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SEVEN CASTS
Coastal Companionby Seven Casts · Coastal Virginia
Sheet 02 of 28

beginner rig

Bottom presentation

Standard bottom rig (single hook)

The simplest real bottom rig to learn on

Water
pierbridgesurfbay
Standard bottom rig (single hook) schematicTop to bottom: main line, swivel, dropper loop, sinker.

Schematic, not to scale. Hover, tap, or tab through the parts; the drawing isolates each one.

Terms usedMain lineSwivelDropper loopSinker

Components

As listed in the rig record, top to bottom.

  1. Main line to a swivel
  2. Sinker below the swivel (or on a short dropper) to hold bottom
  3. Leader to a single hook

Setup

Hook
Size 2–1/0 for spot/croaker/whiting-sized bait, stepping up toward 1/0 for black drum.
Weight
Just enough bank or pyramid sinker to hold bottom in the current — the simplest possible bottom presentation, one hook instead of a high-low's two.
Leader
12–18 inches is typical for a single-hook bottom rig.

How to fish it

The simplest real bottom rig to learn on — one hook means less to tangle and less to re-bait, a good starting point before moving to a two-hook high-low rig.

When to use it

  • Piers and bridges where you fish straight down beside the pilings
  • Light to moderate current — the simplest rig to learn a bite on
  • Spot, croaker, and whiting runs, late summer into fall

Common mistakes

  • Using too heavy a sinker for calm conditions, which drags the bait unnaturally

Variations

Dropper-loop bottom rigs: the same idea, adjusted

Rigs drawn from the same schematic family — heavier, lighter, or with one part changed for a different fish or water.

All bottom rigs

Where to use it

Water this rig is documented for

All fishing spots