When I used to fish the ocean on Vancouver Island we had good success with a Pirken and one of the original lures of this type. It was called a Rip Tide, they were made by a person in the Duncan area and were fished in Cowichan Bay starting in the 50's. Many of us used plug cut herring as we mooched. The fishing was great in those days and I as a young angler even caught a fair number number.
I remember having a old plywood boat that we found sunken in a lake. We repaired it and painted it gray and of course our only horse power was, 2 oars.
Anyway we saw the fellow with this rip tide having a fair amount of success. If I remember right he just let it down and then jerked the rod up and then let the line flutter down and then wood repear the process.
When I used to fish the rip tide and the Pirkin I used my Avon (in salt water
and would cast it out and let it flutter down and the fish would grab it, the take felt good too.
I remember many years ago, off Qualicum Beach , between the Big and Little Q I had my dad out for an evening fishing trip most likely the last saltwater trip he made in his long fishing life. We were power mooching with herring but for a change I threw out the Rip Tide in the manner I said and a fish took it, I handed the rod to my dad and he landed his last salmon of his life, the fish was close to 15. I also remember when we had it in the net he told me "son I thought you were crazy fishing the Rip Tide that way.
Also a few years after that, fishing with 2:40 the dog fish were so bad we could not mooch with herring so it was Pirken's and the Rip Tides. If I remember correctly a nice fish jumped and 2:40 cast out in that direction and as the lure flutter down there was contact and it was a good one too. It even towed our 12 foot boat at a good clip too, with 2:40 at the bow. Unfortunately we never saw how big it really was as it fell off after a few minutes in the fight.
I relate these stories to answer the question how to fish any of these types of lures, give it a try but leave your Avon for fresh water use only but maybe not, as they sure cast nice in the ocean, no branches to cast into either.