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Despite some people discussing and arguing the taste of white perch there are many who absolutely love white perch. And fishing them is the hobby of even those who don’t like the taste of the fish. Many people fishing white perch are not very successful catching. Although they catch some fish which they can take pictures with. But to be an elite fishing it you need to know what food white perch like the most. And present them the foods they want as the best white perch fishing baits. That is when you will see a momentum in your fishing journey for white perch.
Attracting fish with the food they love eating is one of the most successful methods to catch them. That is why live bait is used very widely in the angling world. Although the artificial lures sometimes can perform way better in attracting white perch. But there is no alternate to live bait whatsoever. But getting the right bait for white perch is not that easy either, if you want to use lures here is our list of the best lures for white perch.
Picking the right white perch fishing bait is also very important to get the most out of your fishing trip. There are several options to pick up from, all of them are great according to the situation.
Insects, nightcrawlers, worms and shrimp are the most effective live baits for white perch. While Gulp minnows and honey worms are the best PowerBaits that can be used in any condition.
There are several other baits and in this article we will cover the best white perch fishing baits one by one. And go through the way to hook them each and the best situations to use them.
White perch fishing baits explained
White perch fishing baits may vary largely depending upon the season weather and quality of water. After few earlier experiments and a lot of experience I have adopted the perfect bait setups. But as I said using them is also not simple, a bait perfectly working in one place might not catch any fish at all in other place. The baits we are going to share will cover almost all situations and seasons for different spots effectively.
If you fall in a situation where you do not understand what is the perfect matching bait to your condition. Then you will have to give a try to several of these best white perch fishing baits. And find out what works for you the most. But mostly you are going to find easily what should you cast at the lake you are exploring.
Here is the list of baits I like the most for white perch and these definitely works amazing. If we keep bait and lures aside the matching fishing line is also crucial we have an article about the best fishing lines for perch and a guide to select the right line.
1: Berkely gulp minnows
Power bait is often the choice when you are not able to find the required live bait. It is as productive as live bait most of the times because they are highly similar to live bait.
This little minnow shaped power bait is often downrated especially for panfish and other small fish. Including several other smaller species, this bait is super helpful for white perch. If hooked properly it brings will bring many fish before the need to rebait.
The secret behind the success of this power bait is that its oily and the shape really matches with real minnows. It is great for average size fish in a lake while in rivers its better to cut it apart and just use the tail side. The reason is that the white perch living in rivers are often smaller in size and thus they need smaller white perch fishing baits too.
Success rate is very high for this bait, it drives the fish wild and they can not resist. If the bait meets the habitat of your fishing spot you will feel the bites and the fish will go crazy.
2: Honey worms bait for white perch
Again this is a power bait by Berkley in the shape of worms but a little larger. This is often called the fish candy and they love it. The reason for using this bait for white perch is pretty simple. The shape of the bait matches the shape of worms that are one of the best bait for the species.
Bites at this bait are very often and catches a good number of fish for each piece. Here one thing needs to be considered and many anglers make mistakes here. Hooking the worms I have noticed a very common problem, many first time white perch fishermen just hang the worm on the hook. And the fish can easily steal a part of the worm. You need to wear the bait entirely on the hook from one end to the other.
Another thing that I just learned is that if you want to increase the potential of the honey worms. You can hook it on a fly or a hair bait, this little tip is crucial if you are already using the bait.
These are the two power baits for white perch which many have been using for long time.
The following are live baits that are most successful for white perch and you should definitely give them a try.
3: Worms bait for white perch
There are different worms that people have been using as live bait for many smaller species. But specifically for white perch worms are the absolute source of energy. Other types of panfish are also in love with worms that are enough size to attract the attention of them. White perch is not different at all, they just love worms under water and bite them right away.
In general all worms are good for bait but there are minor exceptions. So whatever type you get easily grab it and get to the water as soon as possible.
4: Redworms
Talking about worms there is no chance that we will forget sharing red worms. If you want to have the biggest perch back to back on hooked to your line than redworms. And there is no chance for any fish to ignore it. Having them in your collection is as necessary as your hook.
I have personally seen people getting above average size of fish with the bait. And my experience is also outstanding.
5: Shrimp and minnows white perch baits
These are the common things that you see on daily basis for almost any species. And it is important to mention that they are as important for perch as for other types of fish. But the best part is that you can many times get it at the spot where you are fishing. Having the right equipment will lead to get free bait and let you focus on fishing for a long time.
As these are important so you should not miss anyway catching a bunch of them any way.
Final thoughts
As we already mentioned that depending on your situation some baits will work just fine and the others will be amazing. And these are the best white perch fishing baits that we have found productive by experience.
