The best thing is really using what's best at that particular time. Odds are you'll do better with live mackeral than a mackeral swimmer but you are using them when the macs are around. Same goes for herring or menhaden. The few people that manage to keep herring alive well into July in swiming pools and such do really well when the bait has moved on
. Many people plugging are using plugs that somewhat represent the live bait at the time...
(I haven't had my coffee yet, I appologize if I make no sense
)
Of course, eels work just about all night all season long
BTW - I use a Christmas Tree / Sabiki Rig for macks and I net Herring at the runs - legally
