Uncommon, it is used mainly off Madeira for black scabbard. It consists of a single line with a float at one end and a weight at the other. Effective on steep shelves. These are changed to target different species as well as to exclude smaller individuals within a target species. Many fish species, e.g. mackerel and sardine, as well as squid, shrimp, crab, lobster, octopus, mussels, whelk sand worms are used.
Some fisheries use a combination of baits to be more attractive to the target fish.
Usually whole bait are used, but occasionally sections for larger fish, squid and octopus. Baiting machines allow smaller pieces of bait to be used without adding much to the time spent setting the line. There exists a huge array of shapes and sizes, but relatively few are commonly used. As with bait, different sizes and shapes are used to catch different fish. There is some evidence to suggest that different hooks can affect seabird mortality differently.