Few questions about offshore sea bass..

[bulletbob]

I really want to see if i can get down this coming week as I am off until jan 2...
1-How deep are the boats fishing?... I have gear thats ok for about Mud Hole depths.. maybe 200+ feet or so.. 30 pound gear 12 ounces or so of lead.. After that I start to have problems....
2- Is typical Mud Hole Ling/Inshore tog gear ok??..

3- On the "open boats" which I know get a big crowd on these offshore trips, is there enough space to at least put my head down on my arms and catch some sleep?.. Its 5+ hours drive each way from where I live, and I will need a few hours sleep some time during the trip..

4-How much lead is needed on a typical day? 10 oz ok??

5-Are clams the only bait provided, and if so, would I gain any advantage bringing som bait of my own, perhaps some whole small squid, or some baitfish like mackeral, butterfish, smelts??
I realize porgies love clams, but also know that the bigger sea bass at times prefer "non clam" offerings...


Never caught a 3-4 pound porgie, we just see very few that size inshore.. I have caught 1-2 pounders, and can barely reel 2 of those things up even in shallow water!...
6- Are those giant porgies decent eating, or does the quality fall off as the size increases??..
I have eaten big sea bass, and to me, they are every bit at good as the 13 inchers...

7-If the trip is a "no go" how soon is everyone made aware??. Is it a show up and hope for the best sort of thing??.. I would hate to drive that far, and have to turn around and go home...

anything else I should know???.. I have been on many sea bass trips, many Mud Hole trips, but never did a trip this long or this far offshore, and I just don't want to find I am improperly prepared when we are 75 miles from port, and fishing is about to commence.. I would appreciate any and all input from a few veterans of these wintertime offshore trips... bob