These hooks are made of a soft metal that is easily sharpened and extremely economical. Deeply hooked fish can be released quickly and easily by cutting the leader. Bronze will rust out and pose no harm to the fish. The absence of blues in the chum line allows anglers to have the option of scaling down to 20-lb. test leader line. This is often necessary if the fish are shy and less aggressive than usual.
Fluorocarbon leaders are tough and have low visibility but are extremely expensive.
In the murky waters of the Bay, many other brands of clear, green, gray or camouflage leader lines are equally effective when the fish are feeding aggressively. Small egg-shaped weights tied above the swivel assist rigs in avoiding tangles in a chum line. When the tide is racing, rigs are often dragged above the chum line and are ignored by the fish. Perfect fishing conditions for trophy rock will be between the first light of dawn and sunrise or sunset and dark. Cloudy days will out-produce bright, sunny ones and if the wind blows over fifteen knots, seek out the following species of fish in deeper water with natural bait.