Sure wish I knew where I could find ah jar full of black crickets. Those little critters are deadly for Deep Water Roaches (Big Blue Gills) when they're deep down in the cool waters in the late summer months. My Bride and I used to live pretty close to 40 acre lake in S.E. Michigan. We'd paddle out and there might be 6-8 boats in a cluster drowning worms or nightcrawlers and we'd drop anchor out side the cluster of boats and with our 18' sectional fiberglass polls we'd hook a black cricket behind the head with a split shot 7-8 "s above the hook and just swing it out 'bout 30' away from our canoe and let the split shot take it down. The line would never get quite vertical before we'd be hauling in another big'un. Couple of the other boaters just got frustrated and mad and hoisted anchor. When we had our wire basket almost full we offered our remaining crickets to 2 of the other boaters but no takers. Just a smile and a no thank you wave, Jer

I just finished my supper (for you pilgrams in New Jersey that's the last meal of the day for an okie) a platter of fresh, not frozen bluegill & crappie. I used 6lb trilene, a 1/32 bare yellow jig on bottom & a #6 red hook 1 foot up. No sinker or cork. I had a box of canadian night crawlers. I pinched about 3/4 inch piece & put a piece on each hook. I use 6 lb test line because it's common to catch channel cat which will break 4lb. I use a 48 inch ultra light spinning outfit. I'm fishing straight down off a dock. The water is 30 ft deep. I start about 4 ft down & lower the bait til I get hits, usually from 4 to 12 ft. I've fished that dock since moby dick was a minnow & seldom had to go deeper. I've caught everything there except gar. There are other ways to catch panfish but my full belly is all the proof I need that my system works. Hacksaw, I washed it down with iced tea.