More often than not, I trim my skirts to the hook.  Recently I've been turning my trailer vertical to present more like bait fish.  Ironically still using crawfish type trailers.

I am interested to understand how seasonal changes impact how we fish jigs.  Jigs are in my top 3 favorite baits to use. Recently I put a skirt on a swim bait head with a grub trailer and caught a largies dragging across pads.

SUF Pedigree 

TEAM SUF (it's clean and simple)

This is going to be good!

Interesting.... 

So, I am going to answer your question with a question. BLat style...Is using a leader more relevant to the technique and less about the fish seeing your line??

Medium heavy or heavy with plastic Texas rigged and jigs

Luck

I’m jealous

This very exciting!

#TEAM SUF

Same

Nice fish Brian. 

To answer your question, lightning. 

The cooler temps and discussions about fall fishing got me thinking.  Do smallmouth bass behave similar to largemouth seasonally, if so, did you start your fishing deep/main lake or in shallower waters?  From the picture it appears you are close to shore.