Do live shiners and other live baits catch largemouth bass?

Yes — largemouth are built to eat living prey, and live bait is often the most reliable way to get a bite from a big one. The classic is a large wild shiner fished under a float or free-lined along vegetation edges; on Florida lakes it is a long-standing trophy method. Nightcrawlers and leeches catch plenty of bass too, mostly smaller fish. The cost is deep hooking: a bass swallows real food quickly, so use circle hooks or set early, and cut the line rather than dig for a swallowed hook. Dead or cut bait is not a largemouth method — this predator keys on movement. Most bass tournaments are artificial-only, and moving live baitfish between waters is restricted in many jurisdictions, so check the rules first.

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