I use a Ahi sabiki rod but I have cut it down shorter so I can store it in my kayak.
I use these type of sabikis:
Cut them down to four to fit in the shortened rod.
If bait is hard to find I will take wet cat food and chum with it on bait marks to get bait up to the yak.
Live Squid are the best bait and when I meter them I use a squid jig instead of a weight with my sabiki otherwise I use a 4 ounce torpedo, as I want it to drop fast and to be able to see it on my meter. With squid they often grab the bait on the sink, once I have one on I stay at that depth, and I jig the sabiki around to attempt to load it up.
I like squid, greenbacks, sardines, Spanish and smelts in that order.
Spanish are not the best baits but they live the best on the hook and I really like them for dropper loop fishing. I've also caught halibut on brown bait and also small lizard fish. Lings love lizard fish, and sand dabs. Halibut not so much but they will eat lizards as well, but not that often, and they prefer small ones.