By Capt. Andy Martin – Growing up in Brookings, catching surfperch are among my earliest childhood memories. Abundant at area beaches, easy to catch, hard fighting, and good to eat, surfperch are an under-rated bounty of the Oregon Coast. These spectacular-looking fish are eager biters, and fun for anglers of all ages and skill levels. Even after a day on the water running a charter boat, I often walk to the beach near my home after work and catch surfperch during the spring and summer with my wife or grandkids. Catching surfperch never gets old – and its one of the best ways to enjoy a visit to the Oregon Coast.
Since they are relatively easy to catch, and the gear needed is inexpensive, even the occasional angler has a blast catching surfperch. The Brookings, Oregon, area has some of the best surfperch beaches on the coast, and the safest, with small breakers, easy-to-access beaches, and generally less wind than the rest of the Pacific Northwest.
Most anglers use what is known as a high-low rig for surfperch. A weight is attached at the bottom of a leader, with two hooks attached with dropper loops above the weight. The rig doubles the chances of hooking up, with two hooks, and with the weight on the bottom, it is easier to feel the bite.
A few keys to surfperch – the fish have small mouths, so small hooks and small baits must be used. I often see anglers attempt to catch surfperch and get frustrated as others around them are catching fish after fish. The biggest mistake is using too big of a hook or bait. Generally, use a bait the size of a fingernail and no bigger than a thumbnail. A size 6 to 4 baitholder hook works best. Try using a size 1/0 or bigger hook and you may get a bite, but likely won’t hook the surfperch.
Pancake sinkers work best. Bank sinkers or pyramid sinkers will also work. Round cannon ball style sinkers will roll around, and make it easier for waves to wash them back to shore. During conditions with small swells or light currents, weights as light as 2 ounces will work. Upwards of 6 ounces are needed when breakers and swells are bigger. In snaggy, rocky areas, many anglers will use larger slinkies, or pencil lead with surgical tubing.
For bait, remember smaller is better. Many anglers use larger raw shrimp or prawns, but cut them into small pieces, again about the size of a fingernail, or dime. These baits stay on the hook well, and are a favorite bait of both redtail and striped surfperch. Berkley Gulp! sandworms also work well for surfperch, especially the 2″ camo colored baits. Raw clams and mussels are another extremely effective surfperch bait. If conditions are calm, with light swells, cooked salad shrimp will work, but in rougher water, that bait will easily be washed off the hooks.
A medium-sized spinning combo works best for surfperch. Around Brookings, a 7 1/2-foot rod is ideal. In areas with larger breakers and waves, a longer rod may be necessary. The same rod and reel used for bass fishing at the lake, or steelhead, will work for surfperch. Lighter lines, no more than 20 pound test, works best, as heavier diameters will get washed toward the beach faster by incoming waves.
Surfperch can be caught year round near Brookings, but the best fishing is in the late winter, spring and summer. Striped surfperch move close to the beach in the late winter and spring to spawn. Unlike most fish, they give live birth near the surf. Striped surfperch like gravel, sandy and rocky beaches, and tidepools that are covered at high tide. March through May are prime time. The Winchuck Beach, McVay Rock State Park, Sporthaven (Port of Brookings) Beach, both jetties of the Chetco River, Chetco Point Park and Lone Ranch State Park are hot spots for
Redtail surfperch will spawn later. They are caught from March through September. Crissy Field Welcome Center, right on the Oregon-California border, is a hot spot for redtails, along with Harris Beach, Lone Ranch, Kissing Rock in Gold Beach and the sandspit at the mouth of the Rogue River.
Surfperch like to feed right next to shore on the breaker line. Often anglers cast too far and overshoot fish holding within a few feet of the beach. Capt. Michael details how to catch surfperch in this video.
Surfperch season is open year round in Oregon. The limit is 15 per day, with no size limit.
To learn more about surfperch fishing, stop by Brookings Bait and Tackle at the Port of Brookings. To learn more about ocean fishing charters, visit www.brookingsfishing.com.
