Brine is salt water if helps them stay fresh I use wild caught shiners frozen either in Brine or fresh water for cut bait for catfish they stay on the hook. Some people will nuke them for a few seconds to toughen them up just before heading to the lake.

North Florida

Specked perch (crappy)
Bream (all)
Bass (large mouth and Suwanee)
Speckled sea trout
Chanel Catfish
War mouth

Heck they're all good

Judge32, Don't you mean up wind? I don't think I want to be up wind of you after all that good food.

When available In order for any catfish, Live bait, cut bait, Mullet gizzards, others. When you think about it how many chicken, beef, or pork parts do you think naturally float down a river, or around in a pond/lake. I have caught fish right next to some people who were not even getting a nibble on chicken livers when I left I gave them what cut shiners I had left. Before I had gotten 25 yards away, I heard one yell "I got a big'un!!" answered by "So do I!!". Two more happy fishermen.

Shark bait? Shouldn't say this, sounds like someone I know, my brother. Next time I see a gator I might throw him in. Just kidding of course.

Fixorfish I second that a friends nephew showed him a big bass he caught he was afraid his Mama would be mad. He had caught the 8# bass on a pork chop he had taken from the freezer. Fishing is like eating I'll try any thing at least once (well almost anything)

Live bait for bass is a good way to start out. Catching your own bait is fun too. Using an ultra lite set up with a cork float with weight enough to make it where the cork has only a sixteenth of an inch above water level. Use a small hook from a #10 to #18 (smaller the better). Get you some white bread, I like Merita bread For this application, Tear a slice in half and wet a piece and mush it up a little in the palm of your hand. Throw that out in the water close to any vegetation or cover, bait with a tiny bread ball just large enough to cover the barb on the hook cast to where some of the bread is floating, most of it will sink. The bream and or shiners will, most likely come to feed. Fish from 6" to 1' below cork. When cork moves right, left, to, or from you set hook a reel. Hook bream or shiner to 6/0 hook about 3' under large bobber and cast close to cover, continue to catch bait while you wait for a bass.

Circle hooks, are my favorite hooks for cut or live bait. Fishing without weight (no nothing) I like to use braided line that will float on top of water. I watch for the line to move and tighten up and then set hook when it becomes tight. With weight I like to have a belly in my line from the rod tip to the water and wait for the fish to load up on the rod. So yes i fish with some slack in my line, in most cases, when possible

Learned at least one new thing today so my day is not wasted, Thank you!!

You need to talk to the people at the local bait and tackle shops, they want you to catch fish so that you'll keep fishing and come back with your business and spend your money with them. They Know what baits work in their area and don't mind giving you pointers. You can also hire a guide for a day or two. Learn who the guides and successful fishermen are on a lake and take note of where they are while your fishing. Don't crowd them on the water but take note of the areas they are fishing, what is there to hold fish and so on. Talk to them at the docks, they will almost certainly be tighter mouthed than the bait shop owner but you can learn from them.

Earlier when I said Left I was thinking backing out and turning left. If your facing the lake the deeper water is to the right.

Earlier when I said Left I was thinking backing out and turning left. If your facing the lake the deeper water is to the right.

I have fished some of this river in WV with my brother-in-law who was a guide

https://rootsrated.com/west-virginia-wv/fishing/greenbrier-river-fishing

This time of year go to the left of boat ramp find deep water Early and Late fish shallow water around edges. Catch your own bait, Shiners, out side of maiden cane. In Palestine Lake (in Florida) the shiners are nearly black.

50 some years ago, fishing with my Granddaddy we had fished hard all morning with not even a strike. Then I cast a big ole plastic worm with a weedless hook, same bait I'd used all day. Granddaddy had tied the boat to a stobb and broke out the sardines and crackers. He handed me a can and some crackers and I lay my rod down while I ate, when I was done eating I picked up my rod and closed the bail and slowly tightened the line about the time the bait moved it was slammed by a six pound bass. Using the same method, I mean letting the bait sit for what seemed like forever, I caught two more about the same size and had a much larger one go under the boat and break off. Go slow real slow.