The last few weekends the far and away best bait has been a slither rig or some sort of jig with a rage craw, tossed at outside weed edges. Looks like a gill focus to me, and works better around gill spawning areas. Swimjig in similar coloring worked about as well. 

 

The primary/most bite is a few seconds or more after first contact with the bottom. 

Secondary bite is first drag.

Next is the occassional bite on the way down. 

No bites at all fishing it along the bottom. 

 

Are these fish positioned up in the water column, in the weeds facing out? I figured if they were some sort of swimbait or chatterbait would draw a bite, but very little. Senko falling on that same spot would occassionally get a bit on the way down, but they were smallish. 

 

What else should I have tried? Am I right about how they were positioned? 

Or crayfish ?

14 hours ago, Catt said:

Or crayfish ?

Tell me more?

20 hours ago, txchaser said:

The primary/most bite is a few seconds or more after first contact with the bottom.

 

Ever watch a crawfish falling back down to the bottom?

 

20 hours ago, txchaser said:

The last few weekends the far and away best bait has been a slither rig

 

What Strike King call a Slither Rig, V&M calls it a Slip n Jig, & some call it a Punch Rig.

 

The original was called a Texas Rigged Jig. I've thrown em for years.

 

 

You're spot on with your thinking, but missing fish with your retrieve.  If fish are hitting your offering just after it hits bottom, or with the first drag, Duplicate that during your retrieve. Almost like stroking a jig, but not as violent.  Raise your rod tip quickly to about the 11:00 position and let it fall under light tension. Your jig will fall on an angle similar to its initial fall after you cast.