Lol, I was hoping someone recognized the reference!

No worries man, I wasn't trying to stir anything, it was just the perfect opportunity to throw a Napoleon Dynamite quote out there. I honestly could not resist. I apologize if you were offended.

We used to catch whites like that at Starved Rock state park on the Illinois river back in the 80's. No limit, keep all you wanted.

We'd fill a 32 gallon barrel full and distribute them to the people on my street.

I didn't care to eat them as they tasted like diesel fuel from the barges kicking up the sediment and roiling it in their exhaust stream.

Oh, and I used to run the 100 yd dash in 9.5 seconds!!

With a cop in pursuit. ;)

I have been using Trout Magnets with pretty good success for years. They are especially good when taking kids bream fishing... I'd rather tie one TM on than put 20 crickets on a hook.


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Huh Uh, SAMBOLIE. With the cop in pursuit, it was 9.00 flat! I'd make Usain Bolt look like a street pole!

fish whisperer, if I get room and you want to, maybe you can fish with me one day during bluegill bedding time and you may be the first, but I do not even remember how many different people i have taken fishing for bluegill when they go on bed over my lifetime, so far no one can outcatch a cricket and many have tried. My personal favorite way is with a flyrod and a popping bug and when it is good I put a fly behind it and catch 2 at a time fairly often.

One of the best fishermen I know, he is a "fish catcher" for sure was positive beyond the shadow of a doubt that I would give up the crickets, but after about 30 minutes, (he told me that they outfished live bait and you didn't have to chase crickets, I live with crickets in my boat for a few weeks after bluegill time so I was great, I am all for it, I told him the same thing, it hadn't happened yet) well he put the trout magnets and a couple other small plastic baits up and started fishing with crickets. Hard to keep with a cricket when the float goes under as soon as it stands up and does that for a long time.

One that still has me puzzled though, is fishing for rock bass in the stones river. I love to watch a float, so many times I catch live crawfish and fish them under a float. A couple of times a friend of mine has caught 4 or 5 to my one on a slider worm in irish whiskey color, they would hit the slider when it was beside my live crawfish, at least his line was right beside my float and it appeared the slide was very close to the crawfish under it. I would have never believed it but the first time I was begging for sliders and the next time I was prepared.

I love using crickets. But when you take an 8 and 10yo fishing it's a lot easier to tie on a TM than trying to keep crickets on their hooks.
My personal best catfish was caught on a cricket.


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I honestly would rather catch less fish than deal with crickets. Just my opinion, and the TM's catch more than enough to keep me happy.

crickets don't bother me. when I take a kid fishing, I don't fish, I bait the kids hooks and help take the fish off, so the crickets are not a bother in that respect either.

Head hunter, does all your Crappie come out of the brush you put in? what do you look for when putting brush out, like depth, bottom composition, orientation to south, close to a creek etc., I would like to begin to do this in Normandy but want some advice, would this work there the way it does at JPP, any advice will be appreciated!

Rocks, rock piles and gravel bars have been the key places for me the last few years.

is this where you fish brush or no brush? or where you put in your brush then fish?

I have a lot of brush out, but the last few years have not caught many off of it. Rocks, rock piles and gravel.

Thank you Sir!!