"9" Shakespear Crappie Hunter Rod"
That is one short rod ! LOL My standard rods are 5' 6" - 6', ultra light or light action (extremely important !).
I use cheap spinning and spincast reels with a good retrieve ratio. Both being zero anti-reverse. Too small a diameter spool and too low a gear ratio, IMO, loses too many fish.
Braid - fine
1/16 oz unpainted jig heads allow fish to concentrate on the lure and not a bright paint job. Painted heads and thick diameter line cause distractions
Whether fish see the line or not is not important - I've caught as many fish on bright fluorocarbon or mono as clear. Also, at times fish that are not aggressive chasers or biters, require the downsizing of soft plastic lures and thereby using a light jig head with shorter hook. 1/32 oz jigs may be the ticket as well as allowing a slower fall and retrieve rate when fish are less aggressive.
If you have confidence in a lure design and it catches fish, stay with it. Hundreds of lures are capable of catching pan fish or any other. As for myself, I rarely use curl tail grubs preferring thin straight tails that I pour myself and never use straight black when it comes to fishing grubs. I don't even like black fur or feather jigs unless tipped with a bright trailer. Just my own personal preference and superstition.