How to Catch Surf Perch - Oregon Coast

The aim for this page is to provide a basic guide to help new fisherman catch more redtail surf perch on the Oregon coast.  It will be updated from time to time.

Best time

Surf perch can be caught year round along the Oregon coast.  There is no one month that will be better than another month.

Tide is a far more critical factor than season when it comes to surf fishing.  The best times are usually 2 hours before high slack tide and 2 hours after high slack tide.  So, it's best to arrive at your spot 2 hours before high tide and fish until it's about 2 hours after high slack (peak) tide.

Most or all beaches along the Oregon coast will have surf perch.

Rod and reel

A good rod length to use is a 8 foot or longer salmon rod.  I recommend the Okuma Celilo 9'6" salmon rod.  It is a light action rod that works really well for redtail surf perch.  You can buy the rod here:  https://amzn.to/302RyXL.

For a reel, the Daiwa BG 3000 or the Penn Battle 2 3000 will do just fine.  These reels are built tough and are both very reliable.

You can buy the Daiwa BG 3000 here:  https://amzn.to/306zxc0.

And the Penn Battle 2 3000 here:  https://amzn.to/30mAckN.

Bait

There are many options here.  You can use live bait such as sand shrimps, or sand crabs.  They work very well.  Other options include raw shrimp from the supermarket, or clam necks.  For plastics, I prefer to use the Gulp Sandworms to catch redtails surf perch.  The size I like are the 2" and in camo color.

You can buy the Gulp Sandworms here:  https://amzn.to/3055T79

Gulp Sandworms are my go-to baits, and I've had amazing success with them when catching redtails.

Below are some of my surf fishing videos to help you get started.  I have many other surf fishing videos on my channel, so be sure to check it out.  https://www.youtube.com/user/oregonfishingblog/videos

Gear & Tackle - Rig

For hooks, sizes 4 all the way up to a #1 will work (remember that bigger numbers = smaller hooks).  I usually like to use a #2 hook when rigging with the Gulp Sandworms.  When I'm using sand crabs, I go with a #1 hook.

For sinkers, I use a 2 oz when tying a HI-Lo rig.  When I setup a Carolina rig, I use a 1 oz sliding weight.


Presentation - How to catch them

I just cast out my bait as far as I can, and I let it sit there for about a minutes after my bait lands.  Then I slowly retrieve, and then I pause for about 10-15 seconds, then slowly reel in again.  Don't reel in too fast, and always pause for a few seconds.