First, if you don't plan on keeping what you catch, use circle hooks... a lot harder for the fish to swallow. A 3-4' leader of 50lb mono goes a long way (w/ anything other than a barracuda) ...if you're fishing w/ mono, 12-16 lb mono with said leader, circle hook rigged to sit 6 inches off the bottom and about 1/4-1/2 oz of weight and a piece of sardine or shrimp as bait will go a long way/catch a lot of stuff. Have fun!!!