Float 'n' Fly: "The original rig employed small craft hair jigs set 8 to 12 feet below a fixed bobber. That's fine, but I also use a somewhat larger Thill oval float equipped with rubber rings to affix the line to the float. This buoyant float will support a larger lure like a fox hair jig or a shad-body bait on a 3/16-ounce jighead. Charlie Nuckols devised the system to cope with suspended smallmouths, a common occurrence in cold water. To catch suspended fish, suspend a lure at their level."

Belly-Weighted Baits: At times, Great Lakes fish hold deeper than the extent of a float rig. That's when Brett Richardson tries another novel rig that's widely available but overlooked. "Rig a small soft plastic minnowbait, like a Shad Assassin, Fin-S-Shad, or Berkley Power Jerk Shad on a Lunker City Belly Weight," he recommends. "This weight attaches to the shank of the hook and hangs below the lure, giving it a natural horizontal fall instead of a nose-dive. They're available from 1/16 ounce to 1/2 ounce, letting you drift baits down to any level. An alternative is to insert Lunker City Insert Weights, shaped like lead nails, into the belly of the bait."

Double-Jig Rig: One final tool for bass holding off bottom or away from structure is a rig with both a sinking and a floating jighead, each with a livebait. Tie each leader to a 3-way swivel, using a heavy leadhead (3/4 to 1 ounce) on the bottom line. Or, I hook a large shiner on the leadhead, adding a crawler or leech to the floating jighead. See which baits the bass prefer and rig both lines with that type. Try a Land O' Lakes Floating Jig or Northland's new Screw-Ball Floater to keep the other bait several feet higher. Experiment with colors as chartreuse or fluorescent orange can prove a winner at times, black at others. Check regulations, as this rig is illegal in some states and provinces.

As Richardson says, minor adjustment may be all it takes to trigger obstinate fish during tough times. Add your own wrinkles and try other lure selections. You may be the only one on the lake with these creative offerings. And, at times, you will be the only one consistently catching big smallmouth bass.