If the shoots don't reach up to above 1/2 have of the plant I usually cut unless they already have some little nugs growing that are comprable to the top nugs. If they are stringy I cut them as well, only nugs stay, not the fluffy stuff that feels like a hairy cotten ball.
I cut hole branches off of the bottem, but generally only the branches with small fan leafs, or dying ones, but all the bottem shoots usually go, unless you are wanting to try to make the hash when done, but I don't really mess with the hash, because it can be messy, time consuming and be a bigger problem if LEO finds it.

Adieu