well i guess we all have opinions and mine, for freshwater or saltwater is to imitate what the name sounds like---jerk it then let it go down. if you rig it weightless with a texas rig and weedless then you should be understanding that it will take quite a while on a normal 4" shad imitator to sink, especially to deeper water. if you rig it with a traditional rig like a jig head then you can start with either a 1/4oz or 3/8oz depending on where you want to fish this thing- just either swim it, pause swim it for a while longer, pause, etc. the jerk/dying shad method is to jerk it, let it sway back and forth down hopefully into a target zone- hope this helps and was what you were seeking from one fisherman.

if you are trolling you may be using a spreader or paracute rig..so tie them on with a weighted jig head with hookside up and start trolling. drifting get it with a weight to the bottom and let it slide.

check out www.riversmallies.com and www.bassresource.net if you would like for at least freshwater ideas-

Jerk baits are one of my favorite lures to use because they're so versatile.  There really is no best way to fish it though, it all depends on the fish you are targeting, what the fish are feeding on, and how you present the lure to the fish. I've had best luck using them weightless. But if you know how to jerk it well, you'd need a towel to clean up the mess.