Matt, I have to agree on the notion that swimbaits are the magical answer. Many have taken advantage of the big tournament wins supposedly singlehandedly won with a 5 or 6" swimbait. After giving swimbaits a good try all year I've found that they with catch fish of all sizes, my biggest this year did come off a swimbait though.
You have to really know about the way baits are manufactuered to understand why some are more expensive and others are cheaper. A true hollow body swimbait will swim with much more action than one that is 3/4 hollow from the head to near the tail. Plastic softness is also a factor, the softer it is the slower you can retrieve it.