These are quite simply put: The most deadly surf perch bait you can use. I've been using this pattern for years, if you don't get any hits on this camo pattern, the fish aren't biting! Pack up and go get a burger. I usually do a sliding rig (Carolina Rig), with an 18" leader and a barrel weight above the swivel. I use a 20 to 25 pound fluorocarbon Leader as I'm using 40 pound braid on the reel (I like braid as there's no stretch, you feel more. 20 pound is too hard to work with, same with 30 pound, 40 pound is perfect. I also use a dark green. I tried some white braids, or even yellow, and I do suspect some line fright with those, dark or moss green braid works best. I like the suffix variants, but really any decent quality braid is fine). The 20 to 25 pound leader allows you to grab onto it easier and haul up your catch in the surf. If they're biting in the real shallows, I'll shorten the leader up a bit. I used to used a bead between my barrel weight and swivel, but not anymore, and if you do use a black one, you don't need a bright one and all you'll do is attract them to nibble on that and not your bait! Important part -> Find the trough the perch are hanging in! (In the surf, it may be closer to you than you think, literally sometimes 10 to 15 feet in front of you if you're standing knee deep in the surf) Cast out, drag in slowly, you'll find the trough, or just do some basic wave reading and you'll find the sand bars and troughs. Alot of people cast as far out as they can, many times you don't need to, these perch are in close, feasting on the sand crabs. Sometimes the big ones are literally at your feet!, i.e. when the rip tide is going out, and it forms that small "Churn wave" (Where everything is churning up in that wave, you'll see the shells, sand crabs and all the nasties rolling around; cast right behind it, usually the big ones are right there! (The big ones are more powerful swimmers to come in close, whereas the little ones hang a little further out). I've also caught Stripers and plenty of Jack Smelt with this pattern (I've found Jack Smelt like the bloody pattern more, though). The camo pattern, however, seems irresistible it seems to ALL the perch varieties. I fish mostly northern California coast beaches, so far all varieties love this pattern. I've used the blood red pattern, White, Natural, motor oil, etc, but for some reason, the camo pattern makes them go berserko. I've theorized, especially on overcast days, the camo pattern seems to appeal to whatever light spectrum they can see, it just simply yields the most results (Remember, it's the camo pattern on one side, sort of an amber/brown on the other side). On sunny days you seem to get less hits but they're still productive. I've actually noticed this phenomenon as sometimes it can be sunny or overcast, a few times, all within the same day and I seem to continue to see this behavior (Of course, when it's sunny they can also bite less as they're more visible to predators from above (Birds), or so I believe). Of course, an hour before incoming tide is the best, but Perch are generally pretty voracious feeders. Morning and Dusk, regardless of tide times are best, but if a "Hatch" is on (such as a sand crab bloom, they're feeding throughout the day). Mid Day is when it slows down a bit more (on non hatch days). Also read the beach, look for sand crab colonies in the sand (you can see evidence of them on the dryer parts of the beaches where they wash up, but also look for their little antenna's in the inshore wet sand (Wetline: 1" to 2" where the water rushes up). You'll see what looks like little hairs right in the "wet line" of the beach, good chance the perch are there. Oh, BTW, make sure the envelope doesn't leak in your vest or pocket (keep closure side UP), or you'll have some seriously stinky odoriferous cleanup on your hands. The smellier the better though, when it comes to bait, and this stuff seriously rocks! I also use this 2" pattern cause the longer 4" patterns tend to just have the fish bite on the ends and end up being "Nibblers" without them fully taking it in. The 2" hooks more of them cause they go for it harder and don't have to share. Great plastic bait, possibly the best I've ever used. Good Luck!
