Of course it is all relative also to the body of water you are fishing. Yes, I believe size/age class is very important in schooling fish. But you mention smaller ones as 8 1/2 inchers. On a lot of lakes around central and northern Michigan those are respectable fish for the fryer. If I get into a school of 8 1/2 inchers and am fishing for fillets, they go on the stringer. If I am targetting slabs, 13+ inchers, and I am in a school of 8 inchers, I move. Now there may be a few slabs in that school , and you might be able to pick them out of there by upsizeing your bait, but it might be just as easy to look for a spot that is holding bigger fish.
It is not about the equipment you have to use,
It is about how you use the equipment you have. :D