we were out yesterday, first trip of the year, got a late start 1030 thanks to boat issues. got one brown in the clear water then trolled to the dirty water. didnt seem to be a ton of fish in the dirty water as you said. we boated 2 more eventually and popped rigger line that had a decent pike on it that must have gone for a long ride. not sure how it didnt trip the white offshore release.
no HOT baits one on a smithwick, one on a firetiger kaboom shiner, one on uv perch stinger, and the pike grabbed a chart alewife stinger.
saw a lot of people using them in september and heard them on the radio saying they caught fish on the green glow black ladder jplug.
even saw a few broken off ones float by the boat. ran a few of them: chrome/bloody nose and green glow but no hits for us.