new to steelhead fishing

So I went float fishing today... I am using a 9'6 okuma with a 4000 pflueger president with 12 pound maxima and a 8 pound fluorocarbon leader. I was using a 1/2oz aerofloat, egg weights on my main line to a swivel going to my leader with a single split shot halfway on my leader before a size 6 egg hook, I was using a spawn sac.

Does anyone else have the problem were they cast and a knot gets formed by the split shot on there leader ?

When should I float spawn vs drift spawn? I was fishing a 20 foot ish hole