Hi Josh,
Welcome to Fishing Reminder
I take it from your other post that you are beach fishing ?
Squid and prawn is not a usual bait for beach fishing. They will work, it is just not common. Small bait fish like pilchard or white bait is better.
Shiny metal lures also work good on beaches. Long cast as far as you can and a fast retrieve. You want the lure to look like a small fish as it speeds through the water.
I am not sure what you mean by "J hook". Unless you are using a circle hook, pretty much all hooks are J shaped.
The sinker you are using...the "triangle" is a good choice for beach fishing....using a leader with it is not . Unless you are using a side cast reel like an Alvey, there is no need to be using a leader on the beach. The triangle sinker is designed to embed into the sand. It should have a swivel or largish eyelet for the line to go through. The idea is that the sinker holds it's place in the sand while allowing your bait to drift with the ebb and flow of the water. If you use a leader, your bait can only ebb and flow as far as the leader allows.
The normal rig to use is what we call a running sinker. Thread your line through the eyelet of the sinker and tie your hook on. You can use a snap swivel of course, but you want the sinker to be "running" not fixed.
Still on the sinker. 2 Ounces seems a bit large. That is about 60 grams plus the weight of your bait etc. Usually on the rod will be printed the "cast weight". If your weight is to heavy or to light the rod (pole) will not cast properly.
So there are some technical things you can explore as you learn. But for now, the 2 issues I see, is you are not using a bait that is common for beach fishing. Sure, you will end up getting a fish on squid or prawn, but pilchard is a better choice. The other thing, you are not allowing your bait to ebb and flow.
When I beach fish, I will cast out then feed out about 20 to 50 feet of line to allow the bait to drift around.
itsaboat mate...Life is just a boat and then ya marry one !