Shiner Perch

On the west coast shiner perch are considered to be one of the best baits for stripers and halibut.    They are frequently found residing in the surf or near pier pilings.  When you find one, you will normally find many more as they usually thrive in schools.  They range in size from 3” – 5” and can be caught with sand worms, shrimp or even small pieces of anchovy.  

Rigging

There are several ways to rig live shiners, but I prefer using about a 5’ 60 lb. fluorocarbon leader with a loop knot about halfway up where I attach a live bait hook.  I’ll have a barrel swivel up top and a snap to hold the 2-3 oz sinker on the bottom.

This allows the bait to float above the bottom while letting the bait swim freely.  Make sure to hook the bait just through the lips and boney portion of the snout to keep it from flying off the hook on the cast.

Lures

There are several lures that used to emulate shiner perch but I personally like the famous rattle trap in both sinking and floating models.   It’s profile seems right on target with the shiner perch.  Other plugs that do equally well are the Jackall Doozer, Black Dog Bait Fish and the River2Sea Twin Vibe.