Honestly out of everything you had in your list as I was reading it I was thinking I was going to tell you to stick to the T-rig. Use it and only it, it's probably the most versatile rig you can use in any situation. Fish it deep, shallow, in hard cover, weeds, and there is no right way or wrong way to fish it. Some days I've caught them dragging it real slow with the reel and pausing to let them get a good look at it when fishing is hard in the dead of summer, pop it two-three times then pause, hop hop hop, you let the fish tell you what they want. Some days you'll figure it out quick some days not at all. Fishing is fishing it's not catching unfortunately. Get yourself a confidence bait then move to other techniques. The t-rigged senko was my first