Yup, medium to fast on the retreive, I like to vary on the speed. It was a good night/morning for rubba. Black until just after false dawn then switched to bubblegum. Had something happen around 3 am that keeps playing over and over in my mind. This happened using a surf hog. Got the hit, set the hook and was never able to put the brakes to her. She ran strong and hard, sounded into the rocks and swam around one that cinched up the line tight, felt a big tug and then nothing. She was hooked on the back (trailing) hook and snapped the doubled 50# braid like nothing. I rigged these myself. I have done many and have been rigging for quite a while. I thought maybe my knots had failed. It hasn't happened yet but I figured there's always a first. The hog was in great shape so I pulled out the lead hook to see if the knots came undone and the line was stripped and to my amazement all my half hitches on the lead hook going to the doubled line were solid and intact , the line was snapped in the middle between the two hooks.

Ouch!
To rig mine.I use old 80 lb kite string the same stuff I use off the elevated platforms.In hope of catching the blue who tries to half my eel.
I had that happen to me a few yrs ago ammazing how they know where to find the structure off shore to make the surfcaster miserable.At least u had the encounter know to figure what to do different next time.I guess the only thing is to try to stop her.an hope the hook holds an ur line an knots stay intact. In open water i will let em go an hope the stop eventually.In the rocks u have less options.I will fish the same drag but palm the spool.this way if she gets up on something i can let the fish release.sometimes it works sometimes not.I had one the other morning make short work of a old cardboard box 6/0 mustad trebel an rip a 6H splitring on the front hook.The fish was done an I was meandering it thru the rock to get it to me an the front hook came off.back hook (the 6/0) had one time that was mauled.I think the fish did this with its mouth as it never really rubbed up on anything during the fight.Hooked the fish on a new Mac Popper.I had to extend the fight cause another gent thought he had a good one in front of me.He had a forty the morning before.His fish ended up being foul hooked an i had to let mine slide down current into the rock.
I thought it was a good fish but got a glimpse of it just before it was freed it was easily the biggest fish I ever saw on the end of my line.It hurt bad for a bit but I had to get back at it.I only landed mid twenty size fish an guys 3 rockpiles up all got 30+ fish.Oh well.Triple splitrings for me only from know on. Live an learn.

"Last week I was fishing with tins and hooking up cast after cast. They were all a little under and just barely keeper size fish caught in the upperbay..they were all hanging around on the top of the water column eating small pogies and shiners or something.."

No need to stop using tins because it gets dark. They DO work well at night too!The same fish you were imitating in the daylight are there at night . Try a teaser with them too at night.

This may be going against the grain of things..but I have found just slicing the bodies up the middle not all the way through, tying your rigs up seperatly and zapping the whole thing together infinitly easier... and best yet no hook slippage.