How to fish a weedy pit

Hi ,
I am hoping for some advice on fishing a weedy gravel pit, mainly for tench.
I know they like to feed in weed so I guess I need to fish here somehow?
The pit has weed in the summer from what looks like top to bottom in large areas. Wherever I fish I drag large amounts of weed back in!
Have tried raking a patch and have seen tench appear as I am doing it, but can't buy a bite even on 4lb line float fishing. The silt is black and stinks is this the problem or should I fish into the weed?

Thanks

If the tench appear as you say, then you aren't doing much wrong.
I don't think they mind the sludge bottom. The answer might be to get them used to your bait and also lay on a bit to keep your line away from the hook.
Loose feed maggot, chopped worm and thumb nail size pieces of bread flake and a few mini boilies.

You may need to repeat this.

Once they are onto the bread and boilies you certainly will not need to use 4lb bs. They will gulp down on 8lb or so which is much better for weedy waters.

If you need a bit of finesse to start with try 8lb bs with an 8/10 lb bs hook braid to a swivel. Check the braid after every fish for fraying in weed.

Just as an edit.... If the tench appear after raking the oozy gungy bottom....they can't object to it can they????????

If you ‘can’t buy a bite’ after raking another option is to use the lift method. It may be that your hook bait is being taken upwards and out of vision by the turbulence of their movement. This will not only ensure that the bait is pinned down but will also have the line at a angle that is less likely to be ‘hit’ by vertically feeding fish.