Deep dropping basics

Deep dropping ‘basics’ may be a bit of a misnomer, because there’s nothing really basic about it, but if you’re an offshore angler wanting to start fishing beyond the twilight zone, there’s a few things you’ll need to know.

Deep dropping usually refers to bottom fishing in depths beyond 100m, and most of the time is done with electric reels. Species such as blue-eye trevalla, bar cod, flametail snapper, bass grouper and a huge range of other deep sea ooglies are the target, and their eating qualities are good enough to have anglers venturing out great distances and spending thousands of dollars on equipment. They must be pretty good!

The first and most important tool for the job is a boat capable of reaching the continental shelf and sometimes beyond, and for those with trailer boats, this may mean picking your day very wisely. Getting caught in bad weather this far out can spell disaster, and all the safety equipment will only help you so much. This is not the area for taking risks.

The second, is to have a sounder capable of producing images sometimes as deep as 500m. The deep blue has a whole lot of barren ground, so having a good quality sounder built for the job is incredibly important.

Thirdly, good quality electric reels may not sound essential, but if you’ve ever tried to wind a kicking fish up from 300m, you’d beg to differ. The Shimano Plays Electric Reel and the Banax Kaigen 500XP Electric Reel are excellent tools for this job, and mounted on a Shimano Tag-Em Deep Drop Rod you’ll have yourself a top-class deep drop outfit.

It may sound boring fishing with this sort of gear, but putting in the work to find fish schools, and then taking into account the drag from the current and eventually getting it right and having some of the tastiest fish in the ocean boatside is as good a fishing challenge as any!

Fish in this area haven’t seen a lot of angling pressure, if any at all, so once a bait is in front of them they are highly likely to eat it.

On the business end of the rig, there are a few accessories that can tip the odds further in your favour. The Addict Tackle Deep Drop Light works as an attractant in these dark depths, and the Jarvis Walker Deep Drop Viro Sinkers are an excellent purpose-built tool for getting your baits down to the required depths.

Of course if you'd rather head out with everything ready to go, you can't beat an Addict Tackle Deep Drop Rig ready made for you, or the Addict Tackle Deep Drop Rig - DIY Kit if you want to save a few bucks and put it together yourself.

If you want to expand your offshore skillset, deep dropping is a great trick to have in the bag. Pulling up tasty deep sea dwellers two or three at a time is very satisfying, and the effort will seem worth it when you’re serving high-class restaurant quality fish to friends and family!