Also known as surf perch, they're basically a big saltwater panfish, like bluegills, with the same rule: a big fish can have a very small mouth. I've caught them up to 14" long and you can barely stick your thumb in their mouth. There's a few different closely related species, the striped ones are really pretty. Piers attract them, and I've seen them around Redondo and Dash Point, but a better spot to fish for them is at Des Moines, because of the large sunken reef around the pier. Sometimes there's the added excitement of a lingcod grabbing them on the way up, too. Though you have to release lings up until the season starts in May. Perch are livebearers and move in close in February to spawn, but can be caught all through the summer after spawning. What I use is one of those crappie or perch rigs with two or three size 6 hooks, baited with a green sandworm, or piece of shrimp. They're really keyed to the tides, and I've had it where it was dead on slack tide, and I didn't get so much as a nibble, and as soon as the tide changed, they wouldn't stay off the hook.

One more thing: They are not a very fecund species, they produce maybe about 5-20 offspring per year. So treat them gently and return those that are too small to keep or obviously gravid (pregnant) to the water unharmed if possible. Keep in mind that the larger ones are usually females. It really sucks to open one up and find it's full of dying babies.