That's pretty awesome you saw them eating the trouts! I have never actually witnessed that kind of stuff. As far as short biters, that's a tough one. Did it seem like they only wanted to hit the sinking swimbaits like the optimum, or do you think you could have got them on shallow running floating plugs? I always figure if I can get them to hit a shallow running floating plug with two 2/0 gamakasku trebles on it like the MS Slammer, AC Minnow, Castaic Hardbait trout etc, the odds of hooking up are a lot better. Putting a trailer on a big swimbait like an optimum or basstrix can work but it makes them a lot more prone to snagging, and it's been my experience that they are able to throw a trailer hook a lot easier than the main hook. It's happened to me on the stocker trout a lot anyway. All I can say is, I feel your pain, and just do your best to find a bait that increases the odds of hooking up. When you get them let us know :-)