Read the water before you cast – the surface tells you a lot🇬🇧

Before you make your first cast, spend two minutes reading the water. The surface tells you more than most anglers realize. Look for current breaks: where fast water meets slow water, food collects and predators wait. Cast your lure so it drifts from the fast side into the slow pocket. Find structure transitions: points where soft bottom meets hard bottom, where weed beds end, where depth changes, and where shade meets sunlight. These edges concentrate fish because they offer both ambush cover and an escape route. Watch for surface activity: rings from feeding fish, baitfish jumping, birds diving. These are obvious signs, but surprisingly many anglers ignore them. If you see baitfish activity, match your lure size and color to whatever is getting eaten. Check the wind: the windward bank (where the wind blows toward) tends to hold more baitfish because wind pushes plankton and small organisms against that shore. Predators follow. Fish the wind-beaten bank first, even if it is harder to cast. Look for color changes in the water. A darker patch in shallow water usually means deeper water, a hole, or submerged vegetation. These are holding spots for bigger fish.