Petru,

Here is a couple of pictures of the lures and hooks I use, and have had great success with.

The Yum Dinger, shown in both pictures, range from 6″ to 3″, and the 1/4 oz Jigs are in the top row of the picture.
As you see, I am also a Big Fan of the Chatter Bait.

Petru, Maybe you’re fishing your jigs too fast.

You have to make sure they reach bottom, remember the 1/4oz jig takes a little longer getting to the bottom. Your lure has not reached bottom till you see your line go slack.

Then make short hops, and long pauses, with a twitch here and there.
And always keep contact with bottom, your line and jig.

You can pop it hard, just follow it back to the bottom with your tip, and be ready to set that hook!

Any kind of line movement, could be a strike, when in doubt, set that hook.

Most strikes will happen on the Fall, so always keep a close eye on your line as it sinks to the bottom.

A Bass can grab and spit that bad boy out before you even realize you missed a strike!

The Yum Dinger, can be fished many ways, as a jerk bait, finess, whacky rigged, placed on a ball jig, chatter bait (killer pike bait), or Dead sticking it.

Same as the jig, you must reach bottom, always watching that line for any signs of a strike on the fall, most will happen then.

But when the fish are in a negative mode, let it hit bottom, with long pauses between a pop, pop, pop, reel your slack line, and repeat all the way back to shore or
boat.

You can also add a small finish nail, or small screw to the butt of the dingers.
This will increase the fall rate, but not hurt the action.

Toss the dinger in 3′ of water and count it down till you reach bottom, then in deeper water you’ll have a better idea when it will reach the depth you want to fish.

Hope this helps Petru.
Good Luck and Tight Lines.

Rox