One key thing to look for if you fish this area is sand bars around 50 to 60 feet out in the water. Where these 2 to 3 foot bars drop off into deeper water is where to cast, since the surfperch can be found feeding on the sand crabs and other aquatic denizens that fall off the bars as the surf moves in and out.

Anglers fishing the beaches now are catching mostly barred perch, along with a few rainbow and opaleye perch. Where rocks and piers adjoin the beaches, the larger rubberlipped perch can also be found.

The top enticers are 1 to 1-1/2 inch paddle tail grubs. Kalin makes a "Perch Power" pattern grub - root beer with blue green flake - that is particularly effective. Straight root beer, pink and white also are effective lure colors. "If you're not getting bit," emphasized Rawson, "experiment with different colors." Since

Monterey Bay is relatively protected, anglers here are able to use lighter gear than most anglers use in the open ocean. Rawson prefers to fish with an 8 foot light steelhead or trout spinning rod with 6 pound test line. To cast the grubs out, he puts 1/4 to 1 ounce barrel sinkers above a swivel, followed by the leader and the plastic grub.

Fly fishermen also find solid fishing while using scud patterns and Wooly Buggers off the beaches around Santa Cruz. "The bay here is protected from the northwest wind, so it's a favorite of fly fishermen," noted Rawson. Some of the better spots to try include the San Lorenzo River mouth, KSCO Beach and It's Beach north of the Lighthouse.

If you want to be more adventurous, you can try fishing the beaches north of Santa Cruz, such as the mouths of Scott and Waddell creeks. However, Rawson emphasized that the weather is "absolutely critical" to fishing these less protected areas.

Before you go fishing, you must acquaint yourselves with the new regulations adopted for perch fishing. No longer can an angler take home 10 perch of one species, for a total perch bag limit of 20 fish. New bag limits, size restrictions and season closures were adopted by the California Fish and Game Commission in December, in spite of opposition by United Anglers and other fishery conservation groups.

The Commission's newly adopted sport fishing regulations for surfperch include:

• A daily recreational bag limit of five surfperch for all species, with the exception for shiner surfperch (a total of 20 shiner surfperch may be taken and possessed).
• A minimum size limit of 10-1/2 inches for redtail surfperch (within the 20 total fish daily bag and possession limit).
• The take and possession of surfperch is prohibited in San Francisco Bay and San Pablo Bay from April 1 to July 31, inclusive.