I like baits that stay on the hook well and are hard for them to suck off the hook. Cut bream or any other cutbait works well but i like to freeze and thaw it a few times so it gets tuff and stinky. In brackish water in southeast virginia I have also had good luck with old rotten squid.

we used Minnows, big ones. Live bait, large size on a line works wells for blues and channels. (and bull heads and no they are not the same)

these all look like good baits but where I fish a worm or stink bait works fine

One bait I use on lines and it never fails me is beef heart, cut the beef heart into sugar cube sized pieces and you will get around 100 baits or so out of one heart. Only costs you about $3 or so for a heart and they bait is extremely tough, multiple fish can be caught on the same bait without having to rebait.

The scent it puts out is great for channels and blues alike

beekeeper,
Boy catalpa worms are a prize here, if I can find the trees, not many around.

Del, get something that smells. If it's spoiled meat your lovely wife is throwing out, you go to the garbage can and save it, don't tell Betty!.

Stink

I like using live shad or skipjack the best. Its typically easy to get with a cast net on the river. Cut bait is fine too.

I usually use live bait. Baby carp or crawdads work good. Caught sum big channel and flathead.

Roadkill!!

buy chicken livers and put minnow in them and use them

I would say to use either chicken or turkey livers... either that or gut some chad and hold on because if you put either one of those three on, they will be biting.

Agreed with Beekeeper answer above and A + 1 for you sir!!!