Interesting to hear the water wasn't crowded as it usually is on the 4th. Gas prices???
On bait discussion - I went back and forth on it, but I think the size doesn't matter.
It does seem to matter what kind of bait the fish are keyed into any given day... Any bait may get hit if you're in the right place at the right time. I agree there are days when artificals may provoke the strike better, but that doesn't seem to be the case all the time.