I didnt want to divert Avids thread. I use shot with plasitcs sometimes and have wondered if the shot when crimped hurts the test srength of the line or not? if so how often would you redo a rig while fishing it?

Nope.

Split shot does not effect the integrity of the line. You should probably check your line before every cast anyhow, but you do not need to change out the weight.

It depends Muddy on the type of split shot, there are smooth inside split shots and gooved inside split shots, smooth ones don 't affect your line; grooved ones do because they nick the line.

I have never had a problem with spilt shot, however the kinds of rigs I use with split shot get changed pretty often anyway.

Ronnie

Well, I know better than to question the Doctor, but I have used both smooth and grooved extensively withouth a line failure that I could attribute to a split shot. Still, going forward I'll accept Rauls advice and stick with a smooth inside. Better to be safe than sorry.

I have landed bass up to 13lbs on 6lb flurocarbon line with Water Gremlin Bull Shots which are grooved. I have never once felt like I had a line break because of the split shot with grooves. I personally think the smooth ones would be more likely to damage my line because they slide up and down the line more and take more pressure to hold in place on the line. Most important thing IMHO is not to crimp the shot on the line so hard it damages the line. I put mine on with my fingers and get kind of nervous when I see people put a splitshot on with pliers.

Randall, you may think your line is not damaged by the grooved split shot sinker, everything seems fine but the moment the split shot slides on the line the groove not only nicks but abrades the line. I thought like you until I saw it with my own very eyes, just to be sure I slipped my finger to check the condition of the line, from the place I crimped my split shot originally to the place it slid the line felt like sandpaper.

It could also be the difference in fluro vs mono. With fluro being much harder its much tougher to nick with soft lead but mono is much easier to tear up not only with splitshots but everything else in the water. Its the main reason I only use mono for topwaters.

Before I retired, I had access to a Nikon comparator with 50x and 100x lenses .

Though I've never inspected fishing line, you can rest assured that if you

clamp metal onto polymer it's going to leave a visible nick the line.

In fact, under 100 power lens the nick would look like a chasm and make you a little queasy!

But like Randall pointed out, as long as you don't "crimp" the shot onto the line,

line degradation should be minimal, probably no worse than fishing line that briefly contacts the side of the boat.

Roger