Common deep drop fishing rigs.
There are a few fishing rigs out there that work well for deep drop fishing. This informative guide is going to break down the various fishing rigs and how they work as well as the pros and cons of each.
6 Types of Deep Drop Fishing Rigs:
Queen Snapper Deep Drop Fishing Rig
Double Hooks Paired Deep Drop Fishing Rig
6 to 8 Hooks (7-15 size) assembled by pairs, wich make rig shorter and easy to use, 3 to 5 lb sinker, 200 lb mono line
with a flash light attached. Best use for blackbelly rose fish, snowy groupers, tile fish etc..
Basic Deep Drop Fishing Rod, Reel Setup:
A few fishing rigs out there work well for deep drop fishing, but not any rig will do. This article is going to cover several types of fishing rigs commonly used in deep drop fishing and the pros and cons of each one.
The STC Rig:
The STC Fishing Rig (stc stands for STealth Core), sometimes referred to as a “rig” by those who use them, consists of a heavy, circle hook directly to your main line with a leader of anywhere from five to twelve feet attached at the end. The weight is typically just enough line that it will hit the bottom and come back up when fishing in water of two hundred feet or less.
This fishing rig gets its name because it has been used by companies such as STC fishing and more recently, Boss Marine fishing. This fishing rig can be found with three different types of weights:
The most common STC fishing rig with a sliding sinker on your mainline with an additional leader section is the way to go when fishing. A heavy mainline with a breakaway dropper loop tied with about 15-20lb mono is best for the rotating bead where you attach your swivel to connect with your fishing line.
Sliding Sinker/Leader
Oftentimes the fishing rig is in fact a single fishing leader connected to your fishing line with a sliding bead, swivel and hook. This makes for an easier rigging system when fishing by yourself. Keep in mind that you will need to add 15-20lb minimum fishing line onto your mainline when setting up this fishing rig unless you are using braid backing on your reel, which I do not recommend when fishing deep drop fishing rigs. When fishing around saltwater corals or gorgonians, you may want to consider adding 50lb mono to the end of the leader section so that the barbless hooks can be easily broken off if they get fouled into these delicate corals.
Some of the fishing rigs are created for more specific fishing situations, such as fishing in current or fishing in jagged rocks. The hook on the sliding weight is pretty standard at 12/0 size but you can increase or decrease the strength of your line depending on what you are actually fishing for by using a larger or smaller sized hook. If you’re fishing around coral reefs, I would use 20-30lb mono on the end of the leader section while trolling for reef fish because it’s important to be able to pull these small hooks free if they get fouled into something that could potentially harm them. One thing you should know is that this fishing rig will not last very long if used with braid backing which is very abrasive to fishing line.
The STC fishing rig is incredibly versatile and can be put together in a variety of ways for fishing around different types of structure. This fishing rig is one I like to use when fishing around rock piles or reefs because it’s pretty snag proof. The sliding sinker ensures that you get down quickly to the fish, while the leader allows you to avoid fouling your rigging into rock piles or coral which can cause some serious damage to fishing equipment if done repeatedly over time.
Pros: very durable fishing rigs capable of withstanding heavy poundings by aggressive game fish, good for trolling baits long distances, less likely to get caught up in rocks and reef due to the sliding weight, available in several styles including sliding bead, swivel and fishing leader.
Cons: fishing rigs are more expensive than the alternatives due to the fishing line, fishing leader and sliding weight used in the assembly of this fishing rig; fishing rigs can be sensitive to changes in currents
The Rule Rig:
The Rule Rig is a type of deep drop fishing rigging made popular by Larry Dahlberg several years ago in his book Pacific Coast Bottom Fishing. This fishing rig consists of a sliding sinker with an additional leader section depending on what depth you are fishing at. A common configuration for this fishing rig is to run about 20-25lb mono on the end of your mainline when using braid backing on your reel which will give you enough strength to pull free if something fouls the fishing rigs into rocks or coral.
The Rule Rig fishing rig is a very common deep drop fishing rigging that is used throughout California and Oregon, mainly around areas with jagged bottom structure where fishing leaders are needed. This fishing rig consists of two main parts – a sliding sinker / dropper loop / swivel assembly which will go on the mainline first followed by an additional leader section depending on how much line you need to let out if fishing around rocks or reefs. The second part of this fishing system is the baited hook which typically uses 20/0 octopus circle hooks although 14/0 heavy action circle hooks can be used for smaller live bait applications such as anchovies, sardines or mackerel which are commonly caught in these fishing regions.
Pros: fishing rigs are very sensitive to different changes in current and can be cast long distances with a fishing rod, fishing line is less likely to get snagged on rocks or reef because of the sliding weight
Cons: fishing rigs have two main parts which makes it difficult to lose one part if they break apart from each other, fishing rigs are more expensive than others because you need additional leader sections for fishing around rock piles or reefs depending on how much line needs to be let out before the hook rests on the bottom. with so many choices, what fishing rig do i use?
There has been a lot of debate about what type of deep drop fishing rigging most anglers prefer when going out bottom fishing. Some prefer fishing around rock piles or reefs while others prefer fishing in open water where fishing rigs are less likely to get hooked on rocks or reef. I have found that when fishing around rock piles, most anglers will use a fishing rig with a sliding sinker and fishing leader which allows you to let out more line if required before anchoring on the bottom.
Fishing rigs for deep drop fishing can vary depending on what species of fish you’re going after and where you’re going fishing at. In my opinion, it’s best to carry a few different style of deep drop fishing rigging in your tackle box so that you can make adjustments accordingly when needed.