Nice post Sam!
I also like to utilize a little bit more to the power side of finesse fishing as well since I normally fish in and around some pretty heavy cover where even forage is aggressive. If I go TOO finessey with my hooks and baits, I'll get hosed by hiding juvies, crappie and bluegills and I have little confidence in lighter line that close to heavy veg. Remember OP, finesse isn't just one thing these days but the general concept of how to work a bait- maximizing the effect by minimizing the components instead of power fishing's general "Use big gear and throw big baits with big weights" since you're still using the bare minimum you can that the situation will allow. Also being weedless is huge to me, as the aforementioned heavy cover will absolutely pounce on trebles or open hooks of any kind. The ability to cast right onto the edge of a pad line and then dip it in & dance it around without worry of catching is HUGE for me.
For heavier finesse tactics near cover this is the best I've come to know
Rod: MXF Stiff and backboney with a nice tip is preferable.
Reel: Best light bait thrower you can afford. (I use an older curado 51e w/ Abec7s and love it)
Line: 10-15lb braid, no leader but size depending on your local fauna but be careful to dial yourself in slowly if you aren't used to throwing light braid on a casting setup if that's how you're going to go. I like straight braid since it is so thin and limp with no stretch, it never seems to get in the way of the action of the bait when jerking or tugging, and it's very strong. It lends itself very well to an erratic action and the hooksets are like lightning. It also holds up very well to pads and vegetation. I always use a double palomar and get it sopping wet on the tie.
Hooks: Dependent on bait profile/weight and line choice, but for my 10# SX1 braid setup, I really like Trokar #3 Mag EWG hooks for compact/fatter/heavier baits like hudd bugs/ pit bosses/rage bugs/rage shads and smaller #2 reg EWGs for whippier profiles like Slug-Go SS or Roboworms. I find these wire weights & sizes give them a well-matched flutter, weight distribution and rate of fall- and hooks aren't just about firing a point through a lip- they impact everything about how your bait pulls through the water, stands/aligns when worked, it's momentum in it's action and also how fast it sinks. A worm needs very little coaxing to dive, whip/walk or hunt while a craw will benefit from a little more tail weight and some more momentum via a beefier hook in a jerking motion. Sometimes when I'm working a heavier round plastic like a rage shad, etc.
Rig: Texas rig. Completely weedless and easily collapsible on the strike. Also belly hook gap span helps bait be correctly weighted on retrieve and sit right when rested on the bottom. Don't forget to rig the craws backwards so it moves like a real craw when you tug it and lands butt-first and claws up when stalled on the bottom.
You are in full-on ambush mode and working inlets in heavy cover/using vegetation to get inside the strike zone just like every other predator on the lake when doing this so act like it. Stay super quiet and be very deliberate- don't even make any unnecessarily high arm movements that could spook the fish or knock stuff around. I fish from a kayak and usually do low and long underhand/side casts to keep the bait splashing to a minimum as well. Also being weedless is huge to me, as the aforementioned heavy cover will absolutely pounce on trebles or open hooks of any kind. The ability to cast right onto the edge of a pad line and then dip it in & dance it around without worry of catching is a big plus- also keeps the splashing down too. If you can't see your bait as you work it through an area or are in a pause/dive and can't feel it very well, lock your eyes on your line as it floats on the surface. Strikes can be communicated by changes in the line's movement when when you can't feel them. The rest is up to you! Cadence, timing, action, colors, sizes and profiles can all be tailored to your region, specific waterway and time of year, but I find that a heavier version of the finesse approach is actually a huge benefit in heavier cover situations. I still consider it 'in the finesse school of thought' though, since it's the absolute minimum the situation will allow.
I know I'm forgetting about a million things but I only really talked about one rig- and just in the capacity of unweighted but using the gauge and size of the hook to dial weight and action and there are no real rules my man- just different schools of fishlosophy. Just a few things to think about. I hope any of that drivel helped in some way though and I apologize ahead of time to anybody who sees some massive flaw in my logic or grammar which there very well may be. It works exceedingly well for me though. Best of luck out there!!
