yeah - it's the trout (lack of). Big bass do not normally eat rattle trap type lures. They really truly don't. But these fish are more desperate because there are no trout, and so they are acting stupider than they normally would. As soon as I saw those pics from the last SCBBBC tourney at Spring Lake, I knew those fish were going to be hungry this winter, they were already looking thin. If it wasn't 2 hours and 15 from home, I'd be there :)

Have fun with those fish and treat them well since the big ones will be stressed from lack of their normal winter food supply.