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Which Bottom Meat for which fish?
Sizes from the range we stock, priced and linked by weight.
Shallow snapper
Bottom Meat, light
20g · 40g · 60g
The lighter Bottom Meat sizes for snapper over shallow reef: a strip bait or squid on the triple assist, held just off the bottom on the drift.
Deeper reef and gurnard
Bottom Meat, mid
80g · 110g · 150g
More head weight to hold the bottom in deeper water and current, with the same glow skirt and triple assist.
Hapuku and bluenose
Bottom Meat Deluxe, heavy
200g to 1000g
The Deluxe in the heavy sizes: a triple hook keeps long strip baits, whole squid or octopus legs straight for a streamlined descent.
The rig
How it works
Jig weight and flash, bait scent: the parts of a Bottom Meat.
Heavy lumo jig head
A glow-painted Vexed jig head, 20g to 500g on the Bottom Meat and up to 1000g on the Deluxe, takes a big bait down fast.
Triple Murder Assist
Three Harbor hooks on hand-tied Japanese assist cord: a circle hook leading two octopus hooks, to hold the bait and hook the fish.
Lumo skirt
A high-intensity glow/UV octopus skirt hangs over the hooks for the flash of a lure in deep or murky water.
Thread on a bait
Thread a strip bait, a squid or an octopus leg over the three hooks. A fresh fillet from fish caught on the day works best.
Technique
How to fish it
Bait up
Thread a strip bait, squid or octopus leg over the hooks so it lies straight.
Drop and drift
Drop it to the bottom from a drifting boat, then keep it around a metre off the bottom.
Rod in the holder
It works with the rod in a rod holder out the back: the drift and the swell work the skirt for you.
Heavy drift
In a heavy drift, keep letting out more line to stay in the zone, or step up a size.
Watch
Watch how it's done
Vexed explains how the Bottom Meat works as a hybrid jig and bait system.
Video by Vexed Fishing, on their YouTube channelRob Parker tests the Bottom Meat on the water, with a snapper to show for it.
Video by Rob Parker, on the Monster Distribution YouTube channel01 · The rig
Vexed Bottom Meat
Jig meets bait rigA true hybrid of jig and bait rig for demersal fish: a glowing head and octopus skirt send a big bait to the bottom, rigged on a Harbor Triple Murder Assist with hand-tied Japanese cord. The smaller sizes work well for snapper: we stock the Bottom Meat from 20g, 40g, 60g, 80g and 110g up to 500g, and the snapper at the top of this page was caught on one. The Deluxe runs to 1000g for deep drops; the Junior, Micro Meat and Bottom Worm Circle scale it down for the harbour.
- The mission
- Bait it, drop it, and hold on.
- Best for
- SnapperHapuku and bluenoseGurnard
- Snapper sizes
- Bottom Meat 20g, 40g, 60g, 80g and 110g
Shop Vexed Bottom Meat
See more- best seller
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- staff pick
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02 · Line and leader
XBraid braid and FC leader
Feel the bottomThin PE braid gets a Bottom Meat down faster and holds the bottom with less weight than mono. Jigman Ultra and Fulldrag for the heavier drops, Pentagram with its colour-change metering for shallower reef, and FC Absorber fluorocarbon for the leader.
- The mission
- Thin, low-stretch braid to feel the bottom; tough fluorocarbon at the business end.
- Best for
- Deep dropsMetered braidFluorocarbon leader
- Save 14%
PE2.5 - PE6 | 300m | 45lb-90lb
In stock$11900$13860Unit price /Unavailable - Ian's Pick
- best seller
PE0.4 - PE3 | 150m-300m | 10lb-50lb
In stockFrom$4880Unit price /Unavailable - Save up to 11%
03 · Rods
Bottom fishing rods
Bait dropping to deep jiggingThe Atomic Arrowz Offshore overheads are built for bait dropping and paternoster rigs on reef species, in 14 to 30lb, 30 to 100g and 60 to 150g ratings. The Olympic Protone Prototype 66/5 and 64/6 are heavy offshore rods for kingfish, hapuku, bluenose and tuna.
- The mission
- Lifting power to drive hooks home and lift fish cleanly.
- Best for
- SnapperReef speciesHapuku and bluenose
Shop Bottom fishing rods
See more- Overhead
Arrowz Offshore 6', 1 pc, 14 - 30lb Overhead Rod
Overhead 6' | 14-30lb | 1pc
In stock$22900Unit price /Unavailable - Overhead
Arrowz Offshore 6', 1 pc, 20 - 40lb Overhead Rod
Overhead 6' | 20-40lb | 1pc
In stock$22900Unit price /Unavailable - Overhead
Arrowz Offshore 6', 1 pc, 25 - 60lb Overhead Rod
Overhead 6' | 25-60lb | 1pc
In stock$22900Unit price /Unavailable - Overhead
Protone Prototype 66/5 Overhead Rod
Slow-Pitch | 220g-400g | PE3 | 6'6"
In stock$96000Unit price /Unavailable - Overhead
Protone Prototype 64/6 Overhead Rod
Deep Jigging | 240g-550g | PE3.5 | 6'4"
In stock$98000Unit price /Unavailable
Related guides
Keep reading
Slow pitch
Slow pitch jig guide
Hayabusa, Palms, Uroco, Evergreen and Vexed jigs matched to the job, a depth-to-weight chart, technique and the assist hooks to rig them.
Softbaiting
Softbaiting guide
The rod, reel, braid, softbaits and jigheads that catch snapper in New Zealand, from a first setup to a technical one, rods and reels by budget, and how to fish them.
Lines
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Why braided PE line beats monofilament for lure fishing, what a PE rating means, and the braid and leaders for every style.
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Up to twice the rated strength at the same PE, or the same strength on a thinner line, from each maker's published figures.