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Split-Shot Rig - Guide's Perspective 
By Jim Cliburn

May/June 2003

Guiding in the Real World

There we were on the casting deck, Mr. and Mrs. American Fisherman under the careful and trained guidance of yours truly. The lively waterdogs that I'd armed the troops with were dangling at the end of their poles, each carefully installed on a razor-sharp hook and ready for action.

Okay guys, here's the game plan: there's a bush about 30 feet away, and it has a fish next to it. Please note that about 40 feet away is a 600-foot vertical sandstone wall. Okay, ready, aim, fire!

Mrs. American Fisherman forgot to open the bail and her waterdog sailed across the open water to freedom. Mr. American Fisherman, pumped with adrenaline, opened his bail and threw his healthy waterdog directly into the 600-foot vertical wall - splat! It fell lifeless, down into the pristine waters of Lake Powell, ten feet past the target.

It's okay guys, sit down and have another cup of coffee while I reload a pair of rather expensive waterdogs. Of course the fish that was on the bush slowly swam away, chuckling under its breath, no doubt.

 The Dream Hook - It's Crooked!

That was B.S. (before split-shot). After Yamamoto developed the split-shot (or, as it is so commonly referred to locally, the crooked hook) waterdogs returned to their pre-historic state. An errant cast with a split-shot hook and a four-inch single-tailed grub simply has to be reeled in and recast to the proper location.

If you're thinking this simple and effective fishing method is an answered prayer for fishing guides, you're right! Not only is it more durable as regards sandstone walls, it's also more effective and efficient for anglers of all skill levels. This system of taking fish was initially developed for competitive tournament use, and is still effective as a tournament-fishing tool.

When the fishing is tough and the lightest of pressure bites is the only indication that a fish has come calling, this technique doesn't require a surgeon's touch nor a Bubba hook-set to secure a healthy bass to the end of a light line. A steady sweep of the rod tip, or simply raising the rod to the ten o'clock position is all that's necessary.

The Yamamoto split-shot hook is available in kit form - 15 hooks, 6 barrel swivels - sizes #7 through #1 (53-15-07, 06, 05, 04, 03, 02, 01). Don't be put off by the diminutive size of the hooks; they are built to do the job perfectly. I normally use a size #6 for smallest worms, up to size #4 or #3 for larger Hula Grubs, and #1 for the thickest-bodied baits like Fat Ikas or jumbo-sized Senkos.

The Easy Way to Success

Most guide clients don't fish regularly, and haven't developed or maintained the necessary skills to reel down and drive a 5/0 hook into the roof of a largemouth bass's mouth. With the Yamamoto split-shot technique, beginning anglers (Mom and the kids included) frequently become very successful anglers in mere minutes. And, as soon as Dad learns not to jerk when he has a bite, he'll also become a more successful angler. The split-shot system is a fishing guide's dream - it produces a lot of action and an amazing hook-up percentage.

No matter how experienced the angler, the split-shot system will help them develop confidence and a sense of finesse, resulting in more and bigger bass. Based on the success of literally thousands of guide clients, my favorite bait for this technique here at Lake Powell is the four-inch, single-tailed chartreuse grub (40-20-169). The soft, supple texture of the bait is an excellent complement to split-shot fishing.

So Easy Even a Guide Can Do It

My preferred tackle is a 6½ or 7-foot medium to light action, high quality rod (Gary Yamamoto Mod II) with ten-pound Sugoi line. The sensitivity of this set-up is incredible, and the rod's action (soft tip) makes it a breeze to cast, but it has plenty of backbone to manage a large bass.

A few years ago, during the filming of Shaw Grigsby's TV show (pretty cool!), I boated one of my personal best Lake Powell largemouths on a Mod II Yamamoto Grub Rod with ten-pound Sugoi line (very cool, on camera no less!). Take it from me, if you want to improve your fishing, give the Yamamoto Split-Shot technique a try. You'll become a better angler, guaranteed. The guide never lies.

The Cookie Pattern

First, put your mind at rest. Anything you eat on a guided fishing trip is good for you. In fact, several of my clients, that also happen to be physicians, believe eating a cookie, if not exactly good for your health, is good for your disposition, and that is most important in fishing. Happy fishermen always catch more fish.

It has been my pleasure over the years to watch clients present a lot of grubs to a lot of willing bass. But, the most frequent error they make is simply fishing too fast.

The split-shot rig was designed for fishing across the bottom in a slow, deliberate manner - pitch the bait toward a dark area on a rocky point (the cuts and ledges are very visible in Lake Powell's clear water), and let it settle to the bottom. With the rod in the ten o'clock position, simply turn the reel handle slowly, making the bait glide across the bottom, kicking up silt and looking more like a crawfish than a crawfish does itself.

Here's where the cookie comes in, and the kind of cookie used by all top guides is chocolate chip (and there's no substitute for homemade). Here then, is the most effective use of a homemade chocolate chip cookie known to man. After making that cast toward the rocky point, simply insert the cookie into the hand that normally turns the reel handle. It's a scientifically proven fact that no client has ever managed to turn the reel handle while eating a chocolate chip cookie. Trust me…this causes them to fish slower, make better presentations, improves their dispositions, and they catch more fish. End of story!

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