Short answer: Perranporth has no harbour, so traditional line crabbing doesn't really work here. Head for the rock pools at the northern end of the beach at low tide instead — better for children anyway.
Worth being straight about this: Perranporth isn't a crabbing town in the traditional sense, because there's no harbour wall to drop a line from.
The rocks at the northern end of the beach, exposed at low tide, hold genuinely good rock pools. For children this is usually more rewarding than line crabbing anyway — you see far more.
Go on a falling tide, roughly one to two hours after high water. The pools have settled but haven't drained.
Shore crabs, small fish, anemones and shrimp. A net and a bucket is all you need.
Padstow and Newquay both have harbour walls set up for it and are within a reasonable drive.
Keep the bucket in shade with fresh sea water, and put everything back exactly where you found it — under the same rock, the same way up.
Perranporth's tide comes in fast across a flat beach, and the northern rocks can cut off. Check the tide before you settle in, and keep an eye on it rather than checking once.
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