I tried that one time, but I used a large water bottle and drilled a bunch of holes in it to make it sink (with some rocks in the bottom of it). I took it to a spot that we always caught crappie, put some minnows in it and tied it to a limb and eased it down to the depth that we always caught fish. I tried to catch some fish first and didn't get a bite. Left and fished elsewhere for a couple of hours. Didn't catch many away from there, and came back and caught maybe 20 by the jug. The fish weren't biting that day, and so I can't say for sure if it was the bottle or just the major feeding time, but it helped my feelings to catch them there and had not been able to catch them elsewhere on the lake.