An alternative to crickets for panfish.
Crickets are great, I still like using them, but in areas loaded with smaller gills, you need a tough bait that wont be snatched by fish you cant hook.
European Earwig.
These work GREAT. I have a huge population of them in my back yard, they are very easy to collect, and are durable and tough. They survive underwater longer than crickets, and they have a strong smell, courtesy of scent glands. Finding them is easy, all you do is flip over stones, this time of year, they are brooding their eggs, so you can often find several at once. They also love seeking refuge in flowers, my chrysanthemums are loaded with em.
You will find more around areas with clay soil, they dont like sand very much.
They have a very tough exoskeleton, stopping panfish from ripping them off the hook! Try taking a few with you to perris or silverwood!
These also work great for catfish and trout, when combined with powerbait! Use a size-8-10 hook.
trust me, they work great!