I have been using live perch while bank fishing to deter turtles from stealing my bait. I have been losing it without any bites. i have seen a solid pull and then the pole went back to the original position. would this posibly be soft sheled turtles. what could be stealing my bait so quickly.

Either that, or gar.

What size perch? Gar will def eat em. Idk about turtles but possibly. If they're Channel cat size they might do that, but a flathead will usually pull on em a good bit.

depending on how you fish them i find that turtles usually are the main culprite(cant spell). especially if float fishing

Most likely gar. Try a different location &/or depth.

more or less whats been said but i find softshells like live or cut fish and will run and stop run and stop. gar will just run with it. look for bubbles which would be a turtle.

how are you hooking the perch ?

+1 ????

I have been hooking the perch in the center of the tail. I just thought that it could be soft shelled turtles because I would not have a bite 9 times out of ten and would check my bait to find that there is not a perch. I have found the perch without a head or part of a tail but very rarely. I just didnt think turtles would chase down the live bait when I fish off the bottom and give the perch like a 2 to 3 foot lead to run around on.

You betcha turtles can chase em down on a leader. Are there any hybrid strip bass in the lake? I've been plagued with em lately, usually after one good strike my baits gone. I'm really starting to hate hybrid. Try hookin em closer to the head end under the dorsal fin, most fish will try to swallow perch from the head end, helps lay the fins down makes it easier to swallow.

Sounds like a gar to me.

Gar

I'm gonna say turtle beause the only time I saw a gar pull a line was when he was already hooked.

Hook em right behind the dorsal fins, it might help em stay on a bit. I've never lost one that way unless it was hung up in some timber or brush.