Capt. Bill Buckland, Fisherman Center
Supplies Needed: L-Bar, 250 lb mono, 11/0 circle hooks, three-way swivel, deep drop gang rig and sash weight. The L-Bar is an excellent accessory to utilize when deep dropping for bottom fish. It is especially effective for catching tilefish. With a traditional five-hook gang rig, the hooks are suspended in the water column. Utilizing the L-Bar assures that some of your baits will remain on the ocean floor, where tilefish live. As per the image, the 250 lb. leader is connected to a three-way swivel. Then, two different-sized leaders are connected using 11/0 circle hooks. One leader is six to eight inches and the second leader is approximately 12 to 15. The difference in length will decrease tangles. From your main line, connect your gang rig to the top of the bar. Connect your sash weight to the corner of the bar and deploy.
Key Points When Using the L-Bar Deep Drop Rig
- Use enough weight to hold the bottom.
- 11/0 circle hooks are good for most bottom species.
- Always deploy the L-Bar rig against the current.
- Squid, ballyhoo and barracuda chunks work great.
- Weight needed will vary depending on the current.
- Mainline recommendations 100-130 lb braid.
