[chrisx28]

I have been taught always to use live, than I took an old head out with me and he tells me he wants the dead shiners because they are easier to put on the hook, he was catching the perch as fast if not faster. So I froze all my dead shiners in cornmeal. Thinking about going out today and am second guessing whether I should go get live ones or use my dead ones. Whats your preference?

 

[Gills63]

I've never noticed any difference. I usually cut mine in half if they are big enough.

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[harleydan1956]

Never froze them in Cornmeal, But.. when you buy shiners, get NO water. Put them in a Styrofoam bucket and put plenty of ice on top of them. We never use live anymore. They die quickly, but they stay firm. Keep ice on them, (usually doesn't melt if in Styrofoam) Dry off what you don't use and freeze in a sealed bag. Buy a few more live next time, do the same thing and use the frozen first. We have even cut the big ones in half and still caught them fast and furious. Hope this helps.

 

[homerun]

We fished last Sunday in 41' off the Stadium. The best program was 1/2 shiner laid on the bottom. The obviously dead ones worked better. The only caution is that they must not be mushy. A friend freezes his left overs in Borax. Another friend uses salt. All seem to work the same.

 

[Eliminator]

When they're biting like drop line to bottom count 1-2-3 pull up fish, repeat, then it really doesn't much matter dead or alive, but on days that they just seem to not be feeding agressively live ones would mt choice.

 

[LenB]

I've never noticed a difference, the perch don't seem to care. I always keep my leftovers and freeze them for the next time. I also cut the big live ones in half.

 

[Bobinstow90]

I'm with Eliminator.

Most days it doesn't matter but when they have lockjaw....live can make a difference.

Chris...why freeze in cornmeal? Never heard that.

 

[HeadHunter24]

Same here. It seems when the fish are in a frenzy, they'll bite on the shiners no matter what. I always freeze mine in kosher salt which makes them really tough when they thaw out and the never fall off the hooks like regular frozen minnows which tend to get mushy after thawing out. I use them whenever I run out of the live bait, which nowadays they are always dead by the time I put the line in the water because I don't bother buying batteries for the aerator lol. But still, have the same luck with live, freshly dead, or frozen for months, and that's catching big fish.

 

[backagainbaha]

If they are biting good I will also use a junk fish for cut bait. I will filet one out, cut into small cubes and put on the hook and tip with a shiner. That way you still have an opportunity to catch one if your shiner has been robbed. There have been days where I only used cut bait so I did not have to rebait.

 

[Bigjoe]

I use dead before the live ones. Set a half dozen of the dead ones on the gunnel in the sun so they toughen up a bit, they stay on the hook better and seems to me the Perch prefer em that way.

 

[idontknow316]

I always start out perch fishing with two poles, one with whole minnows and one with minnows cut in half. I feel like most of the time the pole with the half minnows catches the most fish, plus it saves on minnows when the bite is full of fish you are not after.

A old timer told me once that he puts his minnows on ice, the ice make them shine ever more than normal, although I didn't notice any difference in catch rates, so I just put a bubbler on them just to keep them alive until I cut them in half

I think when it comes to perch fishing everyone has there certain thing that works for them, but when it comes to alive or dead, I think the more important thing is being fresh. I don't feel frozen minnows work as well as fresh minnows.

 

[Sculpin67]

I use live first, then dead. Never tried dead first.

I have caught fish on what ever the perch throw up - shiners, golbies, white perch..... so dead gross stuff works too.

 

[WalleyeRunner]

I always grab the floaters on top while everyone is chasing the live ones splashing around. My pole is back in the water quicker therefore I catch more fish. Plus if I get a bite while trying to bait my other pole I can just set the dead minnow down and it won't be flopping all over my boat getting stepped on. Cut minnows have been doing a lot of damage for us lately. Maybe because there smaller and the perch can get them in there mouths easier then a whole minnow. Much better hookup rate.

 

[rod bender bob]

Always get shiners in a zip-lock bag and keep them on ice. Can't remember last time I used live ones. Never put the shiners on the ice, they get too wet and slippery. Usually lay a few on a towel so they dry, easier to pick up and put on hook.

 

[Jim Stedke]

I agree with the cut up minnows. Cut them 3/4" with cheap kitchen shears, and put them on a damp rag. Do several and keep them where everybody can reach them. More baits and more perch.