Saltwater · Year-round in the surf; peak spring and summer
Redtail Surfperch
Amphistichus rhodoterus
The largest and most popular surfperch on the Pacific coast, caught by wading sandy beaches and casting small baits into the troughs. Redtails school just behind the breakers and bite sand crabs and shrimp readily.
Seasons · Peak
Identifying features
- Deep, compressed silvery body with reddish to bronze bars or blotches on the sides
- Tail and lower fins tinted red to orange — the source of the name
- Deeply forked tail and a small, downturned mouth for picking food from sand
- Faint yellow-olive wash along the back
- Look-alike: rockfish are sometimes caught from the same beaches but have heavy head spines, a large mouth and no red tail
Habits
- School in troughs just behind the surf, moving in with the flooding tide
- Feed on sand crabs and shrimp stirred up by each receding wave
- Give birth to live young in spring, when the biggest females are in the surf
- Bite through the day, best on a moderate surf and moving tide
Distribution
Where to find them
- Deep troughs between the beach and the first sandbar
- Holes and rip channels where whitewater churns the sand
- Beach points and pockets — cast from knee-deep water at the edge
Where they live
How to catch them
Surf bait fishing
Rig: Carolina rig — 1-3 oz egg sinker, 24" leader, size 4-6 hook
Bait/lure: Sand crab, shrimp piece, sandworm
Key tip: Cast into the trough, not past it. Bites come as the wave recedes.
Grub fishing the surf
Rig: Carolina rig with a 2" motor-oil or perch-pattern grub
Bait/lure: Soft grubs and sandworm imitations
Key tip: Retrieve slowly through the whitewater. Perch hit a grub moving with the wash.
Best baits & lures
Baseline setup
- Rod: 9-10' medium surf spinning rod
- Line: 20 lb braid or 12 lb mono, 12 lb leader
- Terminal: Carolina rigs, egg sinkers, size 4-6 hooks, grubs
Recommended gear for this species
Rod · Best value
9' 5-weight fly rod outfit
≈ US$180-260
Covers chironomid lakes and small rivers with one setup.
Flies · Budget
Chironomid assortment (30 patterns)
≈ US$25-40
Chironomids are 60% of a lake rainbow's diet in spring.
Picks come from our rule library — never paid placements. Prices are guides; affiliate links may earn us a commission.
Typical size
Common 1-3 lb; large specimens 4 lb+
On the table
Good — mild, white, soft flesh; best fresh and fried.
Similar species
Regulations vary by area and can change in-season — always check the official rules for your area before you fish. Regulations guide →
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