Surf Perch Report

[branches]

Another thread got us interested in Surf perch fishing so weekend before last my daughter and I Hit a beach north of the Queets river. We fished the low tide for 2 hours with no fish so we went south to Moclips to fish and fished the beach for 2 hours with no fish. We also fished this Saturday for 4 hours and we each caught 1 perch. The tide was at its High and we also saw about 14 other people fishing with about 5 fish caught for the day before we started after clams. It was fun to fish but we had to use 3oz. of weight to get a bite. Also I would make sure and use a life jacket. We wore ours and the waves and swells that would come up over your knees would move you around some. I guess this spring will be better for fishing but it sure was fun to get out and fish for something different.

[C-Money]

Nice! Glad you got out and at least caught something! I bet you learned a ton on your outings to put to use next time...

[Gobble Doc]

I tried a couple weeks ago at Long Beach using clam necks and got blanked.

[GWP]

Every time I have gone out lately, after a while of no bites, I spot seal’s. Hard to see them at times out in the surf.

[Backstrap]

Thanks for the report. Did you move up and down the beach trying to find them? That would be my #1 tip. Keep moving until you find fish. Food luck.

[Gobble Doc]

Thanks for the report. Did you move up and down the beach trying to find them? That would be my #1 tip. Keep moving until you find fish. Food luck.

I think this is good advice. I wasn’t fishing very seriously last time I went and didn’t explore much.

[Karl Blanchard]

I'm not even close to a pro at surf perch but what I do that seems to work well is walk the beach at low tide and look for low spots or pools. Come back there an hour before high tide and fish through the ebb. Continue to pay attention to where the water holds slack just a bit longer than other areas.

[jackelope]

I'm not even close to a pro at surf perch but what I do that seems to work well is walk the beach at low tide and look for low spots or pools. Come back there an hour before high tide and fish through the ebb. Continue to pay attention to where the water holds slack just a bit longer than other areas.

I’ve never fished surf perch, but have read about this technique.
Find the structure at low tide that creates current breaks. Mark them on a gps. Go back a little before high tide and fish those spots.

[Skyvalhunter]

I used to do it quite a bit after we dug razor clams. Used the very top of the clam neck (pre boiled) for bait. Between the crabs and the perch it was a blast. Definitely wear the life vest as you get tossed around a bit wading out there and stepping in those deeper spots keeps you on your toes.

[Karl Blanchard]

I used to do it quite a bit after we dug razor clams. Used the very top of the clam neck (pre boiled) for bait. Between the crabs and the perch it was a blast. Definitely wear the life vest as you get tossed around a bit wading out there and stepping in those deeper spots keeps you on your toes.

same for me. I've also always wondered if the fishing is artificially good right after a dig because of all the crunched clam pieces and disruption to the beach churning up additional food? Brings on the frenzy so to speak?

[PointBlank]

Here is a nice haul of perch off of Long Beach. Three person limit on incoming tide to one hour after high slack.

[Karl Blanchard]

Here is a nice haul of perch off of Long Beach. Three person limit on incoming tide to one hour after high slack.

break out the corn meal and get the grease hot! 

[PointBlank]

Yea buddy!!!

[Gobble Doc]

I used to do it quite a bit after we dug razor clams. Used the very top of the clam neck (pre boiled) for bait. Between the crabs and the perch it was a blast. Definitely wear the life vest as you get tossed around a bit wading out there and stepping in those deeper spots keeps you on your toes.

Interesting. I already dipped the clams in the boiling water to get them to open before cutting off the clam neck. Next time maybe I need to switch that up.

[lokidog]

I used to do it quite a bit after we dug razor clams. Used the very top of the clam neck (pre boiled) for bait. Between the crabs and the perch it was a blast. Definitely wear the life vest as you get tossed around a bit wading out there and stepping in those deeper spots keeps you on your toes.

Interesting. I already dipped the clams in the boiling water to get them to open before cutting off the clam neck. Next time maybe I need to switch that up.

A filet knife will slip right in without having to boil, from my experience.

I used to do it quite a bit after we dug razor clams. Used the very top of the clam neck (pre boiled) for bait. Between the crabs and the perch it was a blast. Definitely wear the life vest as you get tossed around a bit wading out there and stepping in those deeper spots keeps you on your toes.

same for me. I've also always wondered if the fishing is artificially good right after a dig because of all the crunched clam pieces and disruption to the beach churning up additional food? Brings on the frenzy so to speak?

This seems like a good assumption.

[Alchase]

I used to do it quite a bit after we dug razor clams. Used the very top of the clam neck (pre boiled) for bait. Between the crabs and the perch it was a blast. Definitely wear the life vest as you get tossed around a bit wading out there and stepping in those deeper spots keeps you on your toes.

Interesting. I already dipped the clams in the boiling water to get them to open before cutting off the clam neck. Next time maybe I need to switch that up.

A filet knife will slip right in without having to boil, from my experience.

I used to do it quite a bit after we dug razor clams. Used the very top of the clam neck (pre boiled) for bait. Between the crabs and the perch it was a blast. Definitely wear the life vest as you get tossed around a bit wading out there and stepping in those deeper spots keeps you on your toes.

same for me. I've also always wondered if the fishing is artificially good right after a dig because of all the crunched clam pieces and disruption to the beach churning up additional food? Brings on the frenzy so to speak?

This seems like a good assumption.

 

My Mom was amazing at snipping the clam necks off, plus she loved perch. She would have a pile of clam necks waiting for us to start fishing.
As others have said, while clamming (low tide) I always looked for submerged rock formations. I always seemed to have better luck near rocks.

[NRA4LIFE]

I'm going to try that.  I know a place where there are a lot of rocks that show at minus tides.