I don't have any affiliation with Sluggo or Herb Reed. However, I will say that over the last few seasons, I've done better with black, or red over black, 9" Sluggos in the Canal than I've done with my beloved jigs. I reserve my jigs for places where I have to have a monster cast to reach the hole or rip. In places where the holes are closer, I use Sluggos on 3-5 oz heads. Or Ronz eels. The fish also tend to hold onto a Sluggo or Ronz, even if you're slow to react to a hit.
I also use the 7-1/2" new size, but it doesn't rig as well on a jighead.
I also tend to use either 4" Sluggos or 4" Riptide Mullets almost exclusively now when I use a trailer on a jig. They produce as well as pork, and don't fold over the hook in current and cost you a hook up, like pork often does.
The effectiveness of Sluggos isn't hype. It's real.
One of my buddies from the other sites, a guy who has jigged and skinned for as long as I have, now refers to himself as "The Sultan of Sluggo" in his signature
You're doing yourself a real disservice if you confuse the messenger with the message, IMO. Try them. They work.