O.K, what would u do if you were fishing on a dock.  the water is 25 feet deep, there is some hydrilla and other sparse weedgrowth on the bottom.  Smallmouth bass are cruising down there, and they are picky.  the water is super clear.

Please anwer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :-/ ;D 8)

I would pitch a jig with craw trailor well past then and hop it back to the dock slow and hope they grab on. The other option would be to burn a crankbait over the tops of the weeds.

If you are fishing from a dock, and the water is very clear, other folks have probably seen and fished for these guys.   Also, and perhaps more importantly, the fish have seen lots of people?  I suspect that they have seen you and shut down.  Try to use a little stealth.  Sneak up on them, or fish from a distance, use light line.

Small lures in natural colors on fluorocarbon superlight line...!

dropshot

Take an M-80 firecracker, pack mud around it, light it, and drop it.

On a serious note, I gotta go with Chris on this one.  A small hair jig rigged as a float-n-fly or as a plain jig will entice them.

Use some light line say 8 pound test. Then stay as far away as you can, but able to throw a finnesse worm on a jighead to the dock. Small jigs are also a great choice.