droplines

Dropline, also referred to as a drop line in some contexts, is a fishing method in which baited hooks are suspended from a main line by shorter lines or gangions and lowered into the water to a chosen depth. The line is then retrieved after a period of fishing, or the hooks may be positioned at different depths to sample the water column. Droplines are used in both commercial and artisanal fisheries and can be deployed from small boats or larger vessels, sometimes with mechanical winches.

Gear and operation typically involve a main line of appropriate length, multiple droplines or gangions with hooks, weights to reach the target depth, and buoys or markers for retrieval. The number of hooks and the depth targets depend on the species sought and local regulations. Some configurations fish passively with hooks left to fish, while others are actively retrieved after a set soak time. Dropline setups may vary from a central line with staggered droplines to a continuous line with hooks spaced along its length.

Target species and usage vary by region and depth. Droplines have been used to harvest bottom-dwelling and midwater species, including sablefish, cod, rockfish, and other deep-water fish in certain fisheries. The method can offer selective advantages in some scenarios, but bycatch of seabirds, sharks, and other non-target species remains a concern in others. Practical fisheries regulations often address hook size, soak time, gear arrangement, and protected species mitigation.

Historically, the term can appear in older literature as a plumb line or other “dropping” line, but in modern contexts dropline most commonly refers to the fishing gear described here.