Pellegrin’s offshore bottom rig is very simple. His reels are spooled with either 60-pound-test monofilament or 65-pound-test braided line.
His terminal rig is essentially a Texas rig, with a 6- to 8-ounce egg sinker threaded on the line above a 2- to 3-foot, 100-pound-test monofilament leader. The leader is attached to the line with a swivel.
Hooks are 4/0 Mustad circle hooks (39942 BLN). He always snells his hooks to the leaders rather than tying them, and here he is particular: The hook must be snelled with the hook point curling back toward the leader rather than away from it.
“Be sure to snell it the right way,” he advised. “Snell it the wrong way and you will get plenty of bites and few hook-ups.”
Bait for the day was also simple, frozen squid and frozen pogies, although he stopped in the pass at daylight to cast-net a few live pogies —always a preferred bait over the frozen ones. Squid are excellent for the smaller species of Cocodrie exotics, such as porgies, and pogies were best for larger fish.
The crew fished either bait alternatively all day, and often sent both down together on the same hook. The first bonita (little tunny) caught during the day was also cut up to provide bloody, fresh bait.