Crickets with no split shot

My brother in law and I went to the creek yesterday fishin with crickets as usual. It started off kinda slow w/ a few small bluegills. I decided to take off the split shot from my cricket and let it fall more naturally .I noticed a increase in the size of the bluegill, most were over 8 inckes and even caught a 8 and 1/2 inch redear and a 11 and 1/2 inck crappie, all with a cricket. Does anyone else think that losing the split shot increases catches? look forward to your responses, Creekman

I never fish with a sinker when using crickets. Allowing the bait to fall naturally seems to increase the number of fish caught also.

at time I do and at times I also use split shot to get the cricket down faster so the dinks dont suck it off before I get it down near the big un's

another fun way take 1 cork put on 12- 38 inches up and place one cricket on hook let it float on top of water
this intices the bluegill into some fantastic strikes

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Originally Posted by creekman

Does anyone else think that losing the split shot increases catches?

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I don't know about increasing catches but if there is little or no current, it works for me. I call it "free lining" as there is nothing on the line but hook and bait and/or lure. More current=weight, for me. Conditions dictate whether to weight or not to weight for me so I can get the bait or lure down in the water column to the fish but the bait or lure will get down in the water column without weight if there is little or no current. Too fast (sink rate) of a drop (weight) in little or no current when fish are suspended may miss those fish if they are biting on the drop. This is just my take on it :).

most fishin questions can be answered with depth and speed... ya get the rite depth and you'll catch some fish, maintain the rite depth and speed, both horizontal and vertical speed (drop speed) and you'll catch the most fish. i'd say this was a time when the speed needed to be really slow. have been into shellcrackers when they would only hit a crawler with no weight, and 'gills many times when we'd use a weighted cork but no weight on line, just a hook and cricket.