Are you fishing from the shore or a pier? If it's rough you have to get your baits further from shore. Cut those pinfish and paddle baits out deep.
One of my favorite night baits for bull reds is a filet of croaker with the skin on, but scaled. A Carolina rig with that will catch them if they're there. They are running troughs, so you just have to find the trough they're in. Move up and down the pier every 20-30 minutes until you find them.
