I know folks who still use them. But friends who have chartered on Erie for many many years switched to using weapons. They are cheaper and catch more fish. Lots of charters still only drift fish out there and catch plenty of limits. The 27 and 30 ft sportcrafts drift real well with a 20 mph wind. Each person runs a bouncer/harness and casts a weapon. One of the charters has folks insist every year to use either erie dearies or golden nuggets but they just catch as many fish as the folks using the weapons. Lots of baits don't work as good as they used to, like hotntot's for example. There are still days when they work but those are far and few in between for me.