Super User bigbill Posted April 30, 2015 Super User Posted April 30, 2015 Fish detect ground vibrations. My buddy John showed me this with his goldfish pond. There's a rock sticking out of the ground 20' away from the pond. He taps the rock with his foot and the fish come to the waters edge to be fed. I'm walking softly ever since. Stealthy. The big bass are feeding near the shoreline at night. On eels. No boat, no motor, no click from a baitcaster reel. Close the bail on your spinning reel by hand. Completely voiceless, noiseless, stealthy like we're not there. To go after the big ones you better be on your game at night. Close the car door quietly, handle your tackle quietly. Quote
Super User RoLo Posted April 30, 2015 Super User Posted April 30, 2015 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. In New Jersey during the 1950s, pizza was commonly called "la beets" and "tomato pie". The word 'pizza' came later, which eventually replaced the others. Roger Quote
Super User Paul Roberts Posted May 1, 2015 Super User Posted May 1, 2015 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??? This is an interesting topic. I've seen it go both ways. Ground vibrations can definitely be transmitted into the water and fish may react negatively or learn to ignore it. I know one thing is for certain, they are highly sensitive to it. I used to take new anglers to ponds or trout streams and challenge them to approach without alarming nearby fish. It can be utterly impossible, especially where the ground is soft/wet. How fish react to disturbances varies a lot however. Fish can and will filter out regular background noise, (and many other types of stimuli), essentially ‘normalizing’ it. Catt’s artillery example is a good, yet not unprecedented, one. Also, his comment about “waking them up” is not a joke. At times, such disturbances can turn sleepers into biters. Stealth can be smart and is my default position, but one should be aware of the range of possibilities out there. I’ve added rock-throwing and other aggressively invasive tactics to my bag of tricks. As to lights at night, I used lights very little when bass fishing, but when trout fishing along Lake Ontario I used lights, or was around angler’s lights, a lot. Interestingly, lights didn’t bother some fish –especially those in spawning condition in which the fish’s fright responses took a back seat to other matters. Domestic rainbows were less apt to spook too. But anadromous origin “steelhead” would freak out at light and leave the shore on a dead run, I watching the wakes make beelines for the horizon and disappear into the gloom. I finally stopped using lights and avoided the lanterns of other anglers. The biggest issue with lanterns was people walking in front of them throwing a shadow, which could clear the area of trout. How bass response to lights, and sound, most probability varies with circumstances and their experience. As to the orig topic: I only night fished for bass in summer. I find others comments interesting; appreciate your sharing them. Telemetry and other research shows highly variable activity by bass at night. There is no one way bass respond to darkness. If there is a key it lies in the balance for food and security. Food availability and vulnerability are key and vary across waters. Night fishing comes into its own for me on highly pressured waters and when day time temps get high. The difference in fishing results can be like ... day and night. 2 Quote
Jtrout Posted May 1, 2015 Posted May 1, 2015 I casted my chatterbait today on my baitcaster and just the noise from the lure pulling line I spooked a school of bluegill Before the lure even hit the water Quote
Super User Catt Posted May 1, 2015 Super User Posted May 1, 2015 I casted my chatterbait today on my baitcaster and just the noise from the lure pulling line I spooked a school of bluegill Before the lure even hit the water Was it the noise or the sight of the lure? I've bass spook & I've seen them wait for it to touch down! 1 Quote
Super User RoLo Posted May 1, 2015 Super User Posted May 1, 2015 I casted my chatterbait today on my baitcaster and just the noise from the lure pulling line I spooked a school of bluegill Before the lure even hit the water Small fish in particular have a hair-triggered reaction to overhead apparitions. Their overhead world is teaming with piscivores like ospreys, eagles, seagulls, kingfishers and a throng of wading birds. Roger 1 Quote
Super User WRB Posted May 1, 2015 Super User Posted May 1, 2015 When I fish at night it's usually for charity tournaments because our public lakes are not open for night fishing very often. What I have learned from experience is light doesn't bother bass, it does affect my night blindness turning light on and off light. The water is clear and light penetrates several feet. I use a underwater very bright light at the stern of my boat and it's like sitting in a lighted swimming pool and doesn't bother the bass. In fact the light draws in bait fish and sometime bass swim up to the boat. Noise, depends on the fishery, if the bass are conditioned to noise it doesn't seem to bother them. I fish marina areas at night often and boat traffic doesn't shut off the bite, caught a lot big bass there! Tom Quote
Super User Paul Roberts Posted May 1, 2015 Super User Posted May 1, 2015 Was it the noise or the sight of the lure? I've bass spook & I've seen them wait for it to touch down! Small fish in particular have a hair-triggered reaction to overhead apparitions. Their overhead world is teaming with piscivores like ospreys, eagles, seagulls, kingfishers and a throng of wading birds. Roger Ditto. 1 Quote
Super User Catt Posted May 1, 2015 Super User Posted May 1, 2015 Every individual body of water has a personality Each individual bass has a personality To be successful anglers we must discover and exploit those personalities! 1 Quote
DocNsanE Posted May 1, 2015 Author Posted May 1, 2015 Another fantastic response to a simple question. I really appreciate the collective wisdom of this forum and its members. I have 2 young kids (5 mo and another closing in on 2.5yo) so my free time during the day time is basically non-existent at the moment. I really enjoyed my time night fishing last year, so quiet, so many strange little sounds coming from the woods, that little plop-plop-plop of the jitterbug making its way slowly across the surface -- and then BAAAMMM! A crazy explosion of sound as a bass attacks the lure. I can't see any of it happen and I only see the fish when it gets to my feet. It's such a wonderful time to fish. I just can't wait to get out there and try it again. So for colder waters I would be better off fishing something like a 10" ribbon tail or a chatterbait slow rolled along the bottom? Going for a slower presentation than a top water, something with a lot of vibration? Quote
Super User Catt Posted May 1, 2015 Super User Posted May 1, 2015 Every so often in the process of discussions clarification is needed, this subject is one that needs some clarification. I've received questions concerning the diametrically opposite experiences as to who is correct, both are correct. When we combine these opposite experiences what we prove is the complexity of the adversary we hunt. As much as we would like to simplify bass behavior some times it can not be simplified, or even explained! 2 Quote
wuchr20 Posted May 3, 2015 Posted May 3, 2015 Bugs are my biggest problem with night fishing... but as long as I've got a can of bug spray, I'm good! lol im allergic to bug spray. Quote
rybobassmaster Posted May 3, 2015 Posted May 3, 2015 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 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 he i would try it now but should be better as the water warms up . try a moon walker single colorado blade (large) spinner black and red. SLOW ROLL IT Quote
nosdog2 Posted May 11, 2015 Posted May 11, 2015 Thermocell is the best outdoors invention in the last 10 years imo. Quote
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