The split shot rig can be easy to overlook, but when the going gets tough it can save your day of bass fishing. Learn how to rig and fish it below.
What is the Split Shot Rig?
So what is the split shot rig? It is basically and miniature Carolina rig that can be a lot more finesse and still get some amazing bites. The original rig was achieved by rigging a plastic bait on a weedless round bend hook and then pinching a split shot weight or two up the line anywhere from 8” to a couple of feet.
The problem with this approach is that pinching a split shot weight on your line can damage it and create failure if a big bass decides to take you up on your offer.
How To Rig The Split Shot Rig
The new and better approach is to tie the main line to a swivel with a weight in front of it and then to add a leader line to a weedless rigged soft plastic bait. I usually like this weight to be free floating on the line.
This approach doesn’t damage your line, so if your knots are good, you should be ready to go.
The leader line and weightless bait allows the bait to flow lethargically and slowly flutter down to the bottom like a dying baitfish.
How long to tie the leader line depends on the conditions that you are fishing the split shot rig in. The rule of thumb seems to be the clearer the water the longer the leader. The more stained the water the shorter the leader. You can play with this and see what works on your body of water on any given day. I typically fish from 10” to 2 or 3 feet.
Now, what can you fish behind this rig? I have tried a lot of different soft plastic baits, but one of my favorites is the Senko-style stick bait. The falling action of the Senko has proven to be a bass catcher for many years.
You can also fish a creature or crawfish-style bait if more vibration is needed in more stained water.
Split Shot Bait Options
I have discovered that a 3” Senko can be deadly in smallmouth bass fisheries. I have also caught a ton of bass on the 2.75” Yum Craw Papi. I fish these on 1/0 or smaller wide-gap worm hooks rigged weedless.
Because this is a finesse approach, I typically fish the split shot rig on light spinning tackle. Usually, the same rod that I drop shot with will work fine. I fish anywhere between a 4-pound test to a 10-pound test leader depending on water clarity and how finicky the bass are.
The rod I fish is a 7’ to 7’3” medium or medium light rod as you will be using light line and tackle.
The cool thing about the split shot rig is that it is really easy to fish. You just cast it out, let it hit bottom, drag your bait, and pause it. How far you drag and how long you pause will be determined by paying attention to how you were fishing it when you got your bites.
If you are fishing in really cold water the pauses should be longer as a rule, but as the water warms your pauses can become shorter. Something like drag two feet and then pause for the count of two (you get the idea). I do like to count on my pauses so that I can figure out a pattern.
This bait works best on bottoms without a lot of wood or snaggy structure. If you are fishing in a lot of wood or snagging up a lot, I would suggest switching to a light Texas rig with a worm weight in front of it and forget the split shot rig.
The last suggestion I will give is that in clearer water fish lighter colored baits, or green pumpkins. In more stained waters switch to darker colored baits so that the fish can see them better in the water. Blacks and purples can be amazing in stained water. For smallmouth bass, I almost always do better with green pumpkin or watermelon.
I have had some amazing days of fishing with the split shot rig. I bet if you follow my advice you can too. Give it a shot next time the fishing gets rough.
To your fishing success,
Jonathan Burke