Match Masterclass - Fishing Shallow in Depth - 5 Match Winning Rigs

This entry was posted on 29th June, 2025 by Steven Crowe

There’s no better feeling than seeing your float zip under in the warm summer weather, in this Match Masterclass, I’m taking you through my complete guide to catching shallow. We’re covering five rigs in total, each with its own strengths, and showing you how I fish them to get the most out of a summer session when the fish are cruising up in the water column.

From overshotted floats to mugging rigs, I’ll explain how I approach each scenario depending on conditions, feeding patterns, and common venue rules. Shallow fishing is all about efficiency, precision, keeping fish coming into your swim and the differences between rigs really does make a huge difference. Let’s jump into it.

The Overshotted Rig - So Good it's Often Banned

The Overshotted Rig is my go-to. In my opinion this is the ultimate shallow rig but unfortunately it is banned in a lot of venues. If the fishery allows it, then 90% of the time, this is the rig I catch the most fish on.

To tie it, I use a 0.18mm mainline and a 0.1g float. The float is almost irrelevant because the rig is heavily overshotted. I use a bulk of three No.10 shots just under the float stem,enough to sink it, and one No.9 shot just above the 4” hooklength. This keeps the rig tight in the water and creates a self-hooking setup. I’m not watching the float for bites; I’m watching the elastic and the line between my pole tip and float.

For bait, casters are my first choice, banded for durability. This rig works best when targeting F1s, small carp, or ide fish that are notoriously tricky to hook on standard float setups due to their finicky bites. And to prove the point, I had a nice F1 hook itself on this rig within seconds of it hitting the water during the session. The key to fishing it effectively is to jig the rig up and down consistently, adding both movement and a bit of noise.

For a full rundown of the Overshotted Rig, check out our dedicated video here:

The Jigger Rig - an alternative self hooking method.

Rig number two is the jigger, a staple in shallow fishing that works brilliantly when fish are following bait on the drop. It’s quite similar to overshooting, just not quite as finesse. On venues where overshotting is banned, the jigger is a great second choice.

The jigger float runs freely on the line, which allows you to explore different depths without constantly changing your rig. Since it’s free-running, you can control how deep the bait sinks and how fast, all while keeping in contact with the bait.

To tie this one, I again use 0.18mm mainline, threading it through the jigger float, and use a bulk of four No.9 shots. This gives the float enough resistance-free movement while keeping the rig tight. Bait-wise, small pellets and casters both work well, I personally use F1 Sweet pellets with this method.

Conventional Float Rig - The Classic Shallow Method

Next up is the conventional shallow rig. This one brings back memories, it’s what I grew up using before overshotting and jiggers even became a thing! It still catches loads of fish and is your go-to when venue rules mean other methods are off the table. It’s also a great rig for learning the basics of shallow fishing.

I use the same mainline and elastics as my other shallow setups, but the key here is the float a 0.1g dibber with two No.9 shots below and one above the float. That shot above just helps keep everything tight, which improves hook-ups. With this rig, the float actually does its job: it goes under! You just need to stay sharp and strike quickly to minimise the missed bites.

Keep the line between your float and pole tip short so that tension helps hook more fish. You’ll still miss the odd bite, especially on busy pegs, but this rig puts a lot of fish in the net. And best of all its never banned!

The Slapping Rig - When You Need Noise Without Feed

Now we’re into more specialist territory with the slapping rig. This rig is perfect for big, wary carp that don’t want to sit directly under your pole tip or don’t respond to heavy feeding.

The float is slightly bigger, a 0.2g dibber, and is shotted conventionally, with all the shot bulked around four inches above the hooklength. This setup creates three distinct noises when you slap the rig in: the float, the shot, and the bait all imitating loose feed hitting the water.

To create that slapping effect properly, you’ll need a bit more line between your float and pole tip. I also use two No.8 shot above the float to keep the line nice and tight.

Sometimes, especially on bigger venues like Baston, less is more slapping the rig in can be more effective than feeding, as it avoids attracting smaller nuisance fish. In fact, towards the end of the session, I caught another chunky F1 on this rig without feeding at all.

The Mugging Rig - Sight-Fishing for Bonus Carp

Last, but by no means least, is the mugging rig. This one is a must-have in summer when fish are cruising just under the surface. It’s probably responsible for more shallow match wins than any other rig!

This setup uses a long lash, up to 4ft between float and pole tip, and it’s all about swinging your rig in front of visible fish. The float setup is similar to the conventional shallow rig, but the long lash is key. You’re actively swinging the bait in front of cruising fish and watching for that instant reaction. When it works, it’s like hook-a-duck!

The only reason I didn’t use it in the video is that there just weren’t any cruising fish to mug on the day. But trust me when they’re up and visible, this rig is unbeatable.

Check out our dedicated mugging video here to see for yourself

Final Thoughts

All five of these rigs have their place and the best anglers always have multiple shallow rigs set up and ready. The overshotted rig is the one I find myself using most often, just because of how effective and efficient it is. But there’ll always be days when the jigger wins, or slapping draws out big, cagey fish, or mugging dominates the match. The key is understanding the situation and picking the right tool for the job.

Why not give these rigs a try, if you fish this way in the summer you’ll start turning more bites into fish and more fish into match wins!