This only applies to the COOSA river (and really for me it would primarily be Weiss, Neely, Logan, and "maybe" Lay) If someone caught an 8 pounder on the Tennessee river, or Eufala, it wouldn't even raise my eyebrow.

If you had to catch a 7 pound or bigger largemouth on the Coosa lakes to save your life, how would you do it? What lure, and what type of structure or cover, would you most expect to catch one that size?
My hypothetical situation is I'll give you from right now until dark on this coming Sunday evening to catch this fish....how would you do it?

Shakey head

Ledges with crankbaits or jigs

I could not this time of year. But, if it was mid February to mid March, there is one place I would have my greatest chances. Crank bait or a C rig. One stretch of river about 200 yards long.

I'm pretty varied, I throw a good many different baits, I power fish shallow, I finesse fish shallow, I power fish deep / offshore, I finesse fish deep / offshore, I fish upriver, midriver, downriver, on the river, up the creeks, grass, docks, flats, rocks, bridges, ledges, humps, roadbeds, ditches, and I have less than zero idea how I'd catch that size fish. I would think my best shot is buzzbait in some grass, jig under a dock, or big crankbait/swimbait on the ledge.... but just how much of ALL that is required to catch one, because by golly it ain't worked yet!!

Bullshad and id leave to other rods at the house

Big worm on a ledge

Big Worm/ Jig/ swimbait. Only fish when pulling water or just before a front. I'd fish a break, creek or river channel.
Maybe a boat dock, on a channel swing.

Punching gator grass

Speaking of... we spent a pretty good amount of time in the back of Cedar Creek this past Saturday punching all that grass (I call it water hyacinth, that's what it looks like anyway).... it felt like every pitch was gonna be a hawg, but we actually didn't get a bite. I know they were there, we just didn't get any bites, but I was nervous as crap the whole time waiting on that thump!

I've caught a 12+ at Lay and a 9+ on Logan. I caught the Lay fish on a crankbait on a ledge. I caught the 9 on Logan on a tube in a brushpile in about 8ft of water. I caught a 6+ on Weiss off dock on a jig.

I was in the boat with a buddy when he caught a 9lb bass on lay in July 2013. We were throwing ribbit frogs in the grass. That was the longest bass I have ever seen.

With a big ol minner a circle hook and a balloon.

Offshore creek/river channel junction with water running on a C-rig...

Tie a bag of crawfish to a tree limb with deep water nearby. Situate several bags of ice on top of it. Leave a hole in the crawfish bag big enough for one or two to get out of at a time. Check back and when the bag is half empty fish next to it with the same crawfish and a small hook through the horn on light line with no weight. Always catches the largest fish in the area if you're into that sort of thing.

Second best way is in the turbulent tailrace water of a dam when they're pulling pretty good water. Use whatever bait is present (usually shad but not always), smallest terminal tackle and line you can get away with.

Large fish are VERY line shy except right before when a major storm cell passes.

Naw Southy, bass, big ones don't hit Ribbits! I can't count the over 6 bass I've caught on one. I consider it a weedless buzzbait.

Thick grass at night with a big worm or craw bait.

You aren't gonna find grass mats on the Coosa like in Gville.

This.. I was gonna say large live crawfish but ain't ever done it myself I just pond fish mainly but under these conditions this would be my method

Dynamite