Chicken Rig

The chicken rig is a classic Florida bottom fishing rig that can be configured for whatever size leader, hooks, or target fish you’re after.

It’s perfect for triggerfish, covered in this month’s feature, and also excellent for snapper, sheepshead, grunts, seabass and just about any other schooling panfish that lives on or near bottom.

Not really ideal for groupers and amberjacks, but in heavier tests and with hardware (three-way swivels instead of knots), it can be modified for the heavies.

Basically, the chicken rig is a terminal leader with a sinker at the bottom and one or more hooks positioned above it in series—generally two.