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Assembly
Split shot rigs feature a weight on the line separate from the unweighted lure.
The split shot is a special rig consisting of a single hook (Texan or down shot) and a fixed weight 20 to 60 cm higher up the line.
The ballast can be a simple split lead pinched on the line, a special lead with a small silicone or Teflon sheath (protecting the leader from pinching) or a ball attached to the line via "stop float".
A stop float allows you to adjust the length of line separating the weight from the lure at any time. A "cheburaska" weight or a small pierced olive will do just as well.
Some American anglers use tungsten paste, which offers the advantage of being highly modulable and of quickly managing the weight, shape and positioning of the sinker.
The split shot rig is often associated with a spherical weight, ball weights being more associated with the Carolina rig (which is simply a heavier variant of the split shot). Ballast weight varies between 1 and 7 grams.
The leader is made from discreet, abrasion-resistant flurocarbon. The line body will be made of fine 4-strand braid for maximum detection of bites which can be extremely discreet: a simple movement of the line, a slight heaviness or a barely perceptible "toc"...
This is a fairly lightweight rig, designed to be discreet. It's a rig designed for fine black-bass fishing, but resembles our more traditional "pull-pull" rigs.
This technique is not widely used in France. Our German and Dutch neighbors are fond of this method for perch and pike-perch in large rivers.
Split shot fishing
The particularity of this rig is that the lure is very free and gliding. The lure is not head-weighted and it's the ballast on the line that drives the rig close to the bottom.
Any movement imparted by the tip is absorbed by the weight and has little or no effect on the lure. The lure only swims when pulled widely or simply with the current. The lure is very stable and gliding, with smooth, fluid movements. It moves very naturally. The angler is in direct contact with the ballast, but not with the lure.
This rig offers a natural imitation close to the bottom, but with great freedom of movement. The lure swims very little (except on wide shots), remains suspended during pauses or small animations, or sinks slowly under its own weight.
The basic animation consists in printing more or less wide shots and leaving pause times. Imitations of invertebrates, worms, insects or small creatures are very appropriate. Lures such as the Scissor Comb 3 or 3.5'' or the Waver Shrimp 2.8'' from Illex are ideal as they are very realistic and undulating.
Floating lures can be a good trick to challenge a fish's ability to resist the offer of suspended prey. The armament is minimal for maximum freedom of movement and to prevent the weight of the hook from disturbing the floating density of the soft lure.
Lures are simply hooked through the "nose" using a single hook or a Texan hook when the bottom is crowded.
When to use split shot editing?
The split shot mount is used to methodically comb marked positions with relative insistence. Its prospecting capacity is restricted to specific areas.
It's designed for wary or educated fish that need to be approached with insistence and discretion. The split shot is particularly effective in wide rivers.
It can be used to attract bottom predators (perch, zander, chub and barbel in particular) by offering a drifting prey. The sensation of touch is often slightly delayed due to the lure's freedom from the weight.
The predator reacts in a "feeding" manner, seizing the opportunity offered. The catch in the mouth is often straightforward, which compensates for delayed hooking due to the perception of a staggered bite.
Don't forget to bring along a pair of pliers to unhook fish that have engrossed under the right conditions. The line between the weight and the lure is slack and offers an easy grip and suction of the lure.
This type of fishing can make all the difference when fish are not very active and stuck to the bottom. Split shot fishing requires a great deal of concentration and attention to pick up the slightest touch or disturbance. This is because we are not in direct contact with the lure and the weight "absorbs" the bites.
Casting or Spinning
From the point of view of the equipment to be used, I'd tend to prefer a spinning outfit. Indeed, combo casting (baitfinesse is recommended for this light fishing) makes casting tricky due to the offset between the weight and the lure. The assembly spins and is not so easy to cast precisely.
I confine the use of a baitfinesse set to fairly open areas facilitating wide casting movements or when fishing from a boat or kayak.
A fairly long 2.10 m rod allows you to cast far and keep perfect control of the rig. A light or medium-light rod with 1/10 g power and tip action is ideal.
I use the Pepper S2102ML Akoya Pearl or the Pepper S205UL MicroJig Special a lot.
On these rods, I use a reel size 2000 to 2500 shallow spool. I fill them with 8 to 12/100 braid depending on the size of the bottom and the size of the fish I'm after. The fluorocarbon leader is long enough (1.5 m to 2 m) and has a diameter of between 18/100 and 22/100.
A tungsten weight will be more discreet and resonant for a better feel of the bottom. Moreover, this inert material is not pollunate for our waterways when we lose our rig.
To discover or rediscover
The split shot is a light, technical and fun rig. It's particularly effective on sunny days for luring beautiful black bass, but also in rivers on perch, pike-perch, chub and barbel, which seek food and oxygenated water under the weirs and spillways of our rivers
