I have a few friends who own bait shops.... with that said.... I never buy them for jig fishing erie reefs. In other places at other times of course they work so i think that is where the idea comes from. As you said Erie reef spawn walleye are not hitting jigs because they are eating it is more of an aggression/defensive bite. I have been on the same boat while some use minnows and the others do not. i have never seen the minnows out produce bare jigs. The jig action is by far the most important factor.