HOW TO: Feeling the lead down

Everyone can with a bit of practise and the correct tackle feel the lead when casting out into the lake. This feeling will enable you to better understand the type of lake bed your rig is landing on.  The first thing to understand is after you cast the lead out into your swim your line has to be tight and the rod  held high and under slight compression as the lead hits the surface of the water to stand any chance of feeling what is going on.

To achieve this you need to feather the line down or fished clipped up to ensure a taught line.

The feeling of the lead hitting the lake bed will be amplified if you are using stiff action rods this will ensure you do not loose sensitivity due to the compression of the tip absorbing all of the impact of the lead.
Line also has a big part to play you can use pre-stretched  mono’s that offer less stretch compared to standard mono’s however these are not as good as braid which offers no stretch which is why it is used for marker rods.
The lead you use can make a huge difference in the feeling you get.

A standard plastic coated lead will dramatically reduce the feeling of the lead as it strikes the bottom.  So with this in mind I would strongly recommend a lead without any plastic covering like the new Korda Probe lead or the AI Feature finder

Now we have the tackle and technique correct we can start learning how to feel what the lake bed is like on our chosen spots.

Gravel can be felt as the lead hitting the bottom with a really hard Jolt, which will have the tip of the rod springing back out of compression with a sharp snap as the lead hit the gravel and comes to a sudden stop allowing the line to slacken.  At this point it is worth noting that on a tight line your lead will travel through the water at about three feet per second so you can also get a rough idea of depth as well and the lake bed type. As you bring the lead back you will be able to feel the lead chatter over the gravel as it comes in.
Silt will have a far softer feel through the rod as the lead starts to dramatically slows down as it enters the thicker silt eventually coming to a stop, again make a mental note of the time it take to hit the bottom. The silty bottom will make the lead feel like it is being pulled through cold custard as you bring the lead in.
Weed will feel as if the lead has landed in cotton wool and the length of time the lead is descending through the water will also be reduced compared to clear areas next to the weed bed.  Weed will load up against the lead as we retrieve it coming loose with enough tension but still feeling heavy as we drag a clump back to the shore.

Bait placement is key to ensuring you obtain the optimum from your chosen swim, with your baited rigs in the correct position you will get more pickups and hopefully bank more carp.