To cover water I'll walk the shore. When fishing I'll get in and wade to position or for a better casting angle. I know the river bottom of the areas I am wading otherwise I'd advise anyone not to just get in and wade a long stretch of this river. I have most of my luck dragging plastics for the fish, dragging shad pattern flukes, tubes, 1/8oz finesse jigs in the dead of winter. Lightly weighted, usually 1/8oz for me and rigged weedless due to a fair amount of wood in the East Branch. I've found them sometimes more active at each end of winter and willing to chase or they're set up in faster water than you'd think for the time of year.