Which type of live bait is best for BASS or PIKE in the IL region?  Nightcrawlers, Minnows, leaches, or something different?

I am not from nor have ever fished the IL region. However, I would think that nightcrawlers and minnows would catch bass with regular success anywhere.

Shiners of course!

When my spine acts-up and it's too painful to do alot of casting, I use large Golden Shiners, or Emerald Shiners, but if I'm lucky enough to get Spottail Minnows, they are like Smallmouth candy.

Falcon

Shouldn't we kind of go by what region u live in when selectin bait fish?  Will shinners be good to use in IL?

I live in upstate new york and i sued to only fish nightcrawlers when i was younger and i always seemed to catch fish.

Shouldn't we kind of go by what region u live in when selectin bait fish? Will shinners be good to use in IL?

You don't really have to worry about region.  Bass will eat anything that even remotely looks like food.  

You're going to be better off with longer/slender (ie shiners) than with shorter/wider (bluegill) because it's easier for a bass to eat something that is longer.

Now, live bait isn't any type of guarantee.  I live in IL too and just this weekend was out for a short time.  A family (grandad, dad, and son) were fishing my favorite spot with minnows and worms and didn't catch a thing.  As they were packing up I moved over and caught a fish on my second cast with a wacky rigged senko.  They weren't fishing the right spots, instead they were just casting out and hoping to get bit.  I also caught a couple other fish on a crankbait.

You're best bet is to read as much as you can on this site (particularly the articles) to build a base of knowledge in order to determine, where, when, what, and (most importantly) why to fish.

Mud Eels and Waterdogs.

Kelley

Whatever is in the lake that you are fishing. See minnows swimming around the bank? Crawdads? Frogs? Insects on the bank near water?. Catch those and use them. Buy yourself a cast net and learn to use it, you can catch local bait easily then.

They weren't fishing the right spots, instead they were just casting out and hoping to get bit. I also caught a couple other fish on a crankbait.

Very important point, especially for Bass. Worm and bobber tactics are very effective if you know where the fish are, when they will be there, and what fish will be there, but they aren't terribly effective at actually finding fish.

When I'm on the bank bass fishing, I use similiar lures as I would when I'm not on the bank, just scaled down. A small spinnerbait, slow rolled parallel to the shore, is an excellent way to find a variety of fish. Many bank situations have an adjacent dropoff that can be ideal for a dropshot or a bobber and jig rig. Once I locate them, then I may switch to a live bait strategy, but I rarely just throw a live worm out there and hope it gets bit.

If you're set on using live bait, then improve your odds a bit. Use multiple rigs if your locale allows it, set to different baits at different depths. Chumming can also be very effective in those situations. Try to spend time in that area when it is most likely to contain fish.