Scott Sweetman - Spot Finding

Spot finding is one of the most important aspects in my fishing. I primarily fish overnight sessions in between work, which over the years has seen me adapt and develop a certain style of angling that works well for me. This is based around observation and investigation.

First and foremost, I am looking for the fish to show me where they like to feed. You will often see fish showing in the mornings on most lakes, but there will be areas with frequent activity and patterns will start emerging. Once I have taken note of these areas, I will then start investigating. Once I have found a spot that I think is the one, I will often put all my eggs in one basket, baiting between trips and building towards catching the fish I am after. Sometimes these spots are in unfavoured swims, and often small spots. If this is the case, I am happy fishing with just one rod. I will do whatever it takes to fish as effectively as possible.

When leading around looking for spots, I am looking for something different to the norm. For example, if the lake is predominantly weedy, I will be looking for small, polished areas of gravel or silt in amongst the weed. Gravel will register small taps on the rod tip, whereas silt will register a smooth pull back with little resistance. Another example is if a lakebed is very clean all over, I would then be looking for any weed growth or softer, siltier areas that are different to the rest of the lakebed. In my experience, those smaller, harder to find spots are where I have had my best results, so it’s worth making that extra bit of effort to find them. 

There are a few things I do when looking for the right spot to concentrate my efforts. I use a Marker/Spod rod, and a reel loaded with Marker Braid. Braid has zero stretch, meaning I can feel everything much more positively through the rod tip. When generally leading around, I like to use either a Heli or Tournament style lead. I find these patterns easier to pluck out of weed, enabling me to continue feeling the lakebed without having to constantly reel in to clear the weed from the lead. I will cast around the areas I want to fish, and continuously drag the lead until I find something worth investigating. Once I think I have found the spot, I position the rod where I would stop a cast to feel the lead down, then put the braid in the reels line-clip. I do this to make sure I land back onto the spot I think I have found. I will then cast around this area some more, making sure the spot is good, and to get an idea of how big it is, and what is surrounding it.

Once I am happy with the spot, I will then replace the standard lead with a pronged lead. I do this to investigate the spot further, as sometimes you can think a spot is clean, when in reality, it isn’t. This gives great information, as it dictates what rigs I would use and how I would bait the spot. Sometimes, this will also lead me to looking for a new spot, as it’s not as good as I first thought. The Pronged Lead really does give you information you wouldn’t find with a standard lead. I can think of multiple occasions when I have found bloodworm beds that I simply wouldn’t have found with a standard lead.

There are a couple more things that I do when leading about, and the first of these is when I find myself fishing siltier lakes. I will lift the lead off the lakebed and drop it back down to try and feel for firmer areas. These will not be obvious when dragging a lead across the bottom, but by bouncing the lead you can often find slightly harder drops amongst the soft silt. The next one is when looking for clay spots, I opt to use a lead with a textured coating. Clay sticks to the textured coating much easier than a conventional coating, making it easier for me to see if there is clay out on the spot.

I would say with lakes being as busy as they are these days, it pays to take your time to find the best spots in your chosen swim. When the fish are pushed around the lake and end up in front of you, you can be confident that you are fishing 100% effectively on the best areas to get bites from.