Press Room

Split-Shottin’ For Fishing Fun   Soft-spoken bass pro and guide, Brian Snowden, is a fishing machine who spends countless hours perfecting his craft on Missouri’s beautiful Table Rock Lake . So when he speaks, it’s time to listen. And that was the case when a passerby recently caught Snowden gassing up on the docks of his home waters and asked a great question.  “Super Pro,” he said, in a tone that was obviously half-referring to Snowden’s Procraft Super Pro 210 bass boat and half-referring to the angler, “So what’s the one best technique I should learn for catching bass?” The bustle on the docks of Bent Hook Marina came to a standstill in anticipation of the experienced angler’s reply. “Split-shot,” Snowden said without hesitation. “It’s easy to rig and can be fished on a very basic spinning outfit that anybody can cast. The hook and bait are small, which means it fits a variety of fishing situations and conditions. It’s virtually weedless and you really can’t fish it wrong. And while you’ll catch a lot of small fish on it, you’re just as likely to catch a big one too. Use it anytime and anywhere,” he concluded.

The other anglers listening gave a nod of approval and went about their business. But the words of wisdom might have been lost on the stranger whose focus was back on the shiny bass boat. “How fast’ll she go?” he asked. “Real fast,” was Snowden’s polite reply. Those around the dock nodded again. Spit-shottin’ is no secret among savvy bass anglers like Snowden. The technique’s name comes from the use of a split-shot, a small BB-shaped weight that is crimped onto the line above the hook, usually about 18-inches away. The two must-have soft-plastics baits are a 4-inch worm and 6-inch lizard. Select the more transparent colors for clear water, darker colors for stained. Live bait also works well, but won’t be as “weedless.” Soft-plastic baits can be rigged “ Texas ” style to make them weedless, burying the point of the hook back into the bait for protection from snags. A 1/0-size offset worm hook is a good all around choice.

Split-shot rigs work best on spinning tackle. The reel should be of a size that holds about 150 yards of 6 – 8 lb. test line. Spinning rods in the 6½ to 7½- foot length work best. Rod action should be light to medium, and graphite construction offers the best sensitivity. Fish the split-shot rig by casting it and letting it sink on a slack line. Watch for line “jumps and twitches” … they are often the only signs of a strike. Use subtle movements rather than exaggerated ones to move the bait, occasionally lifting or dragging with the rod. When a strike is detected, start reeling. Use the rod’s length to control the fish. Whether on the water just for a day of fun, or seriously targeting bass, a split-shot rig should always be on the ready. It is a fun and rewarding way to fish. Brian Snowden’s Split-Shot rig

Want to duplicate Brian Snowden’s split-shot success? Here’s exactly what he uses. A St. Croix 7-foot, medium action spinning rod fitted with a spinning reel spooled with green SilverThread 8 pound test line. His weight choice is an Excalibur TG Bullet Weight “pegged” (toothpick or rubber peg-it) about 18 inches above a 1/0 Excalibur TX3 Point Light Wire Worm Hook. Bait is either a 4-inch YUM Houdini Worm or YUM Notta Worm rigged Texas-style. Favorite worm colors are green pumpkin or watermelon red flake. In spring months, he targets secondary points and pockets. He gets to his spots “real fast” in his Procraft Super Pro 210 with a Mercury 225 OptiMax. He fishes “real slow” using a sweeping motion of the rod tip to drag the bait along the bottom.