Commercial fishermen had been fishing this way for several years. Deep water, heavy weights and electric reels hauled up fish from the depths. Snowy grouper, golden and blueline tile fish, rosefish and other deep-water species were caught and marketed under a variety of names.

While these fisheries are still active commercially, the deep-water fishing phenomenon has become popular with recreational anglers over the past several years. Did we say deep-water fishing? How does cranking a fifty-pound snowy grouper off the bottom in 800 feet of water sound to you?

Deep drop fishing, as this technique has become known, is not for everyone. It takes some special knowledge, a lot of specialized equipment and a very good sonar unit.

up and down the Atlantic coast and the Gulf of Mexico, deep-water varieties of fish can be found. They live in depths of anywhere from 200 to 3000 feet. The water is cold and dark at these depths, and we have only recently begun studying the habits, lifespan and biology of some of these fish.

The tackle is heavy. Because of the extreme depths, electric reels are the only choice. A high line capacity, 80-pound class electric reel spooled with braided line is the only option. The reel is coupled with a 130-pound class heavy-action rod.

Monofilament line is totally out of the question at these depths. Monofilament stretches, and the deeper the water, the more the stretch. Take the line stretch and add a couple of knots of current, and it is literally impossible to first see or feel a bite, and second, to set a hook. One-hundred-pound-test braided line has the diameter of 20-pound monofilament, and most brands have virtually zero stretch.

Electric reels are the only sensible option when cranking fifty-pound snowy grouper off the bottom in 800 feet of water.

Terminal tackle usually consists of several yards of a heavy fluorocarbon or monofilament leader. A 400-pound-test leader is a good starting place. The heavy leader is required because we use multiple hooks on a deep drop rig. The weight is tied to the bottom of the leader, and 18-inch drop loops with 8/0 to 10/0 circle hooks are spaced up the leader. Sometimes as many as 5 or more hooks will be used on one leader. Think of a giant, oversized Sabiki rig, and you'll get the picture. The leader is attached to the braided line with a 200-pound-test swivel.

Almost any fresh bottom bait will work. Cut bait is the preference, and it needs to be tough enough to stay on the hook. The long drop will tear a soft bait from the hooks before it ever reaches the bottom. Find fresh bait. Frozen bait will be very soft when it thaws.

The fish that live at these depths live in total darkness, and they find their food just fine in the wild. But many anglers will tie a light stick to the swivel above the leader. The jury is still out on whether or not the light stick provides an extra edge in catching a big grouper. Only time will tell.

With the tackle and bait ready, we can head for the deep water. That deep water would be the continental shelf.

Find a good chart of the coastal area you are fishing. Find the edge of the shelf, somewhere around 1000-feet deep. Then, using the chart and your sonar, begin to look for relief on the bottom.

Common deep-drop rigs for grouper have multiple circle hooks and are constructed using a minimum of 400-pound-test monofilament.

You will need to judge the current speed and direction in order to set your boat up for a drift over the area you choose to fish. Anchoring is obviously out of the question, so the drift has to be right.

Most anglers will tell you to use only enough weight to get your bait to the bottom. That's good advice in shallow water. But, out here, heavier is usually better. You want your line going straight down. A lighter weight will put a big bow in your line in a heavy current situation, and you may never reach the bottom. The heavy weight coupled with the braided line will take your line down straight to the bottom where it will remain without bowing.

Your bait's trip to the bottom can take a full minute or longer, even with an eight-pound weight. When the weight hits the bottom, you want to keep the weight just bouncing up off the bottom and the whole rig straight down under the boat.

If you set the drift up correctly, you and your bait will be moving together in the same direction, covering the selected area. In our example, that would be the top of one of those humps. Watch the sonar, and when the drift takes you off the hump, reel up, move the boat, and start the process again.

The rod will be in the rod holder the entire time. When the rod tip indicates a bite -- and the braided line will surprisingly telegraph that bite quite nicely -- simply throw the electric reel in gear and let the rod and reel do the work. Fighting the fish becomes a matter of pushing a button.

About half way up, the fight is really over on a snowy grouper. Their air bladder will expand and send them to the surface like a balloon. Before they reach the surface, it will pop, sending telltale air bubbles.

Deep drop fishing is a very specialized method to catch some very special fish. These cold-water fish are prized for table fare. Mild, white, flaky meat coming from cold-water depths makes them a choice for any angler.

Off of South Florida and the Florida Keys, the continental shelf is much closer to the mainland, and many boats are set up to make those drops. The farther up the Atlantic coast you move, the farther the shelf is from shore.

There are some hardy souls who make deep drops with conventional tackle. And, yes, they catch fish. But power-assisted equipment is by far the choice of most anglers. Whichever way you try, you can be assured of finding fish that have never seen a bait or a hook, and those fish will readily take whatever you offer them. The trick with conventional tackle is cranking them to the surface from 1000 feet below!

Gear List

• Electric Reel
• Deep Drop Rod
• Braided Line
• Deep Drop Rigs
• Sonar Unit