He certainly has a rare turn of phrase. It's a wonder he has time to think.
What I'm trying to say is that if we've tried our usual baits, and don't get bites, changing anything except location won't help. I would suggest that when surfcasting the bait is no more than a metre off the bottom whatever rig we're using, so no bites mean no fish. Bites but no hook ups mean the bait's ok but either our striking ability or terminal tackle needs looking at. So, the rig is there to cast and hook a biting fish.