Shot, stotz and styx

[markcw]

Good job you aren't using styles and half styles to shot pole rigs, or bottom half of waggler or stick float rig for a slower fall of bait. You would be pulling your hair out.
It used to take me ages shotting pole floats with styles to get slow fall of bait. Especially cane stemmed ones, I still have a few of those somewhere.

 

[markcw]

Mike, why do you feel the need to use such small weights?

Always makes me lol when I see videos with the likes of James Robins faffing about bunching strings of no8 when you can get just as good a resuly if you use less larger shot.

Tigger, do you not think you get a better presentation by using a number of smaller shot in equivalent weight to a couple of larger shot.
I am not talking about using 12 number eight and six number ten like I have seen over the years.
I find with smaller shot say number eight and ten , you can move them up and down lower half of set up to vary presentation, than say using a number four,six,eight set up .

 

[tigger]

I don't Ian most of the time but thought I would try them out as I have them anyway. I know I'm puddled.

Lol, I wouldn't say your puddled, i'd say your just making yourself problems when you have no need to.

 

[rayner]

Mike if you are struggling that badly do as I do. Use double-sided tape, put your shot on the tape obviously slot up lay in your line then nip to with shot pliers.
I've had to stop biting them on through the enamel coming off my teeth, capping cost a fortune but that's another story. My left hand is far from steady, you know about my right side. The tape is the only way I can get shot on the line. 11s in Stotz is easy this way.

 

[mikench]

My desire to try proper shotting of a float will probably last as long as my endeavour to make my own hooklengths but I've nothing better to do. I enjoy the journey.

 

[tigger]

Tigger, do you not think you get a better presentation by using a number of smaller shot in equivalent weight to a couple of larger shot.
I am not talking about using 12 number eight and six number ten like I have seen over the years.
I find with smaller shot say number eight and ten , you can move them up and down lower half of set up to vary presentation, than say using a number four,six,eight set up .

I move my no1's and no4's up and down my line easy enough Mark.
I used small tiddly shot combined with light lines from being a small child, that was the tackle I was brought up to use, but for a number of years now I prefer my current, and what many would describe as cruder set ups.
I have found that I catch just as many fish, including nuisance micro fish. Only the other day I was catching tiny chub and dace on 6lb line straight through to a 14's hook loaded with maggots and even corn!
Ok, it is fair to say that the majority of (for example) larger roach are way more clued up than these little uneducated sprogs, but, after saying that I know several very good anglers who are dedicated specialists in roach fishing and who won't fish for their quarry with anything less than 3lb or 4lb breaking strain lines and that's straight through! Like myself they have ditched the diddy shot and now use weights down to no4's after finding they got no benefit from using anything smaller.

 

[Keith M]

I used to have some automatic shot applicators for size 8 and 10 shot which made putting size 10 and 8 shot on my line on the bank side a doddle. You just lay your line between two guides and turned a knob which cut a slot in the shot and positioned the shot onto the line leaving it up to you to squeeze the shot with a couple of side buttons.

Turn the wheel then squeeze is all you had to do and each dispenser was around £5 or £6 including the shot, and you could buy spare uncut packets of shot for it in the tackleshop too.

I still have them somewhere although I don’t think they are made any more.

I’ve found these similar contraptions on the web though (see link below) but they’re a little more expensive, but if you use these tiny shot a lot then it might be worth looking at. They also come in size 8, 10 & 11 shot sizes.

Dinsmores Auto Shot Applicator - Red, Size 10 : Amazon.co.uk: Sports & Outdoors

Shop Dinsmores Auto Shot Applicator - Red, Size 10. Free delivery and returns on all eligible orders.

www.amazon.co.uk

Keith

 

[rayner]

I've never been afraid to use weight when it's needed, especially when slider fishing I'd use a No4s dropper under up to five swan shot bulk.
Generally, I need small shot for fishing up in the water, sometimes four No8s three inch from the hook if fishing six or fewer inches deep.
Even when waggler fishing for roach and Ide I'll shot my float with the obligatory bulk and four No11s down the line for a slow fall.
Shotting can be a bit of a mare if you get it wrong. On occasions when the larger shot is needed I'll happily use it, most of my fishing tiny shots are a must.

 

[Keith M]

The smallest tell-tale shot size that I use on my wagglers and sticks nowerdays is one or two size 8 ‘lead’ shot (which is still legal), although if I fished my pole (which is very rare these days) I would often use smaller but no smaller than a size 10 even during a cold winter (I do carry smaller shot inside my canal seat box but they hardly ever see daylight).

I would much rather use my longer 14ft 15ft & 17ft/20ft rods than have to use a slider, so using a no.4 dropper below a string of swan shot is not really my thing unless I were ledgering.

Keith

 

[rayner]

Horses for courses Keith, when you think about it four No11s are very close to one No8 just the same as your dropper just more spread out.
My waggler rigs are for late autumn through winter, on the whole, I rarely venture near the bottom in warm weather. I believe fish are too eager to come up, fishing on the deck is mostly a waste of time.

 

[108831]

Mike I use stotz for 8's and smaller for everything,waggler,stick,pole,no problems,far easier than shot,I use a pair of pliere which ive mentioned before but will have a look online and get back to you,because they are reverse sprung,so as you release pressure they grip the stot from your palm,before applying finger pressure wt the tip to squeeze them up....

Mike,Middy slot shot pliers,£3.25 at Benwick sports,I believe mine were made by another company they are stainless steel,I have two pairs in different boxes...good bit of kit and quite light and compact.