And now, the moment we’ve all been waiting for. After 10 long months, the Sand Crab Classic Perch Tournament is open again for entries. Derby day this year is March 11, 2017. The Perch Derby is a brainchild of Captain Mike Baxter to provide a family-friendly fishing activity for our often wet and stormy off-season, as well as to provide a yearly infusion of financial support for the Monterey Bay Salmon and Trout Project. Started in 2004, this will be the 13th Annual Sand Crab Classic. The derby has grown to include over 300 anglers. It is the biggest surfcasting event on the West Coast, and for the smallest gamefish.

Entrants receive an artwork T-Shirt by the famed naturalist/artist Amadeo Bachar, and a four-star tri-tip taco BBQ. The awards ceremony will be held at Santa Cruz Portuguese Hall (C.P.D.E.S. Hall), 216 Evergreen St, Santa Cruz, California. Weigh-in ends at one pm on derby day, and the contest will proceed rain or shine. Previous years’ derbies have featured 60 mph winds, horizontal driving rain and even a “day before” tsunami in 2011. Most years conditions were much more comfortable, and every year we have seen some big perch come for the weigh-in.

In 2016, the Senior grand prize winner was Chris Tran from San Jose who took home the big trophy for his barred surf perch that weighed two pounds six ounces and measured 15 ¼ inches in length. In the Junior’s category, one Santa Cruz family cleared the boards. Camille Cortazzo took home the Junior barred perch trophy for her two-pound, 14.5-inch BSP, while her sister Samara snagged the “other perch” Junior championship for a one-pound ten ounce black perch that stretched over 13 inches long. Both the Cortazzos’ fish were caught off West Cliff Drive and the girls were using pileworms.

To enter the derby, go to www.sandcrabclassic.com. Entries can be made online or download the form and mail with a personal check.. Entries are limited to the first 300 anglers, so move quickly, recent years’ entries have proven the roster WILL fill up. Final deadline for entries is February 12.

In the meantime, don’t forget the International Sportsman’s Expo in Sacramento, scheduled for January 19-22 at the Cal Expo Center. This year over 600 companies and outfits will be exhibiting and there are over 200 free seminars to attend. The one seminar not to be missed is famed fishing guide JD Richey, who will teach everything you need to know to successfully catch stripers on the California Delta Thursday at noon and Saturday at two pm.

Richey is also an expert surfcasting perch guide, and would be happy to provide tips to improve your chances for the upcoming Sand Crab Classic, which he supports every year. While at ISE, don’t forget to check out the Johnson-Hicks Marine Electronics booth. Owner Joe Donatini from Santa Cruz has the site fully staffed with experts who can discuss and demonstrate the latest in marine technology to guarantee safety as well as improve your fishing scores, both inland and on the salt.