Shot & Weights

How to choose weights for float and bottom fishing

Split shot is the foundation of float fishing. By moving it along the line you set how much the float carries and how the bait falls, and a range of shot sizes makes precise fine-tuning possible. Styl weights are small and elongated and give a particularly slow, natural fall.

An olivette is a teardrop-shaped weight used mainly on pole rigs. It takes the bait down quickly past small fish to the bottom and keeps the rig stable in deeper water.

Feeder and ledger weights hold your rig in place on the bottom, even in flow or wind, so the bait stays where you have been feeding.

A plummet lets you find the depth before you start fishing, so the bait is presented at exactly the right height above the bottom. Attach it to the hook, lower it to the bottom and adjust the float until its tip sits level with the surface. Repeat the check whenever you move to a new spot.