Well, being that I always have a hard time getting my hands on skipjacks and shad, I usually use bluegill as bait. I either go to one of the farm ponds that I have access to or I go down to 14 mile creek (a big creek near where I live). When I go to the farm ponds I usually catch eatin size gills, so I throw em on ice, take em directly to the river, and use em as fresh cut bait. Usually I cut the gill in half and use the side w/ the head (hooked through the eyes). When I go to the creek I catch a mix of sunfish and bluegill, all about 3-5 inches long, and I usually keep them alive in a bucket w/ an aerator, then use em as live bait. Both of these methods work well for me.