Few fish elicit such excitement from anglers as Perch. While they aren’t exceptionally large and don’t necessarily fight hard, there’s something extremely rewarding about filling your limit and cooking up some delicious filets for dinner. But before you go out and land one, you need to know the best bait for catching Perch.
Yellow Perch, in particular, are prolific in Canada and throughout large swathes of the United States. They can tolerate cold and moderately warm temperatures but clean and clear waters are a must for their health. Anglers covet their secret Perch spots far and wide, but finding them is just half the battle.
And that’s where I come in. I’ll run you through my top tips of how to catch Perch using bait. Together, we’ll go through the theory and the more practical elements so that you’re in no doubt about what to pack the next time you go Perch fishing. Ready? Let’s dive in!
Why use bait to catch Perch?
Yellow Perch tend to travel in schools. As I already said, finding them is half the battle, so most anglers use fish finders to help locate the fish. Once you dial in the depth and water type, the catching can be fantastic.
Perch are voracious feeders and schools will suck down anything available. Insects, minnows, and crayfish are all on the table. For this reason, using a baited hook is an excellent choice. You can still catch them on other lures but bait is outright deadly!
Ideally, you’ll access local baits to imitate the natural forage in your Perch fishery. That being said, worms and other outside baits can also be effective.
Favorite Baits for Catching Yellow Perch
Just about any bait can draw strikes but Perch are difficult to hook with large baits and oversized hooks. It’s a game of subtle baits that will get the bite and hookset done efficiently. Every angler has a favorite bait and quite a few different options are very effective…
Worms
Perch love worms as bait so long as the size is right – small, that is! If your worm is too big, they’ll nibble it to a nub without ever feeling the hook. Mealworms, maggots, and nightcrawlers that are cut into short segments are also excellent choices. Worms are also easy to find, store, and rig quickly. The ability to replace your bait in a few seconds is ideal when the fishing is hot.
Crayfish
A small crayfish can work as a whole offering when threaded on a hook. The best bet for reducing the bait into bitesize hooks is by fishing crayfish tails. The tail is loaded with potent juice and flesh that Perch just love eating. Try catching crayfish fresh for the best results. Just a little chunk of the tail can produce big results when you find a school of Perch.
Minnows
Look for smaller minnows in your local environment and thread a hook through the top of the head or under the gill-plate. Minnows work really well for trolling and retrieving techniques. As with any Perch bait, they’re also great when suspended.
Artificial Perch Baits
While natural baits are potent, artificial offerings can get the job done as well. Suspending a jig with a soft plastic worm is a great approach for Perch. Trolling plastic worms through schools is also excellent. Look for artificial baits that have some added scent. Whether it’s injected into the mold or a scent that’s sprayed on, it certainly helps.
Timing Is Everything for Perch
We started this article by talking about the diet of Perch, but seasonal behavior is also critical. Oftentimes, you’ll find Perch around structures like rocky drop-offs. However, you can also spot schools in open water.
Spring is prime time for many Perch anglers as the fish congregate in shallows for their spawning cycle. This is the hottest action of the year and you can quickly fill your limit when you discover a spawning school. Just make sure to utilize some of the Perch baits I mentioned above!
After the spawn, water temperatures warm up and those schools seek deeper water—they’ll drop below 20 feet in depth in the heat of summer. At this time of year, it’s all about finding the depth with a nice sub-50-degree temperature window to locate schools.
Cooler fall weather means schools will move back into shallower waters. If you can find healthy food sources, schools of fish are often nearby. Lastly, winter brings ice fishing in the northern states and this provides maybe the best opportunity to land these tasty fellas outside of the spawn. Drill holes in the ice and continue moving until your fish finder reads a school. They don’t move far in winter, so finding a school means you can get right on top of them.
How will you catch your limit of Perch?
There are many ways to catch a Yellow Perch but every angler will agree that you need to find them first! Pick your favorite bait and invest more time in searching and learning where they like to school in a particular body of water. Then, it’s all about experimenting to find what you enjoy fishing with most. After learning the best spots and most effective baits for each time of year, you’ll be consistently catching Perch for the frying pan!
And now over to you! What are your favorite Perch baits? Where do you go Perch fishing? We’d love to hear what’s working in your neck of the woods in the comments below!
