I've used live crawfish in the spring, Bass suck them up much moreso than minnows or worms. They can't be too big though or you won't hook the bass.
hook through the flesh of the tail. put a 1/4 ounce sinker about 12 to 18 inches up off the hook. The crawfish will walk around on the bottom. Bass kill em, especially if they are near the spawning bed.