I'm wanting to catch a decent amount of bluegill and throw into our community pond as some bait to feed the bass population. What's best to use to catch them? Never fished for perch! Also, I live in Irving so any recommendation? Maybe some spots on the canals??

We caught some bigger ones with small spinner baits and jigs. Anything really. Worms

I usually chum with bread (small pieces) in ponds to locate schools of bluegills then use really small hooks 6 or 8 and use pieces of night crawler under a bobber. I don't know any places on the canals I live on the other side of the metro. Good luck.

That works too

Bacon and a small cricket hook.

Worms either night crawlers or Red Wigglers.

Yep!

Wax worms, night crawlers, meal worms, or red wiggles under a smal float, a pinch weight, and a #8 light wire panfish hook.

The best bait on earth for perch are worms of some kind. However - they're one shot baits usually. The fish can peck them off of the hooks with amazing skill. If you want something that will still catch the hell out of them, and you not have to re-bait your line every 30 seconds, get some of these.

http://www.berkley-fishing.com/Gulp!%C2%AE-Waxies/1312230,default,pd.html

The perch love them and I've probably caught at least 20 fish on the same waxie.

I bet those gulp waxies would be great. We catch bluegills for bait all the time and the best for us is Berkley 3'' Power Floating Trout Worm in Fluorescent Orange. I just cut them into tiny pieces , they stay on the hook and last a long time. The orange color stands out and gets bite.

Longear in a pond... Potential for a huge one since they are in there...

Yea the waxies are the exact same stuff, just shaped different. I use the neon green ones. Bluegill are so aggressive they'll eat them just because they're brightly colored. But since they're soft and taste good they hang on. And they're almost indestructible. Just don't let one dry on the hook, you'll have to cut it off with a razor.

Crickets or little pieces of worms

About a month or so ago me and my wife caught 20 or so off the bank at Grapevine Lake using tiny bits of night crawlers, tiny hooks and a bobber. Doesn't take much worm to get them to bite. Usually find them within 5-10 feet off the shoreline in tight schools in the evening as the sun is setting. I cast out just past the sweet spot, and reel in slowly.