I was wondering if any of you hard core bass anglers still use live bait or cut bait? I know it is illegal in tournaments, but are there still live bait bass anglers out there just having fun and catching big fish?

Not unless I go down to Florida and drown a big Wild Shiner.

I use Saltys off our dock for the kids.

Not on the boat, but all the time off the dock.

On the rare occasions when my wife decides that she wants to go out when we are at Fork I will go get a pound of black salties and find a bridge. She will flat wear 'em out and usually catch at least a nine. The bad part is I will take her picture with several of the the bigguns and she will post them up on Facebook and tell everyone how she kicked my azz fishing. We do have a lot of fun and you can see the look of disapproval from some of the purist but I really don't care because it is time we spend together and she catches fish without losing my lures or getting hung up constantly.

Excuse the ignorance but are Saltys some type of baitfish ?

Actually a type of goldfish. Bait for either fresh or saltwater. Very hardy. https://www.gameandfishmag.com/editorial/one-of-the-best-live-baits-the-new-black-salty/337100

When I take the redhead (and now the kids) bank fishing, we'll take a bucket of shiner minnows for bait. They don't care how they catch fish - they just want to catch.

Nothin I like better than baiting hooks for the one's I love.

Yes. A species of goldfish. A little larger than big minnows. I put them under a little bigger bobber and they swim around. Kids love them. So do the bass on Fork!

Water dogs will get your arm broke

Between the largemouth and the catfish. Swear on Texoma I lost the world record flathead on a water dog a couple of years ago.
We use live bait all the time. Don’t tournament fish and with kids we have a ball fishing with live bait.