Night Fishing
Night fishing can be a whole lot of fun with the right preparation. There are more than enough things to stop us from going fishing. The grass needs to be mowed, that home project and sometimes it's just plain HOT. What to do? After you get your chores done you should consider a trip to the lake in the evening. The air starts to cool down, all the boaters and jet bikes head for the marina and the lake becomes peaceful once again. It's time to fish! Unstable weather and heavy fishing pressure, not to mention recreational boating, can make for some real tough fishing. Fish activity can drop off to nearly nothing and dodging water skiers all day can be aggravating. A great solution is to fish at night. Chances are you will be the only boat around.
Location Night fishing presents some unique challenges. You want to be on a known spot that holds fish first of all. If you've already done your homework, there will be no need to travel from spot to spot in the dark. Good spots to concentrate on are rocky points with access to deep water (>8 ft deep) and bouldered shorelines. The bass will move up at night and feed on crayfish and bait at night. Some of the bigger bass will move shallow to feed because the darkness provides cover and concealment and puts them at ease. Other good areas include boat docks and piers, lighted shoreline and the deep edge of weed beds. Lighted shorelines attract bugs which in turn attract bait fish. The light also makes it easier to navigate and keep track of your gear. Boat docks are favorite structure for bass anyway, but daytime human activity drives them off. They cruise back in at night to feed and may even stay until first light. Times The best night fishing conditions are when there is a full moon. Follow your local weather and solunar tables to see when this will be. If it occurs during a cold front, you are set up for some great night fishing conditions. The fish don't feed as actively during the day with clear skies, but can really get active at night by the moon. Besides, a nice moonlit summer night is a great time to get outside and enjoy nature. Lures Good night fishing lures are poppers, floating stick baits and spinner baits. This will quickly determine the activity level and exact location of the bass. After that, big soft plastics and jigs with rattles or beads will entice the largest bass in the area. It is quite easy to stir up a feeding frenzy with the commotion of splashing fish. Try to land them as quick as possible and get your lure back in there. The fish can turn off as quick as they start to feed. Look for surface activity to determine the direction the bass are moving. This is where a bit of moon light helps too. Dark colors seem to work the best. Blue/black jigs with craw trailers, and dark red, blue or black soft plastic are good. Spinner baits with colorado blades are slow and shallow and make lots of noise to let the bass zero in quickly. The feeding activity will come in waves. Generally, night fishing is best from from dusk until say 10 or 11 o'clock for the first round. After midnight until the wee hours of the morning is the next run. After the bass have been up all night feeding, is it any wonder why the fair weather fishermen get skunked the next day. They get out around 9 or 10 and start chunking big crank baits for a couple hours and then go home. “The fish just aren't biting today”. If they would just slow down, and downsize their baits, they could have gone home with some fish. Oh well. Safety Just remember a few safety reminders. If you have a GPS, mark your destination and the boat launch. It is not uncommon for fog to roll in quickly and everything looks different at night. Have a spotlight and flashlights, a loud signal horn and make sure all your lights work on your boat. You don't want to get nailed by another boat! Wear your life jacket and tell someone where you are. You should have someone with you as well. Safety in numbers. Keep a charged cell phone with you and make sure you have at least 2 forms of propulsion. Chances are no one will be around to tow you in if your motor doesn't start. Bring some tunes and snacks with you, and you'll be all set up for a great time.
Night Fishing tips from Bill Dance!
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