Thanks for your cool website and tips on hunting the corbina and surf perch. I call it hunting because it is more like hunting somethings than fishing.

Since early this summer, up until today, I have caught plenty of surf perch from my favorite spot off Newport. But never once have I landed a corbina. Very frustrating. I think I once hooked a corbina, but he was very strong and eventually popped of my hook.

One thing that really is begining to annoy me are all the rude swimmers I sometimes encounter. One kid tried to find where my bait was in the water, just so he could see what I was using. Another frustration is that the perch are bitting my bait long before any corbina could get to it. I appreciate the perch, but come on guys, let the corbina come out and play; at least once in a while. Oh well, such is fishing (hunting). I'll let you know if I ever land a corbina. I still haven't been able to find one of those "soft shell crabs". I need to get a sand crab catcher to save where and tear on my back.

Jim Pack
Tustin, CA

Jim, I use a small net I picked up ($3) at wally mart. It is about 2 ft long with mesh as the netting material. Look in the toy or sports dept. Mine has a frog molded onto the handle. Put it against the sand "downstream" of your feet. As the wave recedes, twist your feet to dislodge the crabs, which are then washed into your net. Works great when the crabs are fairly shallow and there's strong enough wave action. When crabs are 6 or more inches deep, scoop sand(and crabs) into the net and rinse the sand out through the mesh. Cull out the barren crabs keeping the egg filled and soft shelled ones in a belt-on plastic worm box. Works for me.

Bill Hartman