Live shrimp have been a superb bait for me in the past which I kept a supply at home in a tank. Using a size 2 or even 3 hook, thread the shrimp on tail first bringing the hook point out at the head but no through the head which allows plenty of movement and then wrap the base of the tail with bait elastic to both keep the bait on while casting but also to stop it being easily pulled off by the fish.
If using bigger hooks for bass or cod etc, I used two or more shrimp, threading the first shrimp/s fully on the hook and the last one as described above.
I am just setting up a fibre glass tank at the moment with a pump / filter and air pump ready to collect my shrimps. They are very easy to keep and free which is a bonus. You will need some kind of tub with a portable air pump to keep them fresh and of course alive, a bought a 15lt live bait bucket from ebay which has an inner basket / lid making it an easy job to get the bait out and a small tropical fish net is very handy to fish them out if you don't have the removable inner basket.
Decathalon have some really nice shrimp nets for about £25 or just make one. Shrimp also make a brilliant tipping off bait as well with black lug in winter.
I have just been a buy a supply of dendrobena earth worms for a session on the flatties in the Humber where they work very well but I have no knowledge of how effective they would be in the open sea, use them as you would maddies and they will keep wriggling for a long time. Keep them in the dark but not in a fridge, I keep mine on the garage floor for upto 6 weeks, usually after a month, they go in the garden if unused.
Hope that is of interest
Phil
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