fish a feeder lol

Keep adding 3 inch depth with shot gradually getting nearer the bottom and then if you have to keep going laying on the bottom until it stops moving. You will need a decent tip sized float, slightly undershot. Sometimes better to slow it down rather than stop it.
Back shot (no 8 3 inch above the float) can help
Lay the rig in with the tow.

You pretty much answered ur own question, most use a backshot and hold back against the tow, thats if the wind aint to bad, can also lay a fair bit on with most baits, sometimes you can also use a double bulk, one in the top skim and one in the undertow this works superb on some days and not at all on others, failing that chuck out the tip and have a coffie! or draw jammily in a calm part of the lake.

Don’t be afraid to put alot of line on the bottom, i’ve added more than a foot before now.

Bigger float, presentation is everything.Don’t be afraid to add more weight for stability.

I kept adding 2 inches today until the float stood still,in the end I was about 8 inches on the deck won the match so don’t be afraid to put line on the deck or shot if that’s what it takes,I would still use the lightest float possible to get it to stay still and be stable.

Line on the deck does not make your float stay still.Shot will but that is making the rig less sensitive.Add a bigger float untill it is more stable, or try a backshot with a lighter float.One thing I do agree with- the lighter the float the better.

My personal preference is to use a backshot (usually a no.8) half way between the float and pole tip. I would perhaps position the backshot slightly closer to the float than the pole tip, but not too much.

My favourite rig is to use a double bulk, with most of the shot (the ‘main bulk’) approx 12-18″ from the hook. The second ‘mini-bulk’ (usually 2 no.9s or no.10s) is set half of the distance between the main bulk and the hook. The mini-bulk is set so that it is just off the deck. You know you have the rig set right because the second bulk should just register on the float and dot it right down. If the shot is resting on the bottom, lots more of the float bristle will stick out of the water, so you know the rig is set too deep. Watch for lift bites as the fish picks up the mini-bulk as well as conventional sail-aways.