Deaf Splitshot
If the jig doesn’t bite, Splitshot can help out. But this is the equipment that we will modify to further improve its performance.
In the form in which we use a splitshot, the rig consists of a “Cheburashka” weight attached to the main fishing line, to which a fluorocarbon leash 40-120 cm long is attached.
At the end of the leash there is a hook with bait - a twister, slug, vibrotail or something else.
Splitshot scheme:
The splitshot catches fish well, often catching jigs, but it has significant disadvantages:
- very mediocre sensitivity to bites;
- the cargo actively collects “garbage” from the bottom and often gets stuck in the rocks.
A small modification not only eliminates these problems, but also makes installation a little easier.
Choosing hooks, line and sinkers for split shot rigs
- Hooks. Small hooks work best for split shot rigs. For fishing in clear waters, use conventional models. If fishing occurs in snags, use offsets. They won’t save you 100%, but the number of lost baits will be significantly reduced. For additional reliability, secure the bait with cambrics so that it does not slip while retrieving.
- Sinkers. Sinkers with “ears” are best suited for split shot rigs. In this case, the bait will acquire additional mobility. If you don't have sinkers with eyes, use regular pellets. Regarding the weight of the load, each angler decides for himself, depending on the conditions (depth, current) and the gear he is fishing with.
- Leash. Fluorocarbon is more durable, does not have a memory effect and is resistant to abrasion on the bottom, I recommend using it for leashes.
Features of catching perch with a split shot - Finding fish
A split shot allows you to quickly find an active perch, fish a large area of water and “break through” all layers of water. A split-shot rig is good when the perch does not reveal its presence with “boilers” or frequent splashes. Unlike a rotating or oscillating spoon, a small twister is attacked by perches more boldly, and a small single hook is easier to swallow by a perch.
It is better to start fishing a reservoir from the surface. After casting, the sinker is not allowed to sink deeply; the spinning rod is held with the tip up. The wiring is done quite quickly, trying not to deepen the sinker by more than 0.5 m. On the next cast, the wiring begins when the sinker drops by about 1–1.5 m. The time it falls depends on the weight of the load, the thickness of the main line and the presence of a current. Counting helps control the depth, as is done when fishing with a jig. I usually count to two or three and begin the next wiring. On the next cast I count to four or five, then to six or seven. And so on until the very bottom. If the sinker sinks too quickly and it is not possible to keep it in the desired horizon for at least half of the wiring, the mass of the sinker must be reduced. If the current does not allow you to sink the bait and place it in the desired horizon, the weight of the sinker should be increased. A difference of 1–2 grams is sometimes enough.
On the horizon where the perch has bitten, it is worth continuing fishing. But I would recommend “breaking through” the next layer, because there may be more fish below, and the perch that grabs the bait is only a “scout”. Having found the optimal horizon, you need to remember the time the sinker is immersed and fish there, and if it is a local point, fish it, plunging the bait to the required depth.
Benefits of a split shot
This type of spaced equipment has its own advantages that determine the interest in it and the scope of application:
- The split shot is intended for a passive predator who does not want to chase agile prey.
- Installation is effective at shallow depths, slow flows or in stagnant bodies of water.
- The equipment has good maneuverability, so it can be used in overgrown and strong places.
- Ease of assembly, availability and low cost of equipment elements.
It is easy to learn how to fish with a split shot, since it does not require ornate presentation techniques, fishing is carried out short, all movements of the bait are clearly felt in the hand.
Features of a split shot
Split shot came to us from American bass fishing colleagues like Carolina and Texas. This equipment has proven itself excellently in overgrown closed reservoirs with shallow depths, where it is difficult to carry out other installations due to bulkiness or considerable weight. Having learned about it, domestic spinning anglers quickly adapted the split shot to our fishing conditions and local predatory representatives of the ichthyofauna.
The classic montage of a split shot is a light or ultra-light rig, in which the silicone bait and load are spaced at a distance of 30–50 cm. The “rubber” is mounted on an offset hook, which allows for maximum cross-country ability. Lightweight sinkers ensure the bait slowly sinks to the bottom, which makes it possible to perform ultra-slow animations.
For split shot fishing, only silicone is used. Split shot baits are no larger than 3 inches. Most often, anglers use models with a length of 1.5-2.0 inches. The “rubber” is taken to be predominantly passive, not endowed with its own play. The main types of bait are slugs, worms, and crayfish. Less commonly caught with octopuses, twisters, and various creatures.
Edible “rubber” impregnated with attractants proved to be the best. It is capable of stirring up the most lethargic, well-fed or apathetic predator. Possessing qualities not characteristic of other types of bait, it allows you to make ultra-slow retrieves, holding the equipment literally at one point, provoking the fish to attack.
A split shot for perch is an extremely thin rig. A leash made of fluorocarbon or thin nylon is attached to the main monofilament or braided fishing line. The weight of the shipment ranges from 1.5–4 grams. When fishing for pike, in order to avoid annoying cuts, it is advisable to use a guitar string or a fluorocarbon thread with a diameter of 0.3–0.4 mm.
Where to use a split shot?
In our realities, you can fish with a split shot on any body of water. It is productive when hunting the striped robber, a medium-sized spotted beast. In some areas, you can count on a pike perch bite using this method. When fishing in overgrown fronds and swamps, rotan, which has proliferated in recent years in our latitudes, becomes a frequent trophy.
The main places where using a split shot is justified are:
- Coastal strip of algae.
- Overgrown oxbow lakes, backwaters and other sections of rivers with a slow flow.
- Toad fields, ponds, quarries and swamps.
- Single shelters at shallow depths.
The best time when split shot fishing is most productive is summer. During the cold season, this equipment is ineffective, since in the places for which it was developed, the concentration of fish is minimal. Therefore, it is advisable to switch to other installations suitable for autumn or spring. Read a review article on how to catch perch here.
Split-shot rig for perch fishing
Perch is a fish that, although numerous, can still be very capricious, and in order to successfully catch, you need to adapt to the perch’s mood. You always need to determine the horizon in which the perch bites more or is larger. It happens that small perches are caught on the surface, and a little lower, in half-water or at the bottom, perches of decent size are actively feeding. In order to deliver the bait directly to active perches, you need to choose the right weight of the sinker.
In a split shot, the weight of the sinker is selected depending on the working fishing horizon, the presence or absence of a current, and taking into account the required casting distance. As a rule, when fishing for perch in reservoirs where the current is weak or non-existent, the sinker is rarely more than 6 grams. Such equipment can easily be thrown to the perch, and it allows you to fish all horizons from the surface to the bottom. The classic overseas version of the split shot uses large buckshots that need to be clamped on the fishing line like float pellets. They can be moved, decreasing or increasing the distance from the sinker to the bait. I use ordinary eared “Cheburashka” sinkers. This is due to the fact that my main line is braided, and the leash is made of monofilament. “Cheburashka” becomes, as it were, a transitional link between them. On the “braid” side I put a fastener for easy changing of the sinker. And I attach the monofilament leash to the second eye of the Cheburashka using the “loop to loop” method. It turns out quickly and reliably.
The length of the leader in a split shot, as in any other leader equipment, is very important. I have empirically determined that the optimal length is 50–80 cm. There are cases when leashes about 1 m long work better, or, conversely, 50–60 cm. Since in my rig the sinker is tightly fixed, the length of the leash has to be adjusted by cutting off part leash from the Cheburashka side.
I use a fishing line with a diameter of 0.16–0.22 mm. If you fish without touching the bottom, and there is no grass, snags, or bushes in the fishing area that would interfere with the fishing, then there is no point in using a fishing line thicker than 0.16–0.18 mm. And when catching large perches and in places where there are a lot of aquatic plants, you need to use a stronger and thicker fishing line. In my opinion, with thinner line you get more perch bites. This is most likely due to the better performance of the small bait in the water.
I use the usual split-shot hooks; the main requirements for them are: a long shank, a round bend, the presence of a ring (it should not be bent in or out, otherwise the bait will rotate) and, if possible, minimal weight. Gamakatsu has a series of F31 hooks, which I use most often, they are inexpensive, come in different sizes, and are quite decent in terms of sharpening quality and strength. Owner series 50921 hooks are thinner, but sizes 10–12 can only be used with small twisters.
The use of offset hooks, in my opinion, is rather an exception and is justified only when fishing takes place in places where there are a lot of hooks, when fishing near the bottom or touching the bottom. I prefer small offset hooks made of thin wire, since I mainly use small baits.
It is worth paying attention to the location of the bait on the hook. Bags with “rubber” usually show how this is done: the hook is stuck into the head of the silicone bait, and the bait itself is located on the bend of the hook. In our conditions, such baiting can be rather harmful, since in this case, when bitten, the bait will more often lose its tail or even break off than bring a perch. I place the bait along the entire length of the fore-end so that it is completely buried in the rubber, right down to the ring. Then, during empty hookings or gatherings, the silicone bait is better held on the hook and does not slide onto the bend. And this gives a chance that another perch or the same one that pecked will grab the bait and be hooked. In order for the hook to fit freely into the mouth, its size must be selected according to the bait and the size of the fish. In general, mishaps often happen, especially when fishing in a “cauldron”, and at such moments even an open hook does not guarantee a 100% result.
You need to attach the bait so that it does not spin around its axis when retrieving, otherwise the leash will begin to twist and get tangled. In addition, it seems to me that perch attack a rotating twister noticeably less often.
