Tins are a precision weapon for me. I don't usually use them to "search" the water, but they are certainly effective for me that way.
I like to use tins in a couple situations. One, is where I know the structure I'm casting at but can't necessarily reach it due to shear distance or due to wind blasting almost everything else out of the sky. Two, (and I HATE fall and chasing birds) when the fish are out of range and I need to reach them.
Check out tins like the Pt. Jude Sea Scallop and the 2.5 ounce Butterfish for tins that ride higher in the water column. Almost all butterfish tins stay high up even with a slow retrieve. The 3.5 Nautilus is my long range bomber. It sinks slower then you think it might but it's no Sea Scallop.
Every
plug bag should have at least a couple tins.