Specimen Fishing Tips | Clear spot or low-lying weed for tench? - Ryan Hayden

I always prefer to fish over clear areas and, as such, raking is something that plays a big part in my tench fishing.

Raking a spot not only allows you to remove weed and debris to allow better presentation, but it also disturbs the bottom and stirs up lots of natural food.

No matter how good you are at chucking a rake, you are only going to achieve a certain distance.

When fishing further out, I’ll always use a feature-finding lead (in my case usually a taped-up sea fishing lead with the prongs cut short) to get an idea of the bottom.

If there is low-lying weed present, I will cast a dozen or so times with the lead to try and clear the area off a bit.

Knowing that some weed may still be present, I’ll then opt for a Method feeder to ensure good presentation.