poppy, for what it's worth, I've been catching my YP for years now with a double hook rig under a tiny float used for steelhead fishing called a "corky". I use no weight; the baits slowly sink down under the float, taking many seconds (5-15 sec) to fall to the limit of the line. I find that, at least in my pond and the local perch lakes, that the fish are within a couple of feet of the bottom.
The first hook suspended below the bobber is a #6 drop shot hook, the terminal hook is either a #6 or #8 circle, or a long shank one-think Aberdeen or one of those with the "kink" in the shank that is supposed to make it rotate in the fish's mouth. I get many more bites with no weight such as split shot on the line, and a higher percentage of hookups with the long shank hooks in contrast to the circle hooks.
Bait: I've used all sorts of things over the years and am having excellent success these days with Berkley Power Bait Trout Worms in Orange Peel color hooked "wacky" on the bottom hook and a red wiggler hooked wacky plus either a Neon Chartreuse or Gold Rush Power Bait Crappie Sparkle Nibble on the hook with the wiggler. I've caught many, many more YP on the Trout Worm than on the wiggler/nibble but both get plenty of interest. Interestingly, I've substitute the chartreuse color Trout Worm for the Orange Peel and caught nothing, gone back to the Orange and started bringing them in again.
If you've got LMB, SMB, GSF, or BG in the pond, you'll get some of these too.
Good luck and let us know your results.
Roger
