When Should I Start Considering Night Fishing?

[DocNsanE]

Hi all,

 

 I know how the moon affects night fishing, but how do the water temps and seasonal patterns affect the bite at night? I had a lot of fun fishing a top water in the heat of the summer last year and I can't wait to do it again. However I doubt I would be very successful seeing as the water temps are still in the 40-50s.

 

 Thanks for the help

[Catt]

I've already started but our water temps are in the upper 60s.

[slonezp]

Right before sunset

[Rented Mule]

I'd consider it as soon as the water hits 50 degrees for LM's maybe even 45 degrees for SM. You're certainly aren't going to do it with topwaters. When I fish early spring at night, it's usually with a large single spin.  My whole thinking changed about night fishing temperatures after reading an article in In Fisherman, not sure if it was Stange, or Csanda, but these guys were catching monster bass at what I would consider

"late winter" temps. The article was published in the early 80's. These guys were fishing reservoirs somewhere in the Midwest if I recall.

 

The only reason I was doing it was come late March or early April, my home lakes in PA were getting pounded during the day. During the night, except for some diehard Walleye fanatics, I was the only Bass boat on the lake. You wouldn't catch as many as you typically would during the day, but you could certainly catch them.

 

The thing I remember the most was it was COLD. I'm now both too old and too tired to fish at night.

 

So, don't worry about the temps as long as it's over 50, bundle up and go out and see for yourself. You might just be amazed. Prior to that eye opening article, I would only fish at night in the heat of the summer, when everyone else was too.

 

Have fun

[ABW]

Whenever the nights get warm enough to where you aren't freezing your butt off.

[Big C]

#1 tip with night fishing: go when it's dark.

[Maxximus Redneckus]

When u go out in the day time and before the door closes your Shirt is soaked from sweat

[wytstang]

When the moon hits the sky like a big piece of pie....Sorry I couldn't help it.

[WRB]

Catt spends more time on the water at night then anyone on this site, listen to him.

Tom

[Bluebasser86]

I've caught them at night while it was snowing and part of the lake was frozen, I wouldn't suggest it, but it can be done. After the spawn is about when I start thinking about going. 

[RoLo]

When the moon hits the sky like a big piece of pie....Sorry I couldn't help it.

 

Dean lives 

[Mr Q]

   Night fishing for bass can be so much fun! Some things to remember are:

 

   Walk softly along the shore - bass can detect ground vibrations near the shoreline or boat noises which can spook them away.

 

   Absolutely NO light of any kind whether on the water or shore fishing - a sudden light flash into the water can spook lots of fish in the area.  Strangly, distant or nearby lightning flashes don't seem to bother the bass much but when the thunder gears up, its time to quit for the night.

 

   Moon out? I have had success on nights with or without the moon out.

 

   Steady or rising barometer is the best time with a falling barometer the worst.

 

   Wind? I find the calmer the night, the more productive the fishing is.

 

   Rain? Sorry, I love bass fishing at night but not that much when getting back in the car soaking wet.

 

      The best thing about night bassing is that most people don't do it and that's definitely in your favor for a peaceful, quiet night's fishing.

[Catt]

Absolutely disagree with the noise theory, unless you weigh several hundred pounds I highly doubt you'll create enough vibrations to be detected by bass. On many occasions when things are dead still, someone will crank an outboard, I fire a cast at the prop wash & hook up. Sometime ya gotta wake em up!

I also find light do not bother bass, many times while walking a bank or trolling shallows I'll shine my q-beam into the wayer & see bass just sitting there, turn off the light, fire cast cast & hook up. Lighted docks, lighted boat ramps, a row of camps with lights along the bank will be deadly areas.

Darkness covers up an angler's presence & most of all his mistakes!

[TX18_E90]

Right before sunset

[wuchr20]

When you dont have time.  I dont like the dark and mosquitos.  And also it is very scary.    

[RoLo]

Years ago 

 

Roger

[Ozark_Basser]

Absolutely disagree with the noise theory, unless you weigh several hundred pounds I highly doubt you'll create enough vibrations to be detected by bass. On many occasions when things are dead still, someone will crank an outboard, I fire a cast at the prop wash & hook up. Sometime ya gotta wake em up!

I also find light do not bother bass, many times while walking a bank or trolling shallows I'll shine my q-beam into the wayer & see bass just sitting there, turn off the light, fire cast cast & hook up. Lighted docks, lighted boat ramps, a row of camps with lights along the bank will be deadly areas.

Darkness covers up an angler's presence & most of all his mistakes!

This is so true. I remember night fishing on bull shoals lake one night. We shored the boat and drank a few beers and took a break. I shined a maglight over the boat and saw two 12-13 inch bass sitting in about 8 inches of water right next to the boat. We sat there right above them at the water's surface with the light directly on them. They acted like we weren't even there. When I stuck my hand in the water they took off, but daytime bass would have been much more leery.

[Bob C]

This is so true. I remember night fishing on bull shoals lake one night. We shored the boat and drank a few beers and took a break. I shined a maglight over the boat and saw two 12-13 inch bass sitting in about 8 inches of water right next to the boat. We sat there right above them at the water's surface with the light directly on them. They acted like we weren't even there. When I stuck my hand in the water they took off, but daytime bass would have been much more leery.

 

 

I caught my largest LM next to a swim area marker with kids yelling and splashing just a few feet away.

[Catt]

Here's a little more about sound

On the Louisiana side of Toledo Bend about mid-lake is Fort Polk, the Army's only Combat Training Center. On certain days they have live fire practice wirh M119A2 105mm Howitzers, not only can you hear it but it shakes the entire lake.

Sound happens daily in the life of a bass!

[HoosierHawgs]

When you dont have time.  I dont like the dark and mosquitos.  And also it is very scary.    

Bugs are my biggest problem with night fishing... but as long as I've got a can of bug spray, I'm good! 

[RoLo]

Here's a little more about sound

On the Louisiana side of Toledo Bend about mid-lake is Fort Polk, the Army's only Combat Training Center. On certain days they have live fire practice wirh M119A2 105mm Howitzers, not only can you hear it but it shakes the entire lake.

Sound happens daily in the life of a bass!

 

Some more about sound:

After the splashdown of a big topwater plug, an age-old practice is to wait for the ripples to disappear.

Are we waiting for frightened bass to regain their composure?

Nope, we’re waiting for bass attracted by the noise to close-in on the lure  (1^st Twitch – BAM!) 

 

Roger

[Mr Q]

Absolutely disagree with the noise theory, unless you weigh several hundred pounds I highly doubt you'll create enough vibrations to be detected by bass. On many occasions when things are dead still, someone will crank an outboard, I fire a cast at the prop wash & hook up. Sometime ya gotta wake em up!

I also find light do not bother bass, many times while walking a bank or trolling shallows I'll shine my q-beam into the wayer & see bass just sitting there, turn off the light, fire cast cast & hook up. Lighted docks, lighted boat ramps, a row of camps with lights along the bank will be deadly areas.

Darkness covers up an angler's presence & most of all his mistakes!

    Wow! Your experiences sure shatter mine on the subject of noise/light at night. Assuming what you say is true, what could explain such opposing experiences? Perhaps the location you (pond) mention have bass that are so used to these "turn offs" they no longer apply? The ponds I fish at night have very little, if any fishing activity at night and that may explain the opposing condition results?  The ponds around where I live are very "dark adapted" as to the fish - even a tiny penlight flashlight shown into the water scatters all the fish, including bass. I'm baffled to say the least   Has anyone else run into such opposing conditions/reactions to light and sound at night at a dark pond location??? 

[Catt]

Uh! Ya better re-read this thread!

I aint alone

[bigbill]

When the moon hits the sky like a big piece of pie....Sorry I couldn't help it.

When the moon hits the sky like a big apizza pie that's amor'e.

Pizza is a'beets In italian in American it's pizza.

[bigbill]

Right now here it's 60 degree days and still very cold nights. You can night fish, no pesky bugs yet.

When the bugs are out in full force that's the time to start night fishing post spawn.