i am new to this also,but have put my time in so this what we did this past year that worked for us.we used 25 lb main line mono and leadered down to 12 lb mono.mostly smaller sized spoons,but always have a mag out there,carmle dolphin worked the best for us,but you need a good assortment of colors as things change day to day.we run the spoons how they come out of the package and always use a snap swivel.also,we ran a mix of spoons and sticks and found that one day sticks work and the next day its spoons.we did best from catfish creek out to high rocks,but fished anywhere from little salmon to big salmon and from little salmon to the plant.as always the wind has alot to do with where you fish.cover alot of ground and when you get one work that area hard.im sure the guys that have spent alot more time out there will have more in depth info,but this is a basic set up to get you started.