How to Rig for Bottom Fishing – Ledgering / Running Ledger

One of the most basic rig for bottom fishing is the ledger rig. It is a versatile and almost multi-purpose method of rigging for catching a wide variety of fish species like groupers, snappers, any specie that lurks at or near the bottom is fair game for this rig.

Some anglers prefer to use a 3-way swivel where the 3 lines meet. The use of snap swivels will facilitate quick adjustments though, be it to the leader strength or length. Sometimes a bit of adjustment is what makes you one of the 10% that catches 90% of the fishes. Bait presentation depth is important not only to produce results but also allows for targeting specific quarry.

Like other times, we should pay attention to leader thickness accordingly to water clarity, depth, target specie, and when fish are wary feeders. The running ledger rig illustrated at the bottom allows the fish to take the bait without feeling the resistant from the sinker when we set the drag free and the alarm on.

What we attach to the hook will depend on the target fish. Normally live baits like scrimp, squid or fish, fish and other meat and even soft plastic lures. When using live scrimp as bait always try to match the hook size to the bait size. Less the scrimp will not be moving naturally.