Night Fishing

[HawkeyeSmallie]

Three questions regarding night fishing:

 

Your favorite bait for numbers?

 

Your favorite bait for large bass? (depending on location this can be 3 or more pounds)

 

When do you start fishing at night? A certain water temp?

 

Thanks! 

[Dorado]

I love night fishing, mostly because I fish HIGHLY-pressured metro ponds, work a day job, and have a two-year old and expecting a 2nd this September. I have no choice but to fish weekday nights, these days.

 

For #'s - Tied (4" Black Power Worm, Black and Silver Sassy Shad, White 3" Grub on Chartreuse Road Runner)

 

For Size - Black Jitterbug in summer - early Fall. Winter - Spring it has to be a 1/4 oz white chatterbait w/ fluke jr trailer (White Ice)

 

I do this year round in AZ.

[jr231]

Summer has always been my favorite time to fish at night. 

 

I think the most popular lure suggested will be some type of topwater. A walking style, popper, and jitterbug type...

 

Rapala original floater , and big worms 7-12" of any dark color are my favorites during the night. Last season I found chatterbait success at night as well. 

[CroakHunter]

Numbers and big fish are the same baits for me. Whatever you use during the day. Just because it turns night time doesn't mean bass eat different stuff or will only hit loud obnoxious topwaters. They will still eat baitfish, crawdads, worms, bugs, bluegills, frogs etc. So I use the same baits I would if day fishing. I do prefer weedless baits for the fact that if you make a bad cast into a tree or whatever it can be easily retrieved.

[A-Jay]

How about this one ~ 

 

A-Jay

[YoTone]

a dark colored chatterbait or a black colorado spinner.

a black whopper plopper has worked for me as well in the summer months.

[bigturtle]

where I fish, the water is clear and usually has very high visibility (5-6ft). For numbers, i just fish small swimjigs, spinnerbaits and topwater. For size, 3/4oz flipping jigs with a 4.2 beaver or an 8" swimbait

[SFL BassHunter]

1 hour ago, HawkeyeSmallie said:

Three questions regarding night fishing:

 

Your favorite bait for numbers?

 

Your favorite bait for large bass? (depending on location this can be 3 or more pounds)

 

When do you start fishing at night? A certain water temp?

 

Thanks! 

 

Numbers = U-Vibe (Black, or Black and Blue)

Larger Bass = Bitters Mega Vibe, 10" or 12" Zoom ol monsters

Mix of Numbers and Larger Bass = Rage Menace

Time = Before sun sets till around 10:30PM (I fish at a public park. Park Closes at 10:30PM)

Water Temp = Doesn't matter to me here in Florida.

[NHBull]

Big top waters and 1/2 ounce jigs...usually black/ blue or green pumpkin and brown

[RoLo]

 

After dark I'll use the same lure types as during the daytime,

but with a leaning toward louder, larger & darker.

I'll work all the same holding sites as during the daytime,

but with a leaning to shallower water and farther from cover

 

Roger

 

[Rudy523]

Do it all the time, Love a Black Jitterbug 

[whitwolf]

If you'll read AJ'S piece, It's a fine primer! I add this to any night fishing thread I encounter; You need to know your water well! It's a different sight at night. By that I mean with limited vision you truly need to know your way around the lake. 

 

As for baits an location, simply fish where you do during the day, maybe a bit deep just to see and honestly use the same baits you have a high amount of confidence In during the day. The only bait I throw at night that I rarely throw during the day would be a spinnerbait. I prefer black with a black trailer on the spinnerbait. It's not only a confidence thing but I suspect I was taught to fish that particular color at night. 

 

I will also say that It's wise to wear a PFD all the time but especially at night. Good luck!

[Catt]

I fish the same structure with the same lure I use during the daylight.

 

Shallow vs deep: I've not noticed a distinct advantage one way or the other. I will normally fish both thoroughly staying with the one that produces the best.

 

Full moon vs new moon: like daytime I fish em all & have done will in every possible moon phase.

 

I'll start night fishing as early as April & continue until October.

[Raul]

 I fish 3 baits:

 

1.- Jitterbug .... may not be the most productive and I really don't care if it ain't, there's nothing in this world that can compare to the sound of a bass striking it, besides, I like how it sounds.

 

2.- Rattling lipless crankbait, have caught thousands of bass at night with them

 

3.- Single Colorado/Tennessee blade spinnerbait, color don't matter at all, as with the lipless crank, thousands.

 

In my neck of the woods as early as early Feb all the way down to late Nov is nightime fishing.

 

Full vs New moon ..... well there is a huge difference, with full moon at least I can see where or to what I'm casting, with new moon I just got to figure it out.

[WRB]

Our local lakes are not open at night for boats until mid May and close in mid Sept, usually 1 night a month or 5 nights a year. Before the quagga mussel issue we could fish several different lakes that were open at night more often. We can fish from shore at night at several lakes.

My night lures are usually darker colors with black that has either blue or red highlights followed by purple with neon blue highlites. 

Jigs

Plastic worms T-rigged with sliding bullet weight in 7 1/2" for numbers and 9" , 10" 13" for larger bass.

Deep diving crankbaits.

Rat wake baits

All the above have produced lots of night bass for me.

Tom 

 

[Bluebasser86]

First 2 are the same answer, either a dark colored bladed jig, dark colored single Colorado bladed spinnerbait, dark colored jig, dark colored big worm, UNLESS it's a bright moon, then I'll use natural or bright colors like a white spinnerbait or bladed jig. 

Once it gets uncomfortable to fish during the day, I start fishing at night. 

[CTBassin860]

Frogs and jigs as soon as it starts getting dim

[hunterPRO1]

top 5 night fishing lures

 

1. black buzzbait

2. black frog

3. black buzzbait

4. black spinnerbait (colorado blade)

5. did i mention black buzzbait ?

 

i only night fish around full moon,

[CTBassin860]

3 hours ago, hunterPRO1 said:

top 5 night fishing lures

 

1. black buzzbait

2. black frog

3. black buzzbait

4. black spinnerbait (colorado blade)

5. did i mention black buzzbait ?

 

i only night fish around full moon,

×2 

[HawkeyeSmallie]

I've mostly used black frogs but the more I think about it they probably don't put out as much commotion as some other baits. I'm definitely going to try a black buzzbait. Last year I used a jig with some decent success. Might even try a big 10 inch worm this year. 

 

My son and I just started fishing the Ned Rig and have had good success at night so far. More numbers than size but still some decent ones. When the water warms up I'll start throwing the big topwaters.

 

Can't wait!!

[Bankbeater]

Black Jitterbug, or a black buzzbait for numbers and size.  A black frog seems to attract a lot of bullfrogs.  I start looking for night fishing spots in the spring.  I head out on the water after it's gotten too dark for the other boaters.