Depenging on the size of the needlefish, sometimes I take the last treble off, replace with a siwash, and put a chartreuse or black open eye feather on it, 5/0 or 6/0. Bass hit from the front, but sometimes this action with the feather puts them over the top for more strikes.
I do this to a lot of my plugs. The feather or bucktail ones seem to outcatch the others, but it could be the confidence I have when throwing them.
Update - I'm still fishing needles this time of year, mostly at night, very slow. I like big needles, the bigger the better. Some sandeels are 12" long, my needles the same size. They're also good for big surf when you want to punch it out there.