how do you bait a perch trap and what bait do i use

You can trap them without any bait...just set the trap out, but your odds certainly increase when you add an enticement such as bacon strips, pieces of hot dogs, an ear of corn, doggie treats, shrimp, etc.

Always raise a trap carefully....snakes love to enter the traps to catch the trapped fish and often drown, but sometimes can still be alive.

We have used dog food and also bread.

I take an empty plastic coke bottle punch some holes in it and fill it with either bread or dry dog food.

Try chunks of styrofoam. Lasts forever.

i bought a trap at academy for like 25$ and it works great its like a little cage with opinings for the fish to go in and for the bait to be put in. i like to use sausage in it. some times i even catch little baby catfish in it.

Be real careful on the traps you can buy at stores if you plan on using them in public waters, because there is a certain size they must be in order to be legal. Now, just because it reads "For use in Saltwater Only" does not mean that what we call perch traps can not be used in Freshwater as long as they are the size for the Minnow Traps for Freshwater. The ones we refer to primarily catch sunfish for trotlines, jugline, limb lines, drop lines or throwlines and some cases, rod/reel fishing.


Minnow Trap:
-May be used to take NONGAME fish only.
-Trap may not exceed 24 inches in length. The opening may not exceed 1 inch by 3 inches.
-In SALT WATER: GEAR TAG valid for only 30 days must be visibly attached.

Perch Traps:
-For use in SALT WATER only.
-May be used to take NONGAME fish only.
-May not exceed 18 cubic feet.
-Must be marked with a floating visible orange buoy not less than 6 inches in height and 6 inches in width. The buoy must have a GEAR TAG valid only for 30 days attached.

-Must either have the main lid tie-down strap closed with untreated jute twine, or be equipped with a degradable panel (3" x 6") in the sidewall of the trap sewn or tied with untreated jute twine or untreated steel wire less than 20 ga.

-Buoys or floats may not be made of plastic bottle(s) of any color or size.

-It is unlawful to place any type of trap within the area in Cedar Bayou between a department sign erected where Mesquite Bay flows into Cedar Bayou and the department sign erected near the point where the pass empties into the Gulf of Mexico.