One of the many things I love about Santa Barbara is that we get Chamber of Commerce (picture-worthy) days of perfect weather right in the middle of wintertime. Those days offer some of the best surf fishing, and general beachy opportunities of the entire year.
Some prized species, such as California halibut, are not as active during the winter as they are during the half of the year with longer days, yet other species are feeding aggressively in the surf zone.
One of the most often-caught species in the surf zone at any time of year is barred surfperch.
During the winter is when the bigger specimens of the barred surfperch species show up in the surf zone and feed like crazy.
Imagine catching a surfperch the size of a dinner plate, using light tackle while waves wash over your feet. This is enough fun to make my doctor worry. Yet, if that is the way I check out, I will have lived and died the way I want to.
Surf fishing is pretty easy really. Many people use long stout rods, double-hook leaders and large weight, bait up and cast out, then put the rods in a sand stake rod holder while waiting for a bite.
That is an old school way to do it, and it has produced fish for a very long time.
My preferred method is a 9-foot light action spin rod, a 2500 size spin reel spooled with 8-pound monofilament line tied to a Ms. Anchovy pattern Lucky Craft 110 Flash Minnow lure.
I keep my tackle in a small plastic Plano box inside an old-fashioned canvas creel with a shoulder strap. The creel stays under my left arm, leaving my right side free because I cast over my right shoulder.
Another common possibility (instead of a Lucky Craft lure) is a half-ounce sliding weight above a Carolina rig and a 2-inch Gulp Sandworm pinned on the hook. These baits are like perch candy.
I like to use the Lucky Craft lure when I want quality over quantity, meaning I’m targeting those giant barred surfperch that come feed in the wintertime surf.
An hour or two on either side of a high tide is a good period to fish. When hooked up, the battles can be a blast, especially on light tackle.
The following sentence is difficult for me to write. Life isn’t all about fishing. Wow, that felt like a crazy statement to make, but I need to accept it.
Just a walk on the beach, or a good long meditative sit on the beach works wonders as a refreshing act, good for the spirit.
Pick a chamber-of-commerce kind of day and head to the beach.