Probably a more accurate title would be "bottom roll'n".  Bottom bump'n is what you do when you are offshore in deep water...like 50 ft. deep or more.  If you are bottom fishing out there you drop your bait straight down until it "bumps" the bottom.  However, we are going to deal with inshore bottom fishing here...in much shallower water.

 The reason to bottom fish is because a lot of very edible fish live there and nowhere else.  Just to name a few...Snapper, Tripletail, Grunt, Drum, Croaker, Grouper, Sea Bass, Flounder, and Whiting.  It is true that you can sometimes catch some of these by slow trolling...but the best method is bottom fishing.

 A saltwater estuary like the one we have here in St. Marys is teeming with fish.  If you have a depth finder that doubles as a fish finder watch it sometime as you slowly cruise out into Cumberland Sound.  There are fish everywhere!  However, most of what you see is fish that are moving around...not feeding.  You need to know where to bottom fish if you want to be successful.  If you are going to be in the St. Marys area for a while you might want to go bottom fishing with a local guide.  That is a quick way to learn bottom fishing locations and techniques.  Or, you can just cruise around on a nice weekend day and find where the local folks are bottom fishing.  If they have the anchor down they are most likely bottom fishing.  If you are in a small boat and approach them very slowly, most folks will gladly tell you what they are catching and what they are using for bait.

For gear I recommend the same medium weight rod and reel combination that I described in the segment titled "St. Marys Harbor Fishing".  But, for bottom fishing any medium weight outfit will work.  It doesn't have to be an open-faced reel as I described in that segment.

 There are basically two types of terminal tackle used in bottom fishing around here.  One I call a "drop rig" and the other I call a "fish finder rig".  There are photos of them here. 

 The one with the sinker at the bottom with two hooks spaced above is the drop or "dropper" rig.  If you are talented at tying knots in fluorocarbon leader you can make your own drop rig.  The one illustrated was purchased at a tackle shop.  You can have two or three or four hooks on a drop rig.  The drop rig is used almost exclusively in deep water bottom bump'n and the majority of folks around here use the drop rig for bottom and surf fishing in shallower water.  I don't.  I much prefer the fish finder rig which is the one with the egg sinker on the fishing line above the fluorocarbon leader with the circle hook at the end.  There are several reasons for my preference.  First, unless you find yourself in the middle of a fish feeding frenzy you will rarely catch more than one fish at a time.  Second, with the drop rig with multiple hooks you are using multiple baits...meaning that the "bait stealers" will rob you of more bait faster than if you are using a single hook.  Third, the fish finder rig lets the fish pick up the bait and move off with it before feeling the drag of the fishing line...because the line will be sliding through that egg sinker.  To me that means more hook-ups...more fish in the fish box.  Again, I use nothing but circle hooks because the fish pretty much hook themselves.  The weight of your sinker will depend mostly on the amount of current or tide you have.  If you are using a medium weight rod and reel you can usually use up to a 3 oz. weight.  Anything heavier than that will require a heavier weight rig such as a "medium heavy" which will carry up to a 30 lb line.  You simply need to use the minimum amount of weight it takes to get your bait on the bottom and keep it there.  The rule is:  Have the smallest weight possible, the smallest black swivel...the smallest a fewest everything in your terminal tackle...if you want to catch more fish.

 Part II  Will explain why I call shallow water bottom fishing "bottom roll'n".  Plus, I will discuss the handling of bait. LET'S GO FISH'N!!<br/>