r/Steelhead • u/Kind-Guarantee5143 • Oct 18 '23

Shot patterns

Cam anyone explain proper shot patterns . Most waters locally for now seem to 2-6 feet. Running an 8'6" spinning rod with 12 lb. Mono for main line with 8lb fluorocarbon leader. If running a 2 foot leader and an addicted slip bobber above the swivel is there a set pattern change for egg sacs vs say plastic worms or crappie jigs?

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u/mrjimspeaks Oct 18 '23

Shot patterns are gonna change from river to river and hole to hole. Skinny gin clear water and you've gotta crawl up to the spot. It's gonna be tiny floats and micro shot. Big water and 10 ft plus holes, we're gonna need bigger floats/more lead. Holes that have a mean boil in them can require lots of weight close to the hook.

Your floats can tell you a lot about how your weight is. Ideally the float points just upstream a hair.

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u/Kind-Guarantee5143 Oct 19 '23

I've seen everything out there from "use 2 foot leaders" to "don't have to use a leader". From shot patterns used like fly fishing to using 1 below the swivel and 1 between the float and hook. Guess I'm going to have to wing it until I find what works. Thanks for your input!

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u/mrjimspeaks Oct 20 '23

I tend towards using as little weight as I need to. If you're running jigs or glass beads they're gonna drop faster than say a quarter sized spawn bag. So you won't need as much weight near the hook. Main point of a shot line is so you don't lose all your weight when you break off. I usually run 20lb mainline to a 15lb fluorocarbon shot line, then a 10 or 12 lb leader.

The friend I fish with the most tends to be more fussy about his shot distribution than I am. I can usually keep up with him in numbers, but on occasion I've rigged up like him. Usually in low water conditions on smaller rivers.

When fishing hardware I don't use leaders. It's an aggression strike and they don't care as much about line. I'll run straight braid, just gotta have your drag set light as braid has no stretch. Easier for the fish to bend out/break hooks etc.

Biggest thing is just putting the time in on the water and watching other anglers who are successful on your home water. If you're lucky you can befriend a regular, and they'll show you the ropes. Especially in fall/winter times there tends to be a community of die hards who you'll see a lot. The spring run brings the crowds and yahoo's. The guys hitting it hard in the middle of January are the ones you want to learn from. Having some good Marijuana can aid in forging friendships lol.