Rigs & setups
Rig the water you're fishing.
28 setups for surf, pier, bridge, inlet, Bay, and freshwater fishing in Hampton Roads — each drawn from one kit of parts, with what it's for, when to use it, and what usually goes wrong.
28 rigs
15 rigs
Bottom rigs
Bait held on or near the bottom by a sinker — the workhorse of pier, surf, bridge, and Bay fishing.
- Sheet 01Bottombeginner
Fish-finder rig
Cut bait on sand or shell bottom from surf, beach, and marsh shorelines.
SurfShorePier - Sheet 02Bottombeginner
Standard bottom rig (single hook)
For spot, croaker, whiting (southern kingfish), white perch from pier, bridge, surf, bay.
SpotCroakerWhiting (Southern Kingfish) - Sheet 04Bottombeginner
Carolina rig
Dragging baits along the bottom for flounder, bass, and structure fish.
ShoreKayakInshore boat - Sheet 05Bottombeginner
High-low (double-drop) bottom rig
For spot, croaker, whiting (southern kingfish), black drum from pier, bridge, surf.
SpotCroakerWhiting (Southern Kingfish) - Sheet 09Bottombeginner
Fish-finder rig (Carolina style)
For flounder, red drum, black drum, channel catfish from inlet, river, bay, bridge.
FlounderRed DrumBlack Drum - Sheet 11Bottombeginner
Sabiki bait-catching rig
For spot, croaker from pier, bridge, bay.
SpotCroaker - Sheet 12Bottombeginner
Striped bass chunk rig (circle hook required)
For striped bass from bay, river, bridge, inlet.
Striped Bass - Sheet 13Bottomintermediate
Shark bottom rig (circle hook, catch-and-release)
For atlantic sharpnose shark, sandbar shark, smooth dogfish (smoothhound shark), bonnethead shark from pier, surf, bay, inlet.
Atlantic Sharpnose SharkSandbar SharkSmooth Dogfish (Smoothhound Shark) - Sheet 15Bottombeginner
Chesapeake-style bottom rig
For spot, croaker, white perch from bay, pier, bridge.
SpotCroakerWhite Perch - Sheet 21Bottombeginner
Live-bait rig
For striped bass, red drum, cobia, flounder from bay, inlet, bridge, offshore.
Striped BassRed DrumCobia - Sheet 22Bottombeginner
Free-line rig
For striped bass, cobia, red drum from bay, inlet, offshore.
Striped BassCobiaRed Drum - Sheet 23Bottombeginner
Surf rig
For red drum, black drum, striped bass, bluefish from surf.
Red DrumBlack DrumStriped Bass - Sheet 24Bottomintermediate
Big drum rig
For red drum, black drum from surf, inlet, bay.
Red DrumBlack Drum - Sheet 25Bottombeginner
Flounder rig (with stinger hook)
For flounder from inlet, bridge, bay, river.
Flounder - Sheet 26Bottomintermediate
Sheepshead and tautog rig
For sheepshead, tautog from bridge, pier, inlet.
SheepsheadTautog
4 rigs
Float rigs
Bait suspended under a cork or float, above grass, structure, or the debris that steals bottom baits.
- Sheet 03Floatbeginner
Popping cork rig
For speckled trout, red drum, flounder from bay, marsh, inlet.
Speckled TroutRed DrumFlounder - Sheet 08Floatbeginner
Slip-float rig
For speckled trout, red drum, crappie, white perch from bay, marsh, river, lake.
Speckled TroutRed DrumCrappie - Sheet 14Floatbeginner
Panfish float rig
For crappie, yellow perch, white perch, chain pickerel from lake, river, marsh.
CrappieYellow PerchWhite Perch - Sheet 16Floatintermediate
Santee Cooper rig
For blue catfish, channel catfish from river, bay.
Blue CatfishChannel Catfish
9 rigs
Jigs, lures & trolling
Artificial presentations you work with the rod: jigs, soft plastics, spoons, and trolled lures.
- Sheet 06Lurebeginner
Jig head and soft plastic
For speckled trout, red drum, flounder, striped bass from bay, marsh, inlet, river, lake, bridge.
Speckled TroutRed DrumFlounder - Sheet 07Lureintermediate
Basic trolling setup
Spanish mackerel, bluefish, and open-water searching from a boat.
Inshore boatOffshore - Sheet 10Lureintermediate
Bucktail jigging rig
For striped bass, flounder, bluefish, spanish mackerel from inlet, bridge, bay, offshore.
Striped BassFlounderBluefish - Sheet 17Lureintermediate
Drop-shot rig
For largemouth bass, crappie, white perch from lake, river.
Largemouth BassCrappieWhite Perch - Sheet 18Lureintermediate
Ned rig
For largemouth bass, white perch from lake, river.
Largemouth BassWhite Perch - Sheet 19Lureintermediate
Texas rig
For largemouth bass from lake, river, marsh.
Largemouth Bass - Sheet 20Lureintermediate
Wacky rig
For largemouth bass, bluegill from lake, river, marsh.
Largemouth BassBluegill - Sheet 27Lureintermediate
Spanish mackerel trolling and casting setup
For spanish mackerel from bay, offshore.
Spanish Mackerel - Sheet 28Lureintermediate
Cobia presentation (sight-cast and bottom)
For cobia from bay, offshore.
Cobia