I always have a predicament on whether or not to stop if I see what appears to be a ball of bait fish with 1-2 fish on the screen (I have a fishfinder but it's not crazy fancy).
So say I turnaround/throw down the anchor. and cast to the spot I feel I got the reading from. Are the bait and fish still going to be in the general fishing vicinity for a while making my stop worthwhile?
Or is the best way to hit a bait ball just drifting/trolling since I don't have to go chasing.

Tough to get anchored on the baitball most times. I would zig zag a bit and see if I mark any fish worth stopping on.

Sometimes they move, and sometimes they dont... I have seen em in coves goin crazy in the same spot for enough time that you can get your bait out in the mix, and then like everyone else, I have seen em pop up and by the time you swing around they are gone... guess it all depends on factors out of our control...

A lot has to do with time if the year as to when I fish bait like like that.

Something to remember, when bait is balled up in large groups it normally means its not being fed on. I like to target broken up balls of bait with significant activity (predatory fish) hanging out near by.