I'm a big fan of what I call the slow-fall presentation..... no weight, and no float...a size 8 or 10 hook, and in this case, some lively bait, or maybe a small hair jig. It takes a pretty good setup to cast in this fashion, (unless you're using a fly rod), but it usually pays off for me.
Cast, and let it sink slowly. If you have time to eat a sandwich before your lure/bait hits bottom, you're on the right track. Set the hook on ANY twitch of the line.
Speaking from Indiana, my RES are on the beds, and the BG are staging just off in deeper water, with a few hardier souls already fanning out nests. If I were fishing right now, I would cast out to the slightly deeper water beyond known spawning areas.
