A good pair of polarized glasses go a long way......a good pair, not a $20 Wal-Mart pair. Im not sure where you fish and if its even possible to spots beds but it has to be extremely stained water for you not to see the bigger beds. The best time to locate beds is between 12-3pm when the sun is at its highest and beaming straight down on the lake......this makes the beds stick out and are easier to spot. The sun will light up the cleaned area from the beds and you can tell a difference between the bed and the dirty bottom that hasnt been cleaned yet. If you see ANY lighter looking spots in the water its a potential bed. Something had to clean off the bottom, it doesnt just naturally clean itself off.........They dont always stick out like a sore thumb, the slightest change in water color can mean its a bed. Some folks smell em out, some ride around and look for a good hard bottom (good hard bottoms show up red on color screen units......the thicker the red, the harder the bottom and the better, especially for shellcracker) before even trying to locate beds. Good luck......once you find them almost anyway will work to catch them. Good luck! and post some pics if you decide to go afer them!