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Bottom Fishing

Beginner

The most accessible — and the most delicious — way to fish the reef

Bottom fishing is the foundation of Red Sea angling. Natural bait is presented on or near the seabed to target reef dwellers like Grouper, Emperor, Red Snapper, and Sweetlips. It's the most accessible technique — no specialist lures, no complex technique — just fresh bait and patience. Also the best method for filling the table.

How it works

A weighted rig (running sinker, paternoster, or chicken rig) is dropped to the bottom over reef or rocky structure. Fresh squid, fish strips, or shrimp are the top baits. The angler holds the rod and feels for bites through the line, then strikes and winds up. Simple and devastatingly effective.

Step by step

  1. 1Find structure — rocky bottom, reef edges, wrecks, and coral heads on the fishfinder
  2. 2Cut bait fresh: squid in strips, fish in chunks, shrimp whole
  3. 3Tie a running sinker rig or simple hook-and-sinker
  4. 4Lower to the bottom — feel the sinker touch, take up slack
  5. 5Hold the rod tip up and feel for bites — taps, thumps, or line moving
  6. 6On a bite: don't strike immediately — let the fish run with the bait 2–3 seconds
  7. 7Wind down quickly and set the hook with a firm upward sweep

Recommended gear

rod
Medium-heavy boat rod 20–50 lb, 6–7 ft, parabolic action
reel
Medium conventional or large spinning reel with good drag
line
30–60 lb monofilament or braid
leader
60–100 lb fluorocarbon or monofilament
lures
Running sinker 50–200g, paternoster rigs with 2 hooks

Best conditions

Any conditions. Over reef structure 10–100 m. Anchor or drift over the spot. Effective year-round.

Target species

GrouperEmperorRed SnapperSweetlipsWrasseCoral Trout

Pro tips

  • →Fresh bait always outperforms frozen — buy it from the fish market on the way
  • →Squid stays on the hook better than fish and attracts a wider range of species
  • →Fish over structure, not open sand — reef fish don't leave their home territory far
  • →Anchor up-current of the spot so your bait drifts into the fish zone
  • →If you catch one Grouper in a spot, there will be more — work the same area