Rick,

Have you tried tying these flies with bead chain or lead eyes so that the hook rides up? Here in Louisiana I tie most of my underwater flies with bead chain because I find it helps the fly ride over them many underwater obstacles we have (especially thanks to hurricanes katrina, rita, and gustav). I like to use crappie candy and clousers. I find that I have a much better hook up to catch ratio than you often describe in your articles and i think that with the hook riding up the crappies (sacalait in s louisiana) are often hooked through the upper or side membrane which I usually catch unless I allow them slack line (fisherman's fault). I may try tying some goldies using bead chain eyes and test this theory out. A hard job, i know, but science (or fishing) calls Anyway just a thought from my experience.