How do you guys all approach a days fishing with three rods?

Do you bait up and stick to a single spot and have all your rods on it, do you have each rod on a different baited spot, do you stick two out in the middle and one in the margins, do you move them around looking for the fish, etc?

I tend to have all my rods in different places and move them around if I see showing fish somewhere else/nothing seems to be happening after a couple of hours. Was pondering this question while out on the bank yesterday, if I should just pick a single spot and stick to it.

In reply to Post #1
Literally every option you've stated has a place. Dependant on the situation, the approach taken changes and one size does not fit all.

Be flexible

In reply to Post #2
Of course, I wasn't looking for personal advice but to start a conversation about what most people's go to is.

In reply to Post #1
I have them on 3 different spots.

Mix it up a bit. Might have 2 on a baited spot but then have 1 rod in a different area.

One slap on the baited spot
One just off the baited spot
The other in the margin to my left or right with a handful of chops

I generally try to have at least 2, if not all three on the same spot.

I know it's a bit "all your eggs in one basket" but if I find a spot I'm confident with, I want the best chance of having a rig sat well. I'm a firm believer that your rig is very often sat badly. 3 rods in a tight area, and you can almost guarantee one of them will be sat well.

I used to fish 3 different spots. It would usually be one rod on a spot I had confidence on, then two others in spots I didn't like quite as much. I hate to think how many times that one rod on the banker spot was sat badly.

In reply to Post #1
Depends on the lake, the swim and the stock. Normally I fish 2 or 3 different spots but have fished all rods on a spot. Always try to read the swim to decide. I don't like going with a pre-determined plan (unless I've been pre-baiting)

In reply to Post #1
On waters I'm familiar with I usually have a very good idea of where two rods will be going, and my third is a roving rod. The biggest problem I have with three rods is not where to put them, but how to fish with 3 rods in a way that reduces the chances of a fish kiting through the other two lines. Not as easy as that sounds.

In reply to Post #9
Backleads are the solution to that problem.

Personally I never fish 3 rods on a spot no matter what lake because;

I really don't like multiple lines in a spot, no water how slack.
I don't think it will improve my chances or even want double takes
Most winters my roving rod will be the one that picks up a bite and that can be the spot for the day next few weeks.
In my head, I don't believe multiple rods ‘harvest' more fish - maybe for a certain bite time, but as above I don't look to hammer a spot as I like a longer term approach to nick odd bites.

All personal opinions - and I know it's a popular method - but without being too controversial I do also buy into the theory that sometimes these internet video hits may have dustbin lid size spots because of their baiting and tactics.

Three pub chucks see's me right, If I dont catch I usually get a good nights sleep which is a bonus when you have a wife at home that sounds like a chainsaw all night.

As the old adage 'just being there is enough'.

In reply to Post #1
Usually 2 on the baited area and move the other around, casting to showing fish when possible.

In reply to Post #10
I've had multiple kites through 3 rods all back leaded, it depends on the topography of the lake bed. In fact it hacks me off that much that I will probably just use 2 rods mostly this year especially on one particular water.

In reply to Post #11
I completely understand this opinion but I feel the opposite. I like 3 rods on the spot because of the line lay. If all my lines are in one 2ft wide strip down the swim there are no lines to the left or right of the swim. The only lines they can spook off would be the outer two, and if they spook and turn round. They won't come across any of your other lines. To me, three lines splayed across your swim, completely cuts off the whole middle of the swim.

In reply to Post #11
On a day session I might only use 2 rods rather than 3.

It really depends on the water.

1 rod tends to be baited up with a stringer or bag, the other is a hi-viz rover. I'll only bait up heavily if I know the fish will feed, or I'm doing the night.

If its 3 rods and I know that the fish will come onto bait, one is on the bait, one just off, and the 3rd is still a rover.

I don't. Gave up fishing 3 rods a while ago, I prefer to fish 2 and make sure there 100% on the money. Less lines in the water as well which I think is important. All of last year I could and probably should have fished just one, as all bites from a low stock water came from my left rod on prepared spots.

Always a margin rod. Might be down to luck or technique but it will always get at least as many bites as any baits at distance in the middle of the puddle