If your target is deep water rockfish, time your fishing to coincide with a light current flow to get your offering to the bottom, and keep it there. Even then, weights up to five pounds may be needed. You can use lighter weights if you switch to light lines, or use the new thin diameter lines. These thin profile lines in the fourteen pound test rating have a smaller diameter than traditional ten pound test lines and create far less drag allowing you to reach bottom with less lead. Lines of ten to twenty pound test are more than adequate to handle most rockfish.
Many anglers prefer dacron lines for deep water angling because they stretch less than monofilament.
Perhaps the most important tackle choice facing the rockfish angler is that of which rod to use. Whether jigging with lures or baitfishing, a short stiff rod can save you much work. The short rods will impart much better action to your offering than a long whippy rod. My favorite rockfish rod is a one piece, seven foot, graphite, bass rod. Stiff bass rod are perfect for jigging, with little wasted effort.