Be ALWAYS alert to the waves!!!
The rest is pretty much just fishing....read the water and toss stuff that looks like what you see for food in the water. Things orangy and grey for mole crabs, clousery type stuff for baby fish looking stuff, motor oil colored stuff for worm immis. Surfperch do not have the "opportunity" generally to inspect your bug (or their food) for long, so they are usually pretty opportunistic.
Reading water and STAYING in contact with your bug will serve you most.
Other good sites pertaining to your inquiry: [url=http://pacificextremes.com/:1e7eb]http://pacificextremes.com/[/url:1e7eb]
Ken and Jay do a GRAND introductary seminar on the water for the N. Ca. surf! [url=http://www.garybulla.com/:1e7eb]http://www.garybulla.com/[/url:1e7eb]
#1,#2, AND #3....be safe.
.....lee s.