Fished them in the Hudson from the VZ north just past the GW for years as a kid, then again after I bought my first skiff launching under the GW.
Basically anything for bait works...bloods,sands,squid,clam,ham, cheese (no NOT kidding!) bunker pieces, etc. They are bottom scavengers, so whatever smells good they will try and swallow.
Small hooks, basic tandem bottom hook does the job.
Would bring em home as kid and try to acclimate them to a cold water aquarium...never worked, they stunk up the tank bad, discharging all kinds of nasty....stuff/scum/slime into the tank water!