best minnow/shiner rig

So me and my buddy have been hitting the fishing hard this summer and have done pretty well. Weve caught some monster channies and some stripers by using live bait whether it be creek chubs from a minnow trap in a local stream or baitshop shiners. Catching the fish seems to be real hit or miss though and we cant find a tactic that produces bites constantly. weve tried keeping them on the bottom with a weight, freelining them, or even having them suspended 1-2' off of the bottom. we have caught our fair share of fish but i feel like on live bait fish we should be having more luck. ANY IDEAS? mainly we are targeting channies, eyes, or wipers.

I think where you are fishing also makes a difference too. If you are fishing below a dam on the rivers, it is different than fishing the mouth of a stream on the rivers, which is different than fishing a lake from shore, which is different than lake drifting on a boat.

Below the dams, I like just enough weight to tick the bottom with a steady retrieve (about the speed of the current) and not be hung up on every cast. From shore, this would likely be less weight and reeled in slow. On a boat, a bit more weight, and drifted below the boat, controlling the depth.

Moderate or no current, then you can let it sit with weight. I'm kind of antsy, so usually like to retrieve whereever I am fishing, unless they are biting within a minute of me casting... I typically use the retrieve here too, but possibly along some sort of structure or ledge against current or in a current seam. Possibly even no weight, if they are suspending a bit. I rarely add any weight to a big chub if drifting in lakes. They seem to dive down on their own, and last a bit longer not struggling as much.

If they are hitting the tails, I'd add a stinger hook. Although this seems to slow down the amount of hits, but adds to the hookup rate. Using big chubs, you need to let them take it for a little bit too.