Swim 3 is the central swim and a focal point for the fishing. It’s where we have a gazebo which provides a covered storage and sitting area and where we have a communal bench. It offers lots of opportunities and, depending upon how many others are in your group, it is possible to reach key feeding areas described in other swims, particularly Swim 2 and Swim 4. It’s also perfectly possible to double up from here with one fishing the left and the other fishing the right side.
Location of Swim 3 (and Swims 1 and 2)
The depths in this part of the lake are beginning to increase with an average depth of about 5-6 feet on the left-hand side and 6-7 feet out in front and 9-11 feet to the right. The lake bed in this part of the lake is a mixture of shallow silt with some harder sandier patches. There are also a few much harder patches, particularly towards the far bank.
Swim 3 - Right Side
The obvious feature is the far bank trees. Much of what I said for Swim 2 applies. As such, there are always fish along this bank and I think this includes fish which spend much of their time here as well as those that are just passing through. The eastern bank varies along its length with some near vertical sections and others more gently sloping. Presentation can therefore be difficult and I wouldn’t recommend fishing too close. The section around the base of the slope is a key area to target. In many ways those who prefer to cast have an advantage here. Whilst the overhanging trees make casting tricky, with a bit of effort and clipping the line it is relatively easy to consistently fish to an area. The overhanging trees dictate that you can’t cast too close to the far bank and means that you will usually be right in the feeding zones. For those who prefer to use bait boats, the lure of the far bank is often too much and many go right the way across the lake often simply bypassing the main feeding zones and ending up fishing on a slope where presentation is difficult. If you end up half way up the slope you run the risk of the line being suspended mid water with a very high risk of spooking the fish.
Along this bank there are consistent feeding areas which seem to produce more fish than others. These can likewise vary from week to week. The tree line to left (right side of Swim 2) always holds fish. Straight out from Swim 3, there are two bankside trees with a small gap between and anywhere around here can be very good. Further to the right there is a small willow off which there is an area of hard ground in deep water. This can also be fished from Swim 4 and is one of those all or nothing spots. When its on it can be brilliant and then at other times it appeared devoid of fish. As with other parts of the lake I would recommend feeding several spots at any one time.
Another feeding area that nobody has ever really managed to crack is approximately one-third to half-way across the lake. This is the area where the shallower western bank begins to deepen quickly. Fish regularly show themselves through here and often there may be several bubbling fish present at any one time. It may simply be that presentation is difficult here due to the depth change or that the fish are a bit more wary, possibly because there are often lines through this area. Whatever the reason and, despite the occasional catch, few fish are caught from this area. Someone will no doubt crack the code one day but it can certainly be a frustrating area to fish particularly when there are fish bubbling all around your bait. What few fish I’ve managed from this area have always been after a period of baiting and using a heavy and slack line.
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