Darius,

Don't stress man, sometimes it takes a little while for people to reply. I've been trying to fix some problem with the gallery so I haven't had time myself.

With the Slammer, I always look for condition. That could be things like wind, rain, chop, low light or night. Today for example we have a light wind, overcast with some rain, and I know if I was on the water I'd be throwing the Slammer. If you see condition, throw the bait. If its flat calm and sunny, try something else.

I have not thrown the lucky craft cranks you mention in your post, maybe someone else can help. The LV series are definitely popular at clear lake from what I hear. Clear lake is just a good rattle trap type lake in general.

The sammy is a nice topwater. Some guys love it and swear by it. I'm more into spooks myself but you know over time you'll find that different lakes have different personalities and some lakes they might really like the sammy where at other lakes they might like the vixen or the super spook. I've always felt like the sammy is more finesse than the spook or the vixen so it could be something to try in calm conditions, shallower water or clear water.

As far as modifying baits, my feeling is to just go for it! Having a modified bait that looks right to you boosts your confidence in the lure and many times your confidence in the bait is so much more important than how it actually looks.