Grew up fishing farm ponds in NC and would have no problem doing so year round with pumpkin seed, weedless plastic worm. Once water temps began to rise, I'd occasionally tie on a hula popper from time to time bc there's nothing like top water action to get your heart going.
I grew up following my grandfather around cattle ponds. He used plastic worms (rubber worms as he called them), he would always tie on a Hula Popper on for me. He may have caught more, but I was always big fish.