Split Shot Rig
A hook, a bait, and a pinch of shot 30 cm up the line - the split shot rig is drift fishing at its simplest and still the most natural presentation in moving water.
Before rigs got names, there was this: bait on a hook, one or two split shot pinched on above, cast upstream and allowed to tumble along the bottom like anything the current dislodged. Stream trout, river panfish, finesse bass - the split shot rig remains the default 'just drift it naturally' answer, tied in ten seconds.
What it is & why it works
Minimal weight crimped directly on the line above a light-wire hook - just enough lead to reach bottom while the bait drifts at current speed, the way real food arrives.
When to use it
Streams and rivers for trout (worms, salmon eggs, single eggs), drifting minnows for river smallmouth, finesse 'split-shotting' plastics on tough lakes - any small-water natural drift.
How to set it up
Tie the hook, pinch 1-3 shot 25-45 cm above (enough to tick bottom occasionally, not anchor), bait naturally. Lighter is righter; add shot only when you're not touching bottom at all.
Fishing it
Cast up-and-across, follow the drift with the rod tip, line just-tight. Ticks are bottom; hesitations, jumps or slow-downs are fish - lift smoothly.
Variations & sizing
Removable shot lets you retune every run; 'drift rig' versions add a swivel; the finesse-bass version drags a small plastic on 6 lb line.
Common mistakes
Too much lead (anchored bait = unnatural), shot crimped so hard the line's damaged, and casting DOWNstream then dragging against current - drift WITH it.