I'd highly recommend making a lure like the offspring ... hardest part is finding the right hooks. Patrick Sebile's biggest Swimbait Rig widegap hook is a good option if you need to go weedless. These Title Shot hooks
http://www.jigfish.com/cgi/commerce.cgi ... on&key=MSO - I just found at the Michigan Muskie Shop after our seminar Friday night would be great for rigging the offspring in heavy wood without getting snagged. They are a 15/0 hook and come in multiple weights that can be positioned anywhere up and down the hook shank to make it sink flat or dive nose first. They also come in a jig form in a multitude of weights. I designed the offspring and the split tail grub specifically for the conditions you mention. You can almost bet that fish in that area have never seen a lure before.
Good luck and let us what you come up with.
Mike