Fishing

Looking to start really fishing for YP. I try fishing for them with nightcrawlers, but it seems like the bluegill always take the bait. Are there any specific techniques/baits that are only for YP? All help is appreciated.

-Bass and Pike Fisherman. Trying to get out more and more with my family. Having a body of water with fish in it and not fishing it is a waste of water.

Perch hit the same stuff as all the other bream do as well as bass. I use plastic jigs tipped with night crawler or perch meat. They have also taken the jigs without any type of bait on it as well. I have also had them chase cranks too. I have in the past found that they don't mind a little powerbait (wierd I know). I found they prefer corn yellow.

Hope this helps!

Albinotrout
Fishing and trains...what else is there? BASEBALL.......

This may sound stupid but what exactly is powerbait? And by jigs do you just mean a standard jighead with a nightcrawler on the hook?

-Bass and Pike Fisherman. Trying to get out more and more with my family. Having a body of water with fish in it and not fishing it is a waste of water.

Piwerbait is made by Berkeley. It is used mainly as a trout bait. For jgs. Take a jig head and add a plastic grub. Many different manufacturers. Thn you can tip it with a piece of worm or piece of perch meat. I usually go with an 1/8 oz jig head and a 2 inch grub. This combo works great. Where I live chartreuse is a great color.

Albinotrout
Fishing and trains...what else is there? BASEBALL.......

use clam meat on a size 6 hook. i collect my clams at the the lake i fish at, if u collect clams fresh
then just smash them at the lake.

Also, is there any specific conditions/structure perch like to live in throughout a lake?

-Bass and Pike Fisherman. Trying to get out more and more with my family. Having a body of water with fish in it and not fishing it is a waste of water.

They hang out in the same places as crappie, bluegill, bass, and green sunfish. Usually if you find one there will be more. They school up. A good sonar helps too. They will hold to structure school as trees, brush, rocks dips, points, hills etc...

Albinotrout
Fishing and trains...what else is there? BASEBALL.......

Worms/night-crawlers are great on a jig (or on a bare hook) but the best thing to use if the bite is off; carry a large paperclip with you and pop an eyeball off one of your perch (on the stringer). You'll be tickled to find that you can hook 3 or 4 (or more) perch per eyeball. It only took me till I was 50 years old to find out about this tip and I've been spreading the word ever since. Good luck to you and "Tight Lines"............

Order some Pilke's. They are a small fish (eye is in the nose) looking lure with fine wire and hook hanging off the bottom. The offer very little resistance for the Perch to suck in the bait. Use silver wigglers or wax worms for bait. (little pieces of minnow work also) You can jig this over the side or use a slip bobber. Kids love slip bobber's because they don't have the feel or timing sometimes to set the hook.
If you're anchored just outside the main weed bed with a few towers below you, fan cast out a minnow lure over the weed bed and reel it back. Sometimes a whole school of Perch will follow it back and your boat will start catching fish again without moving.
I like to toss out a slip bobber part way down to cover the mid range and jig just off the bottom tied direct.
Now this part you don't have to believe but I have seen it work. One old boy ran his small motor the whole time he fished and swore it attracted Perch. He caught a lot of fish. Another old boy periodically bounced a chain on the floor of his aluminum boat and he caught a lot of perch. The sound does attract them.
Good Luck, and if none of this works! You didn't hear it from me.
WillCFish