like you do for cat fishing?? How do they usually eat bait head 1st or tail 1st?? I am really excited about trying it with perch..As catching those a fun too! They will even keep longer than shad and with my new bait cage, I will be ready Freddy! Wish I could go right now!! Tight lines my buddies!

I have seen this posted before, and if i remember correctly, through the nostrils either in and out both holes, or in mouth and out 1 of the holes.

Through the eyes like a minnow.

never through the eyes, dies to fast, ive never even hooked a minnow in the eyes.

in one nostril out the cartlidge on its nose. try free lining thats the best way. and hold on, big sunfish catch big fish

Keep in mind that hybrids can be finicky sometimes. If they are keyed in on shad they might not even look at another bait.

Could just be me...but I have had the best luck fishing perch on flats, points or some kind of struture instead of open water near a creek channel. Seem like when I fish them shallower the better the results...maybe that is more of a natural habitat for them to be found in???

great advise! Thank you all. Many things to consider, I know sometimes what works one day Might not work the next...that's why its called fishing not catching! I usually have my artificial baits on hand, but I might bring a few very large shad too!
But trying perch this time will be exciting...again thanks for the advise, tight lines, you all!

tail hook'em

in the mouth and out one nostril.

Hooking live bait can be done differently for different techniques. Hook thru the nose, middle of the back, under the tail or on the bottom of the bait but not to deep. Different hook location will typically cause the bait to act differently in the water. If you are fishing on the bottom hook the fish on the bottom of the tail this will make the bait swim up off the bottom. IF you are fishing for suspended fish hook the fish in the middle top of the back and it will swim in circles. IF you drifting at a decent rate thur the nose and the bait will swim more naturally. But in all cases never hook to deep to hit any vitals. These are just a few ways you can hook them to help generate more strikes.

I like to bridle up the big ones with a rubber band and a circle hook for stripers and flatheads that way the hook is always exposed.

Through the eyes does not kill them if you do it right and miss the brain. I will usually hook them that way when fishing for hybrids on Bridgeport. Small fish tend to steal the bait when I hook them through the face, so I switched and now I dont lose as much bait. I also use a kale(sp) hook when I do this. I do this with shad and giant shiners too.

great ideas!!! Will probably try all of them at least once! You guys rock! Thanks for the advise!

I've always used them in the summer for stipers in GA. Hooked them through the body just below the dorsal fin when using a down line or flat line. Hooked them through the nose when pulling them below a balloon (through the back will work here also).

Half the fun of summer striper fishing is hiting the lake early with ultra light, and a tube of crikets. An hour later your after the big gals with a livewell full of brim.

Iagree with chet.