Live bait you cast out & let it sit.
Crank baits you cast out & reel in & cast out & reel in.
Some crank baits (spoons & mepps spinners) you cast out, let sink for 2 seconds and reel in.
A jitterbug or hoola popper floats, so you cast out & let sit for 10 seconds, reel in 10 feet & let it sit again.
Some float, but dive straight down when you reel in...so you reel in a few feet, it dives, you stop & it floats back up to the surface (simulating a dying fish).
And some you "jig"...you reeel reel reel JIG (yank the tip of the pole up to change the speed of the bait)...reel reel reel jig...
I personally like live bait the best, but I've had alot of luck with the Mepps black fury, Mister twisters, and lazy Ikes.