Surfperch Breeding and Aggression: Why to Use Lures in the Spring
Early winter, I published an article on “Surfperch Fishing to Heat Up in the Month Ahead”. What was my reasoning for this? Well, other than the fact that winter/spring is effectively surfperch season in So Cal, I referenced my reports from the last couple of years.
Mussel Meat Has Been Great, But…
Towards the bottom of that article, I wrote a little piece on the comparison of mussel meat and lures like the Lucky Craft FM 110. I delved in a little bit to which bait would be better during which parts of the season. If you haven’t read that article, I recommend that you give it a skim at-least.
It’s February now and I’ve got a feeling that the transition I was talking about may be happening now. I expect it to be in full swing by the end of February and it should last through March into April.
If you don’t have the time to read the article referenced above or you simply need a refresher, I’ve got you covered: As winter rolled around, the perch bite turned on.
Surfperch Aggression and Breeding Cycle
Barred Surfperch have a 5-to-6-month gestational period and begin mating in November. They later give birth to live young (called fry) in the spring right around April. With many species, mating turns on the bite; surfperch are no exception. I believe there are two major feeding phases when it comes to the Barred Surfperch.
The initial stage results in a slight uptake in feeding but they aren’t crazy aggressive. Mussel meat and other baits like shrimp, sand worms and Fishbites are effective choices.
In the second stage, these fish become much more aggressive. My thoughts? They’re getting closer to birthing, but they’re burning loads of energy sustaining all the life within them. So, they transition to eating larger prey like baitfish. Sure, there are some plot-holes in my theory. Mussel meat seems like an easy target that doesn’t require much energy… when it’s floating in front of them. But, the same could be said about sand crabs when you use them out of season.
Baits are Seasonal
Every once in a while, I’ll find sand crabs in the off-season. I’ll give them a shot, but they’re usually not as effective as mussel meat in the wintertime. Could it be that these fish are used to feeding on specific baits during specific seasons? Maybe, but the bottom line is that some baits work better than others at different times in the year.
That was my long-tailed way of saying that mussel meat is usually the better bait in the early winter and lures are usually more effective in the spring.
So Where Are We Now?
Right now? It appears we’re beginning the transition. In my last few sessions, the margin between mussel meat effectiveness and Lucky Craft (lures) effectiveness has narrowed. In fact, my last session yielded more fish on the Lucky Craft than mussel meat altogether.
I took a look back at last year’s logs and 2/6/2020 was the day when we really noticed a big uptake in the productivity of lures. Almost a year ago today and it looks like we’re on a similar track.
To be clear, in a side-by-side comparison, mussel meat during the spring will catch more fish than lures in the early winter. That’s just the nature of the baits. But, overall, lures will be gaining in effectiveness in the next month.
THANKS FOR THE ARTICLE NICK, I LIKE THE STATISTICS..
Thanks Richard!
Thanks for the great article. How do I rig up my Lucky Craft 110 lure for surf perch? I live in Morro Bay, CA.
Hey Michelle, it’s super simple. I tie my lucky craft straight to my monofilament mainline with a fisherman’s knot… 7 twists, through and through.
Nick, I was out twice last week, Coronado on Monday & Mission on Friday. Both days surf conditions were ideal, no salad, etc. One session was 2 hours before the high, the other just before the low & into the incoming. Coronado must have just missed the bite as had 15 minutes of perch activity then total shutdown next 2 hours. MB was a total bust, not a sniff. Tossed mussels, grubs & LC’s. Wish I shared your optimism but in both of my sessions under ideal conditions, the waters seemed to be a barren wasteland. Just my 2 cents.
Hey Bill, good bites turned shut downs are totally normal and I wish I could explain why but I can’t. I was out twice in the last week, first session, mussel meat was slightly better landing me 3 fish to 1 on the LC. Second session was with a client and I landed two fish on the LC (only casted about 40 times all day as I was more focused on teaching). My client got 1 on the LC and a couple on mussel meat… 4 hour span.
Nothing crazy, but they’re out there and they’re biting. I’ve had my fair share of skunks and I’ll even admit I’ve been skunked with clients… it’s a terrible feeling. We all have skunks every once in a while and I think the most important thing is to be confident and optimistic as if you’re not confident you won’t put the necessary time into your overall session nor each cast.
Hope this helps and tight lines for this week!
And also keep in mind that fishing in general is super slow in the winter compared to summertime. You go fish those same beaches in the same exact tidal sets and surf height in June, I guarantee it’ll be a much better day.
Awesome info Nick!
Thanks, Jonathan!
Btw do you feel Feb is the beginning of peek Halibut season? I’ve gotten shorts in the spring and early summer while going for perch, but I’m striking out so far this year. I’ll be adding free-lining and current as focal points and appreciate any input you might have.
I haven’t had much luck with halis yet, but my buddy who I fish with a lot has already gotten maybe 5 shorts this winter. I’d say February is the beginnings of the season but January is usually okay too… just not for me this year.
My go-to is throwing LCs and my next would be frozen anchovy. I haven’t put enough time in with swim baits but that would be the next thing I’d try.
Thanks for the article Nick. I need to go get me some mussel meat at a local Asian market and try that out. Any particular store in coastal north county that you recommend?
I fished yesterday and tried to specifically target perch using LC to start, and then sandworms. Ended up catching two halibut…one on the LC and the other on a sandworm. Oh well, nice bycatch to what I was actually looking for. lol.
Thanks for the report Adam, recall the sizes of the butts?
Thanks for the report Adam, recall the sizes of the butts?
Sorry Adam, it looks like my reply never went through to you. I’m not familiars with Asian markets in that area but after doing a search on iPhone maps, I found this and it looks promising: Mission Seafood Market: 3753 Mission Ave
Unit 117
Oceanside, CA 92058
United States
Nick, went to Torrey Pines to surf fish. Went to the southern end. The beach was full of rocks. Should I have gone to the beach just to the right as to drive in? Lots of cars were parked next to the beach. Is that where to fish?
Haha if I knew where the fish were exactly every time, that would be awesome. But I simply don’t.
Rocks are good for the perch bite and even the hali bite. I’ve fished both the south end and north end with both success and disappointments but if you’re finding that structure which it appears you are, you just need to put in the time. If the rocks are too much to the point that you’re getting snagged all the time, the middle stretch of the beach is usually a lot sandier.
If you’re saying it was just rocks on the shoreline, that’s a normal fluctuation from season to season and say to day. Try a different tidal set like make fish low tide if you fished a relatively higher tide.
Make sense?
Thanks Nick, I was just checking to see if I was in the right spot at Torrey Pines. Never fished there before.
Absolutely! Never just one right spot. There are always many.
Good article. Even long-time anglers have to put in some work , it’s not always instant bendo. Visualize yourself catching fish , learn, be confident & keep on casting…
100% true! Half the fun is the time you put in just learning.
Hi Nick…I live in Brookings, Oregon…although the surf perch fishing is good, I’m looking for mire varied species. Read your article on the tiger shark; do they come this far north? If so what time of year? Lure and setups for surf fishing here?
Thank you for the awesome articles you write and the fantastic gear ups you suggest.
Tight lines and keep them stories coming.
I believe you were referring to leopard shark. Unfortunately, I don’t have any surf fishing experience outside of California.