If your hooks are too large, you will miss a lot of bites and waste bait. Use pyramid sinkers, heavy enough to keep your rig on the bottom. Sometimes several ounces of lead are necessary when the surf is up, but spot outdo themselves when caught on lighter rods unencumbered by a lot of extra weight. The dependable, favorite local bait is a tiny piece of bloodworm. Shrimp and bits of squid will catch spot, but not as well as bloodworms.
Bloodworms are expensive, but there's a reason for the cost.
They are saltwater marsh worms that grow to several inches and live among the saltwater marshes of New England and Canada. Each worm must be harvested, packaged, and then delivered along the entire East Coast. Bloodworms are hardy, but will die quickly if left out in the sun or allowed to soak in fresh water, so don't let them fall into the water at the bottom of your cooler. Most coolers come with a small tray that fits on a ledge near the top of the cooler. I leave the worms in the little plastic bag they come in from the tackle shop.