Aztecwin,
For me it's best around March. I catch them in Long beach after I'm done at the Fred hall show. That's just when they bite best on most baits. Most people don't know that pile perch will be at the piers all year long. A couple of months ago I spotted one near the pilings on malibu pier and I tossed lugwroms, fresh mussel, and sandcrabs but it would just ingore it. I went to the shore and found a two little crabs on the pilings. Tossed the little crab to the perch and caught it with no problem. My second crab caught a fish on the next cast but that was it. I catch most of them next to the pier piling behind the surf zone. You can catch pile perch and other kinds of fish off rocky jetties too. Another bait that is second to small rock crabs are finger nail sized mussel but mussel can be messy so I don't use it that much. Give it a try.
Anthony