I have walked around ponds and the SD river at night with a flash light and spotted spawners. I would place a white index card on the ground and I would write notes on them. The notes would say how big the fish was and tell me exactly where the bed was. Then I would come back around REALY quiet and sneaky and fish for them. I always used my gill because and I would just have to guess when it was the female instead of the male. I would wait untill I felt a slow steady pull with out out any taps and I would swing hard. 80% of the time it was her. You dont have to use my gill but I do recomend something that the male will have a hard time with.