I'm looking to catch a few of these I try all the time but come up empty handed, any tips and/or techiques?

Where are you fishing?  I only fish for them during the spawn so I can only give advice for that time period.  But what I found to work is 1/32- 1/16 oz jig heads with curly tail grubs rigged two to three to a line.  Cast out, reel back.  You can yo-yo them a little on the retrieve which sometimes triggers a hit.  

Colors range from white, yellow, chartreuse, green, and red.  Mix and match tails to jigs till you find what they like better.  

Other then that, it all timing of the season for them.  

I think you are talking about what I call a skipjack.  If so in the spring and early summer I catch them on about anything I throw, especially when crappie or bluegill fishing.

I use skipjack for bait, striper fishing. The bigger fish are a sucker for jerkbaits, especially the Lucky Craft Pointer (American Shad). The smaller baitfish that we are after are all caught on a Sabiki Rig:

http://www.castawaylakes.com/Rigs.html

8-)

I'm fishing the St.Johns River in Fl. I think its around post spawn in my area. I see hundreds of them jumping but they are out of casting range (fishing from shore and piers/docks) I have white, yellow, and red jig heads, and lots of grubs. Thanks everyone for the advice.