Have you ever had luck with hooligan (frozen sea smelt)? I have had about 10 flags and 100% failure. 9 of the 10 were dropped before I got to it. The 10th I saw the flag go up, sprinted to it, and set the hook immediately as it was spinning (quick strike), and got nothing. Even on one of the best days I've ever had where they seemed to eat everything I had a dropped bait. I think I'm done with dead bait forever. I put a sucker down the same hole and caught a fish.