, set the reel in bait run set up, place in rod holder and wait for the attack.

There should still be some good Leopard Sharks in that area right now since the water is still warmer than normal. Leopard Sharks must be a minimum of 36 inches to keep and are very good eating.

Since you will be fishing from the beach, a fishing license will be required. If you fish from the Pier, you will NOT need a license even if you are from out of state.

Let me know if you have any more questions. I'll be glad to help.[cool]
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[Majja]

Thank you very much sir. I do have a Shimano 4000 Series on the MH and it is a 2 pc rod. I will look into the CD 90 and a 10-12 footer. There is always a need for a new rod. . So if I do decide to go after the sharks how do I process them.
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[tubeN2]

If you decide to keep 1 or 2 then you would be best to cut off the head, gut them and then steak them. Just find the joints in the spine. Cut all the way through with a very sharp knife.[cool]
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[chomponthis]

[left]sand crab works well surf fishing[/left]
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[tubeN2]

Sands crabs work well when you have those big Barred Surf Perch around.[cool]
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[Therapist]

If you are focusing on the Surf Perch, what set up do you suggest ????
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[tubeN2]

I would go with the Cut, Double Dropper Loop set up.

Simply tie 2 Dropper loops. The first one at 18inches from the bottom of the rig and the second one at around 24 to 30 inches above that one.

Cut one side of the loop so that you have a single strand sticking out of the line instead of a loop.

Tie one a #6 mustad 9174 hook. Attatch a 2 to 4oz weight depending on the strength of the waves. Attatch a small sand crab to each of the hooks and be prepared for the pull.

Good luck and please feel free to ask any other questions that you may have.

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