Where were you fishing? This year was the year to do nothing but catch off the surf. If you give us the particulars on what type of equipment and the places you like to fish, maybe we can help.
The more you go the more you experiment; the more you experiment, the more fish your likely to catch. Like Rod mentioned AVA rigs were the key this year especially with using teasers about 18" above the lure.
Plus learn to read the water and only fish the breaks, troughs, and cuts if you want to catch fish. By knowing some simple visual keys you will add to your catching rate.
http://njsaltwaterfisherman.com/forums/index.php?topic=3964.0Keep the questions coming as we are all here to help not like some sites.
Happy Catching
Paul