Monterey Bay Surf (Sand Dabs & Perch)
Monterey Bay beaches (Marina / Sand City) · near Marina / Monterey · Central Coast
Fishing
At a glance
- Difficulty
- intermediate
- Best season
- Perch year-round · best fall–spring
Permits and booking
- Licence required
- Yes
- Licence detail
- CA license (16+) required. The long beaches curving around Monterey Bay (Marina, Sand City, Moss Landing to Zmudowski) are excellent, uncrowded surfperch water. DANGER: strong rip currents and sneaker waves — fish carefully, never turn your back on the surf.
What is here
- Features
- Miles of uncrowded perch beaches · Barred & calico surfperch · Big-sky bay scenery · Year-round shore fishing
Worth knowing
- Dogs
- Allowed
- Good for a first timer
- No
Fishing detail
- Water type
- surf
- Water
- salt
- Methods
- Surf casting · Bait
- Boat
- shore
- Target species
- Barred surfperch · Walleye & silver surfperch · Striped bass (occasional) · Jacksmelt
- Intl tip
- License required. Miles of uncrowded surfperch beaches — sand crabs or Gulp in the troughs, best fall–spring. Occasional stripers. DANGER: rip currents and sneaker waves on these beaches — fish carefully, watch the sets, never turn your back. Combine with Monterey and the aquarium. Peaceful, big-sky fishing.
The guide
The great sweep of beaches curving around Monterey Bay — from Marina and Sand City north past Moss Landing to Zmudowski — offer…
In the Guidebook
Everything above is yours for free. The written guide to Monterey Bay Surf (Sand Dabs & Perch) — what it is actually like, and what we would tell a friend before they went — comes with the Guidebook.
Getting there
- Coordinates
- 36.69, -121.81