Jointed Thunderstick methodology

[Sightwindow]

I have three of the old ones - one natural pearl/black back, one blue and orange and one clear - and am interested in throwing them this year. Never have really before. They're fairly beat up, have heavy duty hooks and split rings.

How do you work these things? I threw them in a clear pond and they didn't dive far when twitched and came back to surface very quick. Normally on lipped baits, I work them fairly fast to keep them at depth. These are much bigger, of course, and I'd like to go slower for the big girls. As well as giving it the appearance of, well, it having a broken back. But when I went much slower at all, they popped back to the surface. Normal?

TIA for any guidance here in dink country, home of the 15 inch "Nice one!!".