Spy

One thing to consider, aside from where a product is made, is the materials used to produce it. Same manufacturer, plant, line or molds but utilizing different base ingredients produces a similar product but not the 'same' product. A name brand would never allow an exact match as it would negatively impact their own bottom line and undercut the brand itself. For the consumer it comes down to intended application and effect, sometimes cheaper is 'good enough' and sometimes it isn't. Deciding which is right on any given occasion is what keeps the Bait Monkey on it's toes!

I too fall into 99% split tail camp as they're unobtrusive yet provide so much animation, all without interference of the baits own action, both natural and induced. I find the continuity of this setup helps eliminate a bunch of guessing and lets me focus on actually fishing.

The SPRO Little John 50 has already been suggested but the SPRO Fat John 60 is a solid option, a true square bill, flat sided and a slower float.

The best sale I have ever been lucky enough to get in on! All the holes in the arsenal filled and for prices that almost felt like stealing, though to be honest I was probably lucky to get away with my wallet.

The spinner/spoon looks like a Nemire Spin Ripper with the wire modified a bit.

The miraculuos Helin Flatfish. A quick glance at eBay on any given day will show you are just a minnow in the vast school netted by that advertising campaign!

This type is also available with the Hank Cherry Straight Shooter Pro Jig, skirted and with a conical style head. I have a handful and love them but I'll be picking up one of these new style if for no other reason than it'll help me use up some of my excess soft plastics.

The SPRO Fat John 60 is a good choice as the action is a bit tighter than a 'regular' square bill and it has a slower rise.

Why, they'll just pixelate all the sexy stuff anyways.

I made the switch simply because my fingers aren't as dexterous after a lifetime of labor and the eyes aren't as clear either. Gamakatsu G-Finesse Tournament Fast Snaps are the direction I went as they're a speed clip with no need to open anything yet seem impossible to let a lure slip out due to design.

The Fogy is my confidence bait, I always have one tied on.

I still use the Plano Over/Under I bought in the late 80's because I think it is the perfect system for the Kayak. Enough room for cranks, jigs, chatterbaits, a deep cubby for terminal tackle or what have you and most importantly a proper spinnerbait rack of ample size.

The Archery/Tackle model is what will keep most private outfits afloat with brick and mortar going by the wayside and frankly it's a winning combo on all fronts, local shops serving local sportsmen.A

Your DNR office might have some info or maybe local sporting goods shops?

Just today I happened to watch a video they produced detailing a handful of Japanese flat side square bills and it answered a bunch of questions I had about each, one of the best retail shop videos I've seen to be quite frank.

Midway shipped my orders same day and had them to me (free) in 5-8 days.

Razor Baits is selling a spinnerbait called the 'Samurai Spin' with the Ninja Blade setup or as they call them 'Tom A Hawk' style blades. As different and unique as they get!

Blues work well in my tannic, coastal water and a blue saphire trailer adds a subtle flash when desired.

No magnesium frame to corrode when fishing brackish water on a regular basis.

Old school split-tail spinnerbait trailers are my go to, tons of action from the tails without interfering with the working action of the chatterbait itself. As nobody seems to use them anymore it's like having the one thing the fish haven't seen.

For me the answer is simple, a wire tied Siebert Fogy, 3/8ths with the bubble blade option in Disco Shad, tied on 365 and goes with every single time. Other than changing trailer style or color to suit my whims it is and has been doing just what the OP asked for a number of years now and will continue to do so as it flat out works.

I personally don't like the action imparted using a paddle tail as a trailer on either chatter baits or spinners, in fact I've had greater success using anything but!

JWR/Jig & Worm Rod

There's still love for pistol grip rods of good quality if the bids on eBay are any indication. Shimano bull whips and fighting sticks bring premium money and St. Croix as well, in fact St. Croix still offers a 5 1/2 pistol grip in their Premier line. I really like using the short sticks and recently picked up another 30 year old Diawa Samuri to match the one I already have just in case!

6" Culprit ribbon tail in what they called Moccasin at the time. Moccasin and Crawdad were very similar in color but the former was hot and the latter never produced a nibble. At some point it looks like the two colors swapped names because I still have some left from the 80's for reference unless they (or memory) got mixed up as sometimes happens when speaking in decades, As to place, this was in the stained and shallow waters of the Great Dismal Swamp on the Virginia/North Carolina border