Question about White Perch

These make good catfish bait. I've stumbled across a few accidentally while fishing for panfish but never targeted them. I see people on YouTube targeting them and catching them with jigs. My question is, where do you target them? Are they in deep water? Shallow water? On the bottom? Do they hit crappie jigs (I've never caught one while fishing for Crappie) or tiny jigs? Or is worms, a piece of night crawler, or a little cut of fish flesh a more productive option?

Bottom line, if a feller wanted to catch a half dozen or so white perch for bait, what, where, and with what is the easiest way?

Minnows on the bottom is best probably. If youre out and about this time of the year and see lots of fish along the bottom most likely theyre white perch. Look on flats in the 15'-20' range.

Are you in Hendersonville, TN?

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Originally Posted by gabowman

Minnows on the bottom is best probably. If youre out and about this time of the year and see lots of fish along the bottom most likely theyre white perch. Look on flats in the 15'-20' range.

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Well I DO see that. Wondered about panfish of some sort or if they were gizzard shad. Speaking of which, I'm also trying to get with a cast net but as yet I've had no luck. Maybe I'm throwing at white perch & they're scooting out of the way! Thanks!

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Originally Posted by tnduxcaller

Are you in Hendersonville, TN?

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Nope, about 5 1/2 hours east Hendersonville in NC

White perch are no different than yellow perch and panfish in general: they all attack the same lures. White perch in schools are super aggressive and large numbers can be caught in no time, same as for any schooled fish. Locations vary, but in warm water 5' or less, fish are found near vegetation; deeper in cool water where sonar is a must!

My basic panfish lures are: soft plastics - straight or curl tails, sassy shad tails and no tails less than 3" on 1/32 - 1/16 oz jigs.
The Sassy Shad on the left was slimmed a bit by cutting off it's round belly. The one on the right, a handpoured spike tail.
Attachment 474512Attachment 474514

Cutting off a soft plasic's action tail has done well and caught as many fish as any lure shapes I've cast.
One on left: curl tail gone; one on right: shad (paddle)tail gone
Attachment 474515 Attachment 474520

Overhead spinners have also done very well this year.
Attachment 474519
along with small tubes:
Attachment 474517

and of couirse, curl tails - Ribbon Tails especially:
https://i.imgur.com/91cFOBd.jpg

At any depth, I work the lures slow as possible, though curl tails and spinners are usually retrieved faster except when jigged off bottom.

Used a drop rig with two jigs/flies baited with worms. Works great on all kinds of fish that are cruising near bottom.

Good info all! Thanks a bunch! Perch better look out!

Steve Comalander-(the Old Fisherman on YouTube) is the expert on white perch. He has videos of him catching 5 at a time! :yikes