I'm thinking the live shiners is keeping people away. I don't know how any of you feel but I feel like you could go anywhere and catch fish with live bait
Possible. Like anything in fishing, a situation dictates the presentation. At times live shiners are the go to for a score, other times I could not be parted from an unweighted wacky rigged senko for any price.
You can fish shiners in a bad spot all day and catch nothing. On Rodman Reservoir in Florida last March, I can tell you live 9-14 shiners was the best way to entice the big boys!