Getting non pellet trained RES and YP to eat pellets at the surface is a challenge that requires diligence and patience. The best success reported here and by others of getting RES to eat pellet food on the surface is to use Optimal bluegill food (2 sizes available) that is composed of a large percentage of short worm like pellets. The pellet flavor shape reportedly appeals to RES feeding habits. Bruce Condello swears by the food for getting RES to eat pellets. If the YP were feed trained when purchased they and many other species will often be attracted to the feeding area by the minnows working on the pellets. I have found that YP are much more likely to eat pellets at the surface from when the sun hits the horizon until darkness (the crepuscular period) . The closer to darkness the better the YP will feed at the surface.

One trick to get RES, YP & bass to eat pellets is to make the pellets moist and moldable as rolled / oval shaped pellets that sink. This type of food has the excellent flavor and texture of live food and is very readily accepted by most any fish. It takes extra time to do all this,, but the benefits of creating pellet eating fish far out weigh the time involved. I regularly hand feed moist food to all my fish. It does not take long each night to soak food for the next day's hand feeding. Another BIG benefit to the moist food is you can mold it onto a hook whenever you want to catch a fish. My prior posts have talked about softening food and there was my article in PB mag about doing it,

May June 1998 special pellet feeding issue.
The Softer Side of Feeding Fish By Bill Cody