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This technique is deadly for catching gills. Anyone else ever do this. It works good, but can be tough to keep the crickets floating on top of the water. If you have success with this technique please share your rig set up that you use. I use a bobber, followed by a swivel, and then about a 4' leader with a #8 hook on 4lb test. if you cast it just right, the cricket floats and twitches on top of the water, never takes long and they get popped. It's a blast catching gills on topwater.
:popcornA good technique...........and if you use 2 lb. tippet, that cricket will float
even better. Ain't no gill gonna break 2 lb. tippet. Loosen the drag and fight 'em
for an extra minute. Accelerate the heart rate. Take a deep breath. Enjoy.
Thanks RR, that's a really good idea. Do you think a heavy lb test mono leader would work also? Like say if I were to use a 20 - 30lb test leader?
Sounds fun, but at my lake we sink 'em 8-9 ft. deep for the big bull gills. We catch them 8-10 inches that deep!
Done it regularly as well. I just use #4 test (on the spool) and clip-on a thin bobber a couple feet above the hook, more for casting weight than anything else. Many times, as soon as cricket hits the water the bobber darts-off and "it's on".
For topwater, I just use a fly rod and any floating fly.
I have some top water artificial crickets that will keep floating. Small treble hooks too. I bought them just for gills and have not pulled them out in years so thanks for reminding me. Actually they are crank baits that float and if you just wiggle them it's a top water bait.
I use the technique often especially when body of water is flat. Try 4lb test mono with a small peanut cork with a splitshot pinched directly on the bottom of the cork...tie a #10 light wire aberdeen cricket hook 4 feet below the cork. Peanut cork and splitshot is for casting mainly. The #10 hook will float with the cricket impaled. Cast it and slowly retrieve a few turns of the reel.
You can also use the clear adjusta bubble bobber that you add water too for weight and just tie on the #10 cricket hook
Thanks for sharing the ideal1 I never thought of using a live cricket for a top water lure............:cheers2
Another thing that I do in order to see if they're biting topwater. Before I start fishing, I'll take a cricket in my hand and just toss him out there and if he gets popped I know they're hitting on top. You can also buy a dry fly and use in place of the cricket on the same rig, just cast it out there a twitch it until it gets hit.