Shrimp fly rigs have long been a lure of choice for bottom fish anglers worldwide. Not only are they simple in design but they are easy to fish and arguably the most effective rockfish and lingcod lure available. Don’t let their small size fool you - some of the largest lingcod have been caught using shrimp flies!
Colors
There is a large assortment of shrimp flies available on the market today. There are many color choices and if you don’t know what color to choose, start with white. White is the top color requested by anglers in our store followed closely by a red and yellow combo.
It’s important to remember you are mimicking small crustaceans and shrimp which live in and around the rocky reefs. Locally, we have an abundance of Spot Prawns, which are found to be shades of red/orange with white markings. Try to match the color of the forage species that the bottom fish are eating but don’t be afraid to try new colors – you never know! Look at what the rockfish cough up when you start catching. Are they eating red shrimp? White baitfish? Match the color to the bait the rockfish are feeding on and your fish count will increase dramatically.
Water clarity also plays a role in the success of your lure’s presentation. If the water is dark and murky, try brighter colors like white and pink/white. If the water is ultra-clear, opt for a more natural color.
Rigging Shrimp Flies
The first step is to tie the shrimp flies to your main line. We suggest tying a snap swivel to your main line. This allows you to quickly snap in and out different rigs or different colors with ease and avoid line twist as you reel up your catch.
Next, attach a weight of your choice on the bottom of the rig. Some rigs have dropper loops on the bottom which you wrap around the weight. Others have snap swivels that you can easily attach the weight to. Recommended weights range from 1oz to 10oz in either cannonball or torpedo styles. The goal is to keep your line as vertical as possible to avoid snagging in the rocks.
Fishing the Rig
With the rig tied and ready to go, drop the rig down to the bottom. If you have access to a fish finder and can see schools of fish, drop your rig right into the school. Rockfish and lingcod will often be close to or on the bottom. Reeling up through a school of fish while raising and lowering the fishing rod can be an effective strategy, especially in shallower water. Keep in mind that sometimes too much movement can be a bad thing. Let the rig work for you by allowing the natural current and drift of the boat to flutter and swim the rig.
Once bit, leave the rig down in the strike zone for a few more seconds before reeling up as the struggling fish excites other fish nearby resulting in another potential strike on the other shrimp fly.
Also, sometimes lingcod will bite one of your flies or will grab and hold onto a struggling rockfish that is hooked on your rig (a hitchhiker). If you feel dead weight when you start to reel up continue to reel nice and slow to keep that hitchhiking fish on the line.
Alternative Rigging
Instead of attaching a weight to the bottom of the rig, try a larger, heavier lure or jig. If you’re limited to two hooks on the rig (like in California), just remove the lower shrimp fly. This creates a rig which combines the best of both worlds; the jig on the bottom targets the larger predators such as lingcod while a teaser shrimp fly above targets the more abundant rockfish species. If you want to mix it up and try a more aggressive bottom fish strategy, give this rig a try!
Pitbull Tackle Bottom Fish Rig
Pitbull Tackle has taken all the work out of creating a great bottom fish rig with the 2-Hook Bottom Fish Rig. Ready to go out of the package, all you need to do is add a bottom weight, attach it to your main line and drop it in the water!