As is the case with a lot of offshore fishing tackle, pre-made deep drop rigs all look pretty much the same at first glance. In fact, though, there’s a good deal of variation in price, quality, and design. Here are a few things to keep in mind while shopping for tilefish, grouper, and queen snapper deep drop rigs.

Quality Deep Drop Rigs Are Reusable

Not all deep drop rigs are the same. Well designed, handmade rigs put more fish in the boat and last longer than big box rigs.

Unlike most other kinds of pre-tied rigs — which are good for a few fish or a few trips at best — a well-made deep drop rig with quality line, crimps, swivels, and hooks can last for years. After all, we’re talking about tough stuff — 150+ lb. commercial-grade monofilament, 2X- and 3X-strong hooks, and stainless hardware. If you coil your rigs at the end of the day, give them a quick freshwater rinse, and store them out of the sun and heat, they’ll last until you break them off. The point is this: the cheap-o rigs from the big box store might cost $10 less than quality handmade rigs, but in the long run, you’ll likely spend less buying better quality rigs that last longer.

Not All 3-Way Swivels Are Created Equal

There are three basic styles of swivels used to connect the branch lines to the main line in deep drop rigs. A traditional 3-swivel has a center ring with three swiveling “legs” spaced equally around it. A sleeve swivel consists of a crimpable sleeve that slides over the main line with a single swivel branching off. A 3-way barrel swivel (also called a combo swivel) consists of one barrel swivel attached to the base of one eye of a second barrel swivel.

All three have advantages and disadvantages, but we believe the combo swivel is the best choice for deep drop rigs. Keep in mind that many fish caught while deep dropping are large and strong, and can exert a lot of force when first hooked.

Combo swivels or three-way barrel swivels consist of one barrel swivel attached around the base of one eye of a second barrel swivel.

Traditional 3-way swivels are fine for lighter tackle and shallower water. But they don’t tend to swivel very well under load, and swivels are always under load when fishing with several pounds of lead and large baits in 500+ feet of water. We also believe the fact that traditional 3-way swivels aren’t completely in line with the direction of pull makes them less strong than other styles.

Sleeve swivels are cheaper and easier to use than other options, since they reduce the number of crimp sleeves needed and also reduce the time required to make a rig. But they can — and do — slip on the main line when a big fish is hooked.

Combo swivels are costlier to use but provide the best combination of strength and resistance to line twist. Specifically, we use Spro Power Swivel Combos, which are made from high-grade stainless steel for longevity and offer an exceptional size-to-strength ratio.

Most quality deep drop rigs — including ours — use black swivels and crimps. Silver-finished hardware is more likely to be bitten by fish, resulting in missed hookups and potential damage to the rig.

Crimping Counts

Crimps are a common failure point for deep drop rigs. Either the crimp sleeves themselves are poor quality or the crimping isn’t done correctly — or sometimes both. It’s not uncommon to drop a new rig over the side of the boat and watch $20 worth of lead disappear into the depths when a shoddy crimp at the bottom of the rig instantly fails.

Deepwater species aren’t known for being especially line-shy, but, says renowned South Florida angler Capt. Mutton Mike D, lighter rigs do make a noticeable difference in heavily pressured areas.

Top-quality components, a professional-grade bench crimper (as opposed to handheld, pliers-style crimper), and good quality control practices prevent this from happening. We use Diamond copper crimping sleeves specifically made for our Momoi monofilament and a heavy duty bench crimper. We also crimp each and every sleeve as it is placed. Placing all the crimping sleeves and then “coming back” to crimp them all at once leads to forgotten crimps and failures.

Lighter Line = More Bites

Most deep drop rigs on the market use 400 lb. or even heavier mono for the main line and 200 lb. mono for the branch lines. That sounds great on paper, but it’s overkill for the vast majority of deep dropping and can even cost you bites from line-shy fish.

Tilefish, snowy grouper, and other deepwater species aren’t known for being especially selective, but in heavily pressured areas like South Florida and the Keys, lighter line can in fact make a difference, says renowned South Florida angler Capt. Mutton Mike D, who designed the Gulfstream Customs line of deep drop rigs.

Additionally, says Capt. Mike, lighter line means less drag, making it easier to stay in the strike zone and sometimes allowing you to use less lead. We use 150 lb. Momoi monofilament for everything but our heavy grouper rigs, which are made with 250 lb. test, and we believe that translates to more fish in the boat.

Glow Beads, Plastic Squid and LEDs Catch More Fisherman than Fish

Keeping rigs clean and simple with a minimum of hardware and extras, says Capt. Mike, is more important than adding glow beads, squid lures or lights.

Most commercially available deep drop rigs incorporate some kind of light source — glow beads, glow sleeves, glow squid, or a clip to attach an LED light. But those add-ons appeal more to fishermen than to fish, says Capt. Mike. These fish manage to feed just fine their whole lives without help from artificial light, and adding lights or glowing beads, squid, and sleeves simply creates unnecessary drag on the rig. According to Capt. Mike, who fishes exclusively with “minimalist” deep drop rigs, keeping rigs clean and slim to minimize visibility and line drag is more important than adding glow or light.

Take Care of Your Deep Drop Rigs for Long Life

At $20 to $40 each, deep drop rigs aren’t cheap, so it makes sense to take care of them the same way you take care of expensive lures. Quality rigs like those we make at Gulfstream Customs can last years when properly taken care of. At the very least, rinse your rigs with freshwater at the end of the day and then let them dry before coiling and storing them. As with any monofilament, store your deep drop rigs in a relatively cool place and out of the sunlight. Better yet, rinse them with freshwater, dry them, apply a light coat of anti-corrosion spray, then wipe them down with a towel or rag. We generally recommend Ballistol CLP, which is very effective against corrosion and harmless to monofilament.

Deep Drop Rigs: What You Need to Know Before Buying