I know exactly what you mean. A bait and berley trip with my boys requires a lot more prep with all the defrosting etc, and buckets for the bait, empty bait or berley bags...and then more clean up. But it's sometimes a good way to fish with kids, as they can feel the fish biting and the rods I use are way more forgiving of mis-use than my softbaiting ones.

I quite like the hybrid of lure fishing, but catching some jack macks for livies to have out the back while drifting - essentially a very slow troll. That's quite common with good charter skippers. JW (Jonathan Watts) who used to post on here a lot, then started Northside Adventures, does that with his Little Barrier trips. So does Tony Orton out of Mangawhai.

I often have a rod ready to go if I happen to catch a jack mack on a lure when I'm targeting snaps (say, out in the anchovy workups near Rangitoto), or have a string of sabikis in my kit if it looks like there are kingies around. I just cut off the jighead and attach the sabikis to pull in half a dozen baits and keep them in the FC live well or the big lidded bucket I use to bleed kahawai etc.

I can't say I've had any great success yet, but I think it's only a matter of time doing it. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bUhUSVq0hs

That is an absolute classic example of why people think lures don't work. You're not alone!

Two easy fixes for lure fishing. No more anchoring, but you'll have to control your drift somehow in all but the lightest of winds. Braid/fluorocarbon as light as possible. My go to, catch 'em all outfit has 15lb braid and a 15lb fluorocarbon leader on it. Of course, rod and reel have to match. I don't remember losing a fish to an outright line break. You will rarely catch sharks and doggies on lures. Barracouta are more of a problem. Some people incorporate a short bite leader made of kevlar cord or steel wire.