I plan to go out to the keys bridge this weekend (weather permitting) and have my rods set. The Penn Fierce 4000 has 30 lbs braid power pro and a 40 lbs leader, no sinker and a yellow 1/4 oz jighead.

My heavy rod, Penn Senator conventional on a Slammer rod has 40 lbs mono line, 3 oz sinker, swivel and 60 lbs leader (basic bottom rig) with a 3/8 (I think) yellow jighead.

I plan on getting some live shrimp (most likely will be dead by the time I get there) so lets call it fresh shrimp, and maybe some frozen bally or so.

Am I set for this weekend? Or what can I do to improve my chances of coming home with a fish? Any tips are greatly appreciated. Thanks!

I like at least 50lb line and will bump up to 80 for fishing live bait close to the pillings.

I think you will be good to go, although i would buy a bait rod if you can, if not just tie the sabiki to your spinner. Buy some squid and i would skip the other baits besides live shrimp.
Tip the sabikis with squid and you should be able to catch grunts,pinfish, and slipper dicks among others. Use those on the grouper rod

Do you let the line go all the way down and sit there for the groupers or do you move reel it in from time to time?

What technique would you use for snappers?

Just let the bait sit like 5 feet in front of the end of the piling structure is what i do and it works. I let the live baits sit for at least an hour before checking. That being said i also take at least 3 rods for fishing right on the pillings, 1 bait rod, a spinner for snapper, and 2 conventionals for casting out.

For snapper i usually just use 10 lb braid to 30 lb fluoro with a 1/0-3/0 circle hook and a live shrimp on there. Use a longer 4-5 foot fluoro leader as you wont be casting out and it helps with the abrasion. You can use mono as well, just have had better luck with the fluoro for the grovers.

What's pilings? For the deep fishing you cast out or do you just let it drop in front of you? When I went on the party boat the mate told me to let it go all the way ti'll the reel stops spinning, lock it, then reel in 3 times to get the sinker off the bottom. Why do you think that is done?

think its because you don't want to be right on the bottom might Get stuck

they say that because your drifting across the bottom, you reel the bait up a couple feet to keep it of the bottom and from getting stuck, on bridges you dont do that, because your not drifting... fishing on a boat and a bridge or pier is a totally different ballgame.. it takes time to learn how to fish bridges, ive caught plenty of mutton,grovers, and grouper off the bridges in the keys... and its because i put in so much time to figure out the bridges and what to do on which bridge... if you have any questions pm me and let me know where ur fishin and ill slide you some info that should be able to put you on some fish..