For Gizzard shad and Alewife I use a tiny gold treble hook.
Normally 3 on a spreader rig.
No bait is needed just jig the rig along the breakwall in schools of shad or Alewife.
They will hit the hook. get the smallest hooks you can find.

Otherwise try a Tiny nymph fly and a flyrod.

Some guys will use a hand full of beach sand and fish flakes as fine as you can get. they then throw it out near a school and they will attack like its a cloud of plankton.

I have a buddy down south who fishes a river with paddlefish. He uses a tiny treble hook with a small sand shrimp. and a tiny float then when they spot feeding paddles they throw this mix near them. they hold onto the hook in the same hand they have the flakes and sand.
The Paddles will change course and open up and cruse through the cloud. when the float takes off the set the hook.

They are the only guys I know who can get a liget hook on a paddlefish by enticing them to attack a cloud of bait. Of course they are fishing in gin clear water.