Demersal Longlining is also known as bottom longlining and is one of the major industrial fishing methods used around the world. As the name suggests, it uses a long line, called the main line, with baited hooks attached at intervals by means of branch lines called "snoods"  and involves using a main line with hundreds of baited hooks. Longlines can be up to 100km long with as many as 20 000 baited hooks. Demersal longlines are set along the seabed targetting bottom-dwelling species such as hake, sharks and Patagonian toothfish among others. These lines are normally held in place on the ocean floor by means of an anchor

Although demersal longlining has less of an impact on bottom habitats than demersal trawling, demersal longlining gear can be lost when it gets snagged on the bottom. This lost gear will continue to catch fish for many years. Some threatened species such as some demersal sharks are also caught in this fishery.