Once I got away from shiners, and started using jigs, I learned to use a jig under a cork instead of tightlining, in shallow water. This gave me the ability to keep the boat back away from the bank, and not spook as many fish.
It's a lot quicker than using live bait, catches all types of fish, and is easy for kids to use as well.
Find the smallest float you can, that will decrease the amount of resistance when you get a hit, and use a bright color that is easy to see. Six pound test line will do just fine, and you can drop down to four if the water is really clear, although you will occasionally break a jig off...
I like to let it rest for a bit, then jerk the rod in small spurts, alternating between the two on the retrieve. Most hits seem to occur either as soon as it hits the water, or right after you finish jerking it, as the jig falls...
Using a nine foot rod with a limber tip produces great action, and I generally have the jig suspended three feet or less below the float. Start shallow, and work you way down till you find the magic number...
A sidearm cast seems to work best as the float and jig are low to the water, and not as likely to get hung in overhanging limbs.
I prefer a 1/32, or 1/16th jig in most cases, and a float shaped like a pear seems to produce the best action... This is a killer rig when the fish are up against the bank...
Good luck and good fishing!