I don't consistently get limits, only a very few, if any, do. IMO the main trick to consistently get limits is to only go on days the fish are gonna bite. In the winter or spring, there are times they just don't seem to bite. One year we went and the only thing we could watch was lings, not even one rockfish, the next week in the same location and same gear, it was only rockfish, not one ling. Sometimes when the water is pretty cold the rockfish seem to be off the bite. Walter - who does very well on rockfish - says to use a very slow presentation on those days and ya gotta pay close attention as then they don't whack it, they just barely mouth it and if you don't feel that, then you don't catch fish. I find catching fish in the winter is sometimes easy and sometime very difficult, sometimes that's also true in the summer when the N wind has really been blowing and we have really cold water inshore. But if the water temp isn't too cold, the fishing is usually decent in the summer IF you can find the fish. Sometimes they aren't near the bottom and if you fish there, you won't catch much. That's part of what makes the advice The Pew gave so good, fish the water column, not just the bottom. I very rarely go on charters, but when I went with a group some years ago and used their gear, we were given light spinning gear with small swimbaits and that gear worked pretty well. That's what is often used on my boat and the guy that consistently uses small swimbaits does as well or better as anybody on the boat for both rockfish and lings.
Some won't agree, but IMO the most important part of going is enjoying being out there and enjoying the act of fishing. Yes, all of us like to catch fish, but ya shouldn't need to get limits every trip to make going worthwhile. All boat owners know that if all you want is fish to eat, it would he a heck of a lot cheaper to go buy them. I own a boat because I enjoy being out there and enjoy fishing, bringing home fish to eat is a nice benefit/bonus.
ron m