40-47 degree water all my jerk baits: clunn, Ito, rapala, etc. suspended flawlessly last week. Yesterday water around 52-55, couldn't get them to suspend at all. Added 5 split rings to one and it floated. Added a tiny split shot it dove nose down like a sack of rocks. Is there a happy medium trick that isn't time consuming to figure out what works.... Season is so late this year, no beds yet, still lethargic.

Suspend strip?

Change the hooks?

Water temp does play a part.

A lot never suspend out of the package perfectly at least what I've found.

Water gets denser as it gets colder (to about 38 degrees) so it sounds like something else is going on. I set my JBs to suspend in cold water, but they are never exactly the same. I like an ever so slight sink in colder water, and an ever so slight rise as it warms. So I "balance" and mark my JBs. Even so, sometimes they just seem to have a mind of their own. Here in MD, the JB bite, came and went more quickly than usual. I'm sure I can catch them with them, but other stuff has been working better for a few weeks now. Also you can use the line you use to fine tune. 

Get some suspend dots and a size larger hooks and you should be good to go. 

Same line set up as last trip?