The South Florida collection
How to catch blackbelly rosefish deep dropping
Deep-drop squid on a weighted multi-hook rig and watch for subtle bites near the bottom.
The method
This method uses an electric reel to lower a squid-baited multi-hook rig to deep water off South Florida. The presentation stays close to the bottom, with small movements as the boat drifts and careful attention to subtle rod-tip bites. The demonstrations show the deep-drop setup, bottom contact, bite recognition, and adjustments between drops.
See it in action
How to catch BLACK BELLY ROSEFISH deep drop fishing for beginners (opens in a new tab)
South Florida SALT · Main demonstration
Gear & bait
01 / Rod
Tanacom bent-butt rod
Bent-butt Daiwa Tanacom rod for deep dropping.
04 / Complete rig
Five-hook deep-drop rig
Five-hook deep-drop rig with 250 lb rig line and 9/0 hooks. Connects directly to the braid through a swivel, without a separate leader.
05 / Terminal tackle
300 lb ball-bearing swivel
300 lb ball-bearing swivel attached directly to the braid.
06 / Terminal tackle
5 lb sash weight
5 lb sash weight to carry the baited rig to the bottom.
07 / Tool
Deep-drop strobe lights
Two strobe lights attached to the deep-drop rig.
08 / Bait
Squid pieces
Small pieces of squid, one per hook.