Season: Monterey Bay and the adjacent ocean coast features some of the most diverse populations of surfperch( Embiotocidae family) found along the Pacific coast. The season is open year round.

Sand Crab Classic Information: Mike Baxter or Allen Bushnell, the Let’ s Go Fishing Radio Show, ww. theletsgofishingradioshow. com. Call Mike Baxter at( 831) 685-0900.

Camping and Lodging: Plenty of motels, hotels and campgrounds are available in the cities of Santa Cruz, Capitola, Aptos, Watsonville, Marina, Seaside and Monterey, but you need to book lodging well in advance, especially during periods of good weather

Contacts: Monterey County Convention & Visitors Bureau, 787 Munras Ave # 110, Monterey, CA 93940, Visitor Information, 888-221-1010( toll free), https:// www. seemonterey. com /

Santa Cruz County Conference and Visitors Council, 303 Water Street # 100, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, Phone: 831-425-1234 or 1-800-833-3494, Fax 831-425-1260, Email: comments @ santacruz. org, www. santacruzca. org

Boat ramps: Most anglers target perch from piers and beaches, but anglers also catch them from boats. Public boat launching is available at Monterey Harbor, the U. S. Coast Guard Pier, Moss Landing and Santa Cruz Harbor.

Fishing information: You can get perch tackle and information on fishing conditions in the bay at Bayside Marine, Santa Cruz,( 831) 475-2173; Santa Cruz Boat Rentals,( 831) 423-1739; Capitola Boat & Bait,( 831) 462-2208 and J & D Auto Gone Fishing, Monterey,( 831) 899-1111.

Año Nuevo Point( New Years Island)

To San Francisco Año Nuevo State Reserve

Natural Bridges State Park

1

Fishing Notes

Davenport

Santa Cruz Wharf

• Barred Perch are found mainly off the beaches and at the end of piers near the surf line. Among the top places to pursue them are Natural Bridges, Twin Lakes, Capitola, New Brighton, Seacliff, Manresa, Sunset, Zmudowski, Moss Landing, Salinas River, Marina and Monterey state beaches. Redtail and Silver Perch also show occasionally in the catches off the beaches. Fishing plastic grubs such as the Berkley Gulp saltwater products on light 6 to 10 pound test spinning gear has become increasingly popular in recent years. Pileworms, bloodworms, mussels, grass shrimp and sand crabs are the top baits.

• Rubberlip, Black, Rainbow, Striped, Splittail, Walleye, Pile and Shiner Perch are caught around pilings around wharves and around rocky stretches of shoreline. Among the many good areas to try include the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf, Capitola Wharf, Cement Ship at Seacliff State Beach, Elkhorn Slough and Monterey Fisherman’ s Wharf # 2.

• Brown, blue, grass and kelp rockfish, cabezon and lingcod are also taken by anglers pursuing the perch, particularly in rocky areas with kelp.

• Make sure that you check the DFG’ s Ocean Sport Fishing regulations booklet on the web( www. dfgca. gov) before going fishing to review the latest seasons, bag limits and other regulations for these fish. Shore fishing for rockfish is open year round.

1

Santa Cruz Small Craft Harbor

Twin Lakes St. Beach

Santa

Cruz Capitola

San Lorenzo R.

Cypress Point

17

Soquel Point

To San Jose

Capitola Pier

Fisherman‘ s Fisherman‘ s

Wharf # 2

Wharf Point Piños

Carmel River St. Beach

Monterey

Pebble Beach

Manresa St. Beach

Carmel

Capitola St. Beach

New Brighton St. Beach

Aptos

Seacliff St. Beach

Sunset 1

St. Beach

Zmudowski

St. Beach Moss Landing Pier & St. Beach

1

Salinas River St. Beach

Marina St. Beach

Presidio of Monterey

Annex

1

Seaside Pacific Grove Carmel Highway

Moss Landing

Marina

Salinas

17 Mile Drive Carmel River

To San Luis Obispo

Pajaro R.

G17

CSUS Monterey

Watsonville Sl.

Watsonville

Castroville

183

156

Salinas

Phil Cabato won first place in the senior seaperch division with a two-pound, four-ounce red tail perch measuring 14 5 / 8 inches caught off San Gregorio.

Photo by DAN BACHER, Fish Sniffer Staff.

by bagging a one-pound, 7.7-ounce fish measuring 13 1 / 8 inches off Rio Del Mar.

She was fishing with her granddad, Albert, from Stockton, and her dad, Anthony Anchetta.

Olivia Shallenberger placed second with a one-pound, 5.3-ounce perch measuring 13 inches. She only divulged that she caught it“ in the ocean.” Sebastian H. finished third with a one-pound, 4.3-ounce fish landed off West Cliffs Drive in Santa Cruz.

Julian Renz took first in the junior sea perch division by catching a one-pound, 13.10-ounce redtail perch measuring 13

7 / 8 inches off Rio Del Mar.

Camille Cortazzo placed second with a one-pound, 8.6-ounce striped perch measuring 13 inches caught off West Clliffs Drive. Likewise, her sister, Samara Cortazzo, placed third with a one-pound, 8.3-ounce pile perch also landed off West Clliffs

The exotic species division of the event has featured everything from a leopard shark to a boat sewage tank reeled in during the Tsunami of 2011.

This year the exotic entries included a 20 lb. bat ray caught and released by Zach Donnelly and an emperor sandcrab landed by Tyler.

However, it was Nelson Borges who, in addition to landing a one-pound, 4.8-ounce perch, brought in a bikini bottom, winning the category by acclamation from applause he received.

During the barbecued lunch, I sat next to Bob Aoichi from Morgan Hill who had been perch fishing with his family. The last time I saw him was at Lyons Reservoir on the Stanislaus River in spring of 2003 as I was leaving with a limit of trout and one catfish. Amazingly, I had just seen the same angler at the Coyote Bait and Tackle Bass Tournament and Anderson Reservoir two weeks before I saw him at Lyons.

Mike Baxter MC’ d the event, with Tom Zizzo serving as the“ Vanna White” of the awards ceremonies.

“ We raised $ 5,000 for the Monterey Bay Salmon and Trout Project last year – and we hope to raise another $ 5,000 this year,” said Baxter.

Winning anglers receive trophies and rod / reel combinations for the events, but not cash prizes.

“ It’ s all on the honors system,” said Baxter.“ If you cheat, you will be cursed if you take the trophy home.”

The perch tournament is held the second Saturday of March out of Santa Cruz every year.

The event helps fund the Monterey Bay Salmon and Trout Project( MBSTP) a model conservation organization that has been working to restore and enhance native steelhead and salmon populations in the greater Monterey Bay region since 1976. The event is limited to the first 300 entries – and they sell out each year.

In January, MBSTP hatchery staff and volunteers participated in a coho salmon spawning day at the Kingfisher Flat Genetic Conservation Hatchery. On these days, mature female coho salmon are netted from rearing pools and checked for spawn-readiness using an ultrasound machine. Those fish found to be‘ ripe’ are spawned, and their eggs are mixed with viable milt from onsite male broodstock.

Allen Bushnell is the co-organizer of the event with Mike Baxter. Both are hosts of the Let’ s Go Fishing Radio Show on 1080 AM Radio in Santa Cruz.

The entry fee is $ 40.00 for adults and $ 30.00 for juniors( under 16 years old). Meal only tickets are available at the door for $ 10.00.

I have participated in every Sand Crab Classic since the first one was held in January 2015. It is the only event of its kind in California – and I applaud Mike Baxter, Allen Bushnell and the many sponsors of the event for doing the hard work every year to make this derby happen!

Online entry and full information is HERE www. sandcrabclassic. com

Julian Renz won first place in the junior sea perch division by catching a one-pound, 13.10-ounce redtail perch measuring 13 7 / 8 inches off Rio Del Mar.

Photo by DAN BACHER, Fish Sniffer Staff.