When bottom fishing I find that clam pieces on the hook work best.  Porgies and other bottom fish are great bait stealers and soft baits will often be ripped from the hook.  I buy salted clams or make my own by soaking the clams in Kosher salt for a few days.  The salt removes the water from the tissue and toughens the bait.  The tough bait will stay on the hook and give you a better chance of catching these fish.  This is Joel with his kids Aaron, Benjamin and Sidney with one of the porgies they caught on tough clam baits.