Dropline

A dropline is a commercial fishingrig consisting of a long fishing line set vertically down into the water, with a series of baitedhooks attached to the ends of side-branching secondary lines called snoods. Dropline fishing, or droplining, is a specialized anglingtechnique.

Droplines may be set either down underwater trenches or just into the open water column. They have a weight at the bottom of the line and are fixed to the water surface at least one float at the top. They are usually not as long as longlines and have fewer hooks.

Droplines can be contrasted with trotlines. Whereas a dropline has a series of hooks suspended sideways off a vertical mainline, a trotline has a series of hooks suspended vertically off a horizontal mainline.