Rig guide
High-Low Rig: Two Hooks Above the Sinker
A high-low rig hangs two baited hooks on short droppers above a sinker, so you fish two baits just off the bottom at once. It is a standard surf and pier rig for smaller bottom fish such as whiting (kingfish), croaker and spot.
To build one, tie two dropper loops in a short length of 30–50 lb monofilament, thread a hook onto each loop, and clip a pyramid or bank sinker to the bottom. Use small hooks and bite-size bait. For whiting on cut shrimp, South Carolina DNR suggests a #1 or 1/0 hook.
Rods racked at a beach access in Nags Head, North Carolina, each with a pre-tied bottom rig and its pyramid sinker hanging from the tip.
How a high-low rig goes together
Original illustration of a high-low rig. The droppers stand out from the leader so the two hooks hang clear of it and of each other. Not to scale.
Published builds differ mainly in spacing. Take Me Fishing's version for smaller fish is compact: four 2–3 in dropper loops tied 3–4 in apart in an arm's length of 30–50 lb mono. North Carolina's Division of Marine Fisheries describes a 14–16 in rig body with a barrel swivel at the top, 3–4 in dropper loops and a snap swivel for the sinker. Sport Fishing's surf version spreads two droppers 12–16 in apart on 30 in of 25–40 lb leader. Wider spacing puts the two baits at clearly different heights, and Sport Fishing notes that even a foot can matter to fish feeding on the bottom. Closer spacing keeps the whole rig short.
How to tie a high-low rig
- Cut an arm's length of 30–50 lb monofilament.
- Tie four dropper loops 3–4 in apart, each 2–3 in long. Keep them short: long loops are more likely to foul and twist.
- Thread a hook onto each of the two middle loops.
- Clip or loop a sinker to the bottom loop, and tie your main line to the top loop.
For larger fish, Take Me Fishing builds the same layout from 50–100 lb leader and two three-way swivels, with a snap swivel and a plain swivel at the ends and a short snelled hook off each three-way. It calls the rig a two-hook bottom rig and notes that tackle shops commonly sell it ready-made.
Which fish, hooks and baits?
Hook size follows the fish's mouth and the bait. These are the published starting points found for each fish. Where no agency gave a size, the table says who did.
Scroll the table sideways to see every column.
| Fish | Hook | Bait | Published by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whiting (kingfish, sea mullet) | #1 or 1/0 | Cut shrimp; also mole crabs, bloodworms or squid | South Carolina DNR for the hook and shrimp; North Carolina DMF for the other baits (SC, NC) |
| Spot | #6 to #2 | A small piece of bloodworm or a synthetic bait strip | FishTalk Magazine (Chesapeake) |
| Croaker | #6 to #2; 1/0 to 2/0 for larger croaker on squid or bloodworm | Squid, bloodworm, peeler or hard crab, shrimp | FishTalk Magazine for hooks; Virginia DCR for baits (Chesapeake) |
| Striped bass | Inline circle on each baited hook where the rule applies; 5/0 with clams or worms | Clams or worms | Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission rule for the hook type (Maine to North Carolina); On The Water for the size and baits (Northeast) |
The last column names who published each figure, with the region it comes from.
The 5/0 for striped bass is for clams and worms on a high-low. The 7/0–8/0 circle hooks on the surf hook size guide are for live eels and cut bait. Pompano are a different case: South Carolina DNR and Alabama's conservation department both describe a single #1 or #2 hook with a very small split shot and a sand flea (mole crab), rather than a two-hook rig.
Pyramid or bank sinker?
North Carolina DMF's rigging guide uses a pyramid sinker in sand, in the surf and in strong current, and a bank sinker on soft or shell bottom in slow current. A pyramid's point and flat sides keep it from rolling with the tide. In strong current, Take Me Fishing suggests carrying pyramid, egg and teardrop sinkers up to 6 oz. Compare shapes and weights on the sinker size chart.
High-low or fish-finder rig?
Choose the high-low for smaller fish and small, soft baits such as clams or worms. You fish two baits at once, can try two different baits, and sometimes catch two fish on one cast.
The trade-off is the fixed sinker. A fish that picks up the bait soon feels the weight, so with J hooks you need to set the hook quickly. A fish-finder rig lets the line slide through the sinker, so you can give a fish time with a large bait. South Carolina DNR's advice for big red and black drum uses fish-finder rigs.
With circle hooks, do not jerk at a bite. Reel steadily until the line comes tight and the hook sets itself.
Rules that change the rig
From Maine to North Carolina, the interstate striped bass plan requires non-offset circle hooks when fishing for striped bass with natural bait, and each state writes that into its own rules. On a high-low baited for stripers, that means a circle hook on each dropper. Some states also limit the number of hooks on one line. Check your state's current rules for the water you fish before adding hooks.
Common high-low problems
- Hooks tangle with each other or the leader. Keep the dropper loops short. On The Water notes that hooks with straight shanks tangle less than hooks with down-turned eyes, and a properly tied dropper loop stands away from the line.
- Crabs strip the bait. Small foam floats threaded just ahead of each hook lift the baits off the bottom, away from crabs.
- The rig drifts down the beach. Change to a heavier pyramid sinker.
For tangles, line twist and other tackle faults, see fishing setup problems.
Related guides
- Fish-finder rigThe single-hook sliding-sinker rig for bigger fish and larger baits.
- Hook size for surf fishingCircle hook sizes for redfish and striped bass by bait.
- Fishing Knot FinderStep-by-step dropper loop, plus knots for the swivel and hooks.