Shot
Shotting pattern is merely the order in which you attach the weights (split shot or styls) on to your line to cock your float and help the bait fall through the water.
There are three main types of shotting pattern – and each is designed to do a different job.
Bulk: This is where the main bulk of split shot are grouped tightly together. Its main uses are to make a waggler float sit upright in the water, or to ‘bomb’ the bait quickly down through the water in deep swims where the target fish are close to the bottom, or where smaller ‘nuisance’ fish like fingerling bleak, roach or rudd will take a slow-sinking bait before it gets down to larger, target fish.
Strung-Out (also known as ‘shirt button’): This pattern can be used on wagglers, stick floats or pole rigs. The shot are spaced equally apart – like the buttons on a shirt – to help sink the bait at a slower, controlled rate.
Dropper: Droppers are smaller, lighter shot positioned at intervals below the bulk shot. They sink the hookbait slowly once the heavier bulk shot has settled. Dropper shot on stillwater waggler and pole rigs are normally legal lead size 8, 9 or 10 ‘micro’ shot.
As well as split shot there is also 'Stles' and 'Stotz'. Unlike the round split shot, the Style is long and thin (similar to a piece of wire) with a cut along the length. These are used a lot by match anglers as they reputedly fall through the water more slowly.
When fishing with hemp or tares as the bait and using split shot the fish often mistake the shot for bait, resulting in false bite. The use of Styles or Stotz is perfect to help avoid this.
Stotz are a shorter and fatter version of the Style. Many anglers prefer Stotz to Styles as they reckon they stay on the line better.
There are three main types of shotting pattern – and each is designed to do a different job.
Bulk: This is where the main bulk of split shot are grouped tightly together. Its main uses are to make a waggler float sit upright in the water, or to ‘bomb’ the bait quickly down through the water in deep swims where the target fish are close to the bottom, or where smaller ‘nuisance’ fish like fingerling bleak, roach or rudd will take a slow-sinking bait before it gets down to larger, target fish.
Strung-Out (also known as ‘shirt button’): This pattern can be used on wagglers, stick floats or pole rigs. The shot are spaced equally apart – like the buttons on a shirt – to help sink the bait at a slower, controlled rate.
Dropper: Droppers are smaller, lighter shot positioned at intervals below the bulk shot. They sink the hookbait slowly once the heavier bulk shot has settled. Dropper shot on stillwater waggler and pole rigs are normally legal lead size 8, 9 or 10 ‘micro’ shot.
As well as split shot there is also 'Stles' and 'Stotz'. Unlike the round split shot, the Style is long and thin (similar to a piece of wire) with a cut along the length. These are used a lot by match anglers as they reputedly fall through the water more slowly.
When fishing with hemp or tares as the bait and using split shot the fish often mistake the shot for bait, resulting in false bite. The use of Styles or Stotz is perfect to help avoid this.
Stotz are a shorter and fatter version of the Style. Many anglers prefer Stotz to Styles as they reckon they stay on the line better.
SPLIT SHOT CONVERSIONS
|
3SSG
2SSG SSG AAA AB BB No 1 No 3 No 4 No 5 No 6 No 8 No 9 No 10 No 11 No 12 No 13 |
4.8 g
3.2 g 1.6 g 0.8 g 0.6 g 0.4 g 0.3 g 0.25 g 0.2 g 0.15 g 0.1 g 0.06 g 0.05g 0.04 g 0.03 g 0.02 g 0.01 g |
6 X AAA
4 X AAA 2 X AAA 2 X BB 2 X no1 2 X no4 3 x no6 2 x no6 3 x no9 2 x no8 2 x no10 2 x no12 2 x no13 |
