If you want to catch bigger and better bass then do it with live bait the way Mother Nature intended. Fish are not as stupid as people think. The older and bigger fish that have been around for a while know how to smell a trap. To catch them you have to use something that looks natural. It doesn’t get any more natural then live bait.
The first tip for using live bait is where to put the hook. The best place to put the hook is in the mouth of a shiner. This way it can swim through the water in a more natural motion. One important thing to remember however is take care of your live bait. Dead bait will be no 
good. Casting the hook into the water to hard can kill the bait. Try to remember, it’s all about presentation. Presenting the most appealing meal to your catch is what it’s all about.
Another tip is to use a gang hook. This also allows for the most natural presentation and that is what will lure the big fish in. If you cannot find shiners then night crawlers will make a perfect substitution. These are pretty much universal as far as bait goes. They can catch anything from a perch to a 25 lb. bass. They’re also easy to handle and place on a hook.
After you use live bait for a while you may not want to go back to using artificial bait. You will find you’re going to catch more fish and the fish will be bigger. Plus the cost of live bait is cheaper then using artificial bait.
