Terminal Tackle

Rigs For Fishing Straight Down

Boat rigs are generally simpler than shore rigs — flowing traces for bream and plaice, a running ledger for rays and smoothhound, longer flowing traces for bass and pollack over the wrecks. Hook size wants matching to the species rather than to your optimism: fine wire and small for bream, big and strong for conger and cod. Make up more traces than you think you’ll need before you go, because tying rigs on a rolling deck is a job for nobody. Booms help keep flowing traces clear of the mainline in tide.