Need Some Nighttime Advice

[Neonspeed]

I really enjoy going out on the pond late at night for bass fishing, but my question is what bait/lure to use? I have lures and baits that are successful in the same pond during the day and I have also tried black spinnerbaits, black lizards, buzzbait, top water torpedo, and even rat l trap, but I have only caught maybe 3 fish in all the times I've gone out at night. I know the bass are feeding cause I see them hitting food on top water but they don't seem to be at all interested in what I throw out. So my question is what should I use for late night? Keep in mind this pond has no top water structure other than shade from trees (which doesn't do much for nighttime)

[WhiteMike1018]

I would bump the bottom with black/red rubber worms and lizards, maybe even a jig with a black/blue rage chunk as a trailer

 

For hardbaits I would use 3 things:

 

Black/chatterbait

 

Black spinnerbait

 

Black buzzabit

 

As always experiment with retrieves and find out what the fish want

[Raul]

Jitterbug ( not the most productive, but I don´t care, I like it ! )

 

Lipless crank

 

Spinnerbait

[PersicoTrotaVA]

Black, Big, Loud

 

 

Since there is no structure, the fish are most likely more active at night.  Find out what they are feeding on and match the hatch.  This time of year depending on where you are, they are most likely feeding on shad so I would throw a black back chartreuse squarebill or other shallow running crankbait.  Jerkbait could work well also.  If it rattles, even better.  Lipless crankbaits work well too.

[primetime]

I fish alot of local ponds at night while walking my dog and many are void of any cover and some barely have any weeds, and most are only 3-6' deep, have plenty of bass in them (Mostly small 10-12", although a few fish over 20" are in all of them, so it is fun to fish them at night since they are most aggressive and easier to catch)

 

I have discovered that the first hour of darkness is rarely any good, and I have tried all lures and baits but if I am fishing as it get's dark and right after, I usually don't even bother to cast anymore. I have read it is because it takes a good Hour for the eyes to adjust to the light change. 

 

I have found that the best time is on a day that was really hot, or even a day that was raining since it creates a current near the spillway or somewhere in any pond, and that just gives away the spot to fish as the fish are roaming at night and the bait is going to be getting caught in the current or be feeding on the algae that is drifting that way. I have found a few techniques that work best for me....

 

1- Smaller Chatterbait or Bladed Swim jig with a black or brown skirt, and a darker smoke, black and blue, or black and red bulky but smaller trailer to give it lift as you fish it like a wakebait and use the reel to give it action by speeding up and slowing down, and give it some shakes during retrieve as well. My favorite trailers are the Subwoofer in Junebug, 5" Dark color Grub, or my most productive lately has been the 3.8" Speed Shad which is similar to the Keitech swing minnow and I use blacks, blues, smokes with dark flake, and anything that mimics a bluegill, tilapia, or baby bass, shiner since that is the forrage base.

 

2- Tried and True and works anywhere I fish at night, and is a true can't miss lure....Rapala Floating Minnow in size #9, or #11 and I lke the Jointed models as I find slow rolling steady is the best way to go at night as anything to erratic makes them miss, and if you are not getting bit, go with a smaller Rapala 2" floater. Color is usually silver/black, or Gold/black.

 

3- For Lunkers, I like a large Red Fin waked under surface in gold if shiner are in the pond, a Rattling Rogue or Long A floater in any darker pattern or that match any baitfish.....I used to have success fishing topwater lures like Torpedos, Sammy's, and Popping lures, but I think fish see them to often....

 

If all else fails, simply rig up a dark or smoke Yamamoto 4-5" grub on a ballhead or darter jig and cast it out and figure out how fast and at what depth they want it as that usually works anytime I can't get bit day or night. I know most ponds get alot of presssure, so I leave my black Spinnerbaits, Black Topwaters, and Jigs at home, and same with black ribbon tail....I go grub, sassy shad, or swim a creature like the Small Rodent in black/blue on top or bottom.

 

Sorrry for the long response but I have encountered issues catching fish at night in ponds for years and when I posted my issue on this site I was turned on to the bladed swim jig and now that is my top choice all the time at night, and size is very important.

[papajoe222]

The biggest obsticle to overcome when night fishing is yourself, expectations, fears, overconfidence, etc.  If you approach night fishing the same way you approach fishing under overcast skies or any other low light condition, you'll be on your way.  Think of it using simple logic.  If there were no shade from those trees, how would you fish that pond?

[Fish_Whisperer]

I have heard it suggested before to try big rattling jigs, any stock in that? If so, does anyone have any brand suggestions on a quality rattling jig?

[WRB]

Get yourself 7 1/2" and 10" ribbon tail Power worms in black with blue flake and Texas rig using a sliding 3/16 oz black bullet weight and black 8mm glass faceted bead, 3/0 enormous hook for the 7 1/2" and 4/0 for the 10" worms.

You can catch bass anywhere at night using Power worms.

Tom

[Fish_Whisperer]

Get yourself 7 1/2" and 10" ribbon tail Power worms in black with blue flake and Texas rig using a sliding 3/16 oz black bullet weight and black 8mm glass faceted bead, 3/0 enormous hook for the 7 1/2" and 4/0 for the 10" worms.

You can catch bass anywhere at night using Power worms.

Tom

Tom, you prefer the ribbon tails over straight worms in this situation? Was thinking about 12" jelly worm t rigged... Do you suggest ribbon tail because the tail thumps and displaces water?

[WRB]

Ribbon tails appeal to a wider size range of bass and displace a lot water. The worm body length is short, not a lot of plastic to fill small basses mouth, yet fish big. The glass bead helps to make clicking sounds, especially when used with painted brass or tungsten bullet weights.

12" straight tails are good for larger size bass.

Tom.

[martintheduck]

Literally, the ONLY night bait I use is a 1/4oz shakey head w/ candy bug trick worm. It produces everytime, on every lake.

[primetime]

I kind of like what was said above as it makes alot of sense....Fish any pond or lake similiar to how you would fish it during the day. If you never fish jigs, or large plastic worms, then trying them for the first time at night may not be the best approach. However, A dark shade like black and blue, black, black/red flake in any style worm usually is effective any time, and a ribbon tail is a good choice for night fishing since they can be fished multiple ways and the swimming tail helps if they are having trouble finding your bait.

 

I almost always use a red bead between my bullet weight to protect my knot when using lighter line and sliding weights in the 1/8-3/8 oz as I often get bit as the worm hits bottom due to the sound, and also while twitching the sound often helps.

 

Bass Roam at night especially during the summer time,so I usually pick a few spots in a pond that would be good ambush points and I usually look for overhead trees or slopes on a bank to find a spot that I can work thouroughly and Bass will keep replenishing.

 

I went fishing last night when the rain stopped for a few hours and I had a 6" Green Pumpkin/Blue flake Kut Tail worm rigged on a 1/4 oz. round jig head and 8lb test Fluoro, and I caught fish at a good clip, and my buddy who only had his baitcasting Med Heavy rod with 30lb green braid started out with a similar set up only a Trick worm which is a fav. of many of us, but he was not getting bit since his weight was heavier, fell faster, and even with a leader he was not doing as well. Once he grabbed a rod with 8lb trilene mono, he started doing better using a 6" trick worm which was a baby bass color so color can vary....My point is I have always believed 100% that a translucent line at night is most important and so is a lighter line which matters as they are using the lateral line more than just sight too feed at night. Dark Green Line is very easy for them to see imo.

[GoDeep]

1/4oz shakey head with a black or black neon trick worm.

[Bluebasser86]

I night fish a lot during the summer to avoid the heat and crowds and rely almost completely on 3 baits;

 

1.Dark colored bladed jig

2.Dark colored jig

3.Dark colored ribbontail worm between 7.5 and 15 inches

[Jrob78]

Fish the same baits you fish during the day.  Prey species don't get larger or darker at night.  Think about it.

[martintheduck]

Fish the same baits you fish during the day.  Prey species don't get larger or darker at night.  Think about it.

 

 

I'll pass on throwing a white fluke at night. 

[Texas Pride]

For sure a crank bait i catch bass on all kinds of cranks at night and in ponds and lakes

[primetime]

I'll pass on throwing a white fluke at night. 

I Would normally say the same thing, although a buddy of mine who used to guide told me that 1 of only 3 Bass he ever landed in the Teens was on a white Football jig with a 5" white ice grub...his answer to me was this....They were tearing up shad the entire week, so white shad patterns were killer for spinnerbaits, jigs, swimbaits etc.....The Bass are still feeding on the same school of bait so if you were catching fish on a white fluke at 6pm, and hit the water at midnight and your electronics show that the Bass are still feeding on that same school, if I am not getting a strike on my darker color (Which I still would use out of habit) I would go to white real quick since black really only helps with the silhoute on the surface.

 

I tried out a white 4" tube the other night while walking the dog in a pond loaded with smaller bass and they hit it but once I added some sound with brass and glass I did much better on anything I threw....I am open to alot of suggestions but I truly feel line color, diameter, and bait size matters most at night and not using snaps, swivels etc...I will never use braid at night in open water, especially topwater, I actually use Fluoro even though mono is supposed to be better as I am convinced I get more strikes in #8 if I can go that light.

[Ozark_Basser]

Fish the same stuff you fish during the day just slower.  Fish shallower.  If you've caught fish in muddier water, use those same presentations just throw a lot more black or brown colors.