The more I think about it, the more I'm sure it was Cherry Kool-Aid flavored chx breasts. They were REALLY red, like dark, primary read.
I'm gonna give that a try next time I'm out there and see how that goes.
in retrospect, I might have been using the wrong sized/type hooks. I was using #4 & #5 circle hooks, probably not the best idea, but we were planning on going bottom setup (i.e. leaders with sliding weights resting on the bottom) until we saw the huge success the bobbers were having at about 6' deep.