I prefer live bait. It's much easier to just put it out there and wait for the fish. But, I don't like to put the live bait on the hook. It's gross and dirty. I know that's a girly complaint, but I'm a girl, so what can I say.
Live bait is much better, costs cheaper and readily available. The fish seem to bite faster with live bait compared with the time I used an artificial bait I purchased from a fishing store.