Well, for fall chinook up here at the Hanford Reach we spray paint them black to start with.

I like to use them as a slider. If it came with a leader attached to it with a swivel on it, slide the swivel on to your mainline. (IMHO, 50 lb is a bit heavy, but I suppose it will work.) Put a large bead on below to stop it and tie a swivel on your mainline. Then use a much lighter leader to attach a spoon or plug or a not much lighter leader to attach a herring.

That's a pretty general answer, but if you do a search for the various types of fishing you want to try, you'll find a lot of info here. And some of it will even be useful.