Fishing line for night vs day

[TNReb]

I'm fairly new to fishing lakes.  I grew up fishing farm ponds and watersheds.  It's still very much a learning process for me.

 

Last year my neighbor bought a bass boat, and we fished at night quite often in the summer.  He has black/UV lights on his boat, and he told me to get some fluorescent line.  So, I did.  It obviously makes a world of difference when fishing at night.  I just can't see braid or fluorocarbon at night.

 

However, I don't really like the fluorescent line for day fishing!  

 

For you guys who start fishing in daylight, then continue on in to the night... what do you do? 

 

I assume many of you have multiple rods, but that's tough for me.  I only have two casting setups that I use.  Both are pretty decent for somebody like me who doesn't fish tournaments and such - I'd hate to string one up with cheap fluorocarbon and have it sit and home every time I'm not fishing in the dark.  That would also prevent me from being able to quickly swap rods at night and try different lures without having to re-tie and mess around.  Adding a third rod isn't really ideal either.  The neighbor's boat isn't huge and I try to minimize what I bring.

 

Anyone have a particular fluorescent line they prefer or other ideas?

 

Those of you who do fish fluorescent at night, do you use fluorocarbon leaders?

[A-Jay]

I fish at night - 

I use the same line for day & night with no problems.

 One idea in your situation is to purchase an extra spool or two for your reels.

Then you can spin up what you want and simply switch out the spool as needed.

I do this to change a rig from fluorocarbon to mono or braid.

 

A-Jay

 

 

[TNReb]

1 hour ago, A-Jay said:

I fish at night - 

I use the same line for day & night with no problems.

 

What line do you prefer for night?

[J Francho]

I fished with fluorescent mono for years in daylight and night with no issues.  If it's working, stick with it.

[A-Jay]

2 hours ago, TNReb said:

 

What line do you prefer for night?

Depends on the presentation & application.

 

For spinnerbaits, jigs & bottom contact deals, I'm usually using 14-20 Fluorocarbon.

 

For topwater it's either the same size mono or braid & a mono leader. 

 

A-Jay

[Catt]

Bass do not morph into a new creature because the sun set!

 

What the bass prey on doesn't take a new form or color after dark!

 

I fish the same structure with the same lures I use during the daylight!

 

Ya don't need to see at night...ya need to feel!

 

Turn the light off ?

[TNReb]

15 minutes ago, Catt said:

Bass do not morph into a new creature because the sun set!

 

What the bass prey on doesn't take a new form or color after dark!

 

I fish the same structure with the same lures I use during the daylight!

 

Ya don't need to see at night...ya need to feel!

 

Turn the light off ?

When you're fishing banks with lots of trees/bushes/limbs, you need to be able to see a liiiiitttle bit or you're going to be tangled up all night. 

[WRB]

Catt is the site expert night bass angler as he has more time on the at night then most members have in the daytime.

We are not born equal when it comes to night vision, one thing is constant lights ruins your night vision. The with casting to targets at night depth perception with your pupils wide open is poor. What I do is keep the boat at a controlled distance from the shoreline so my casts are about the same distance. Overhanging tree limbs will cause you problems with treble hook lures so avoid using them if trees are a problem. Weedless rigged lures work good at night when casting towards trees or bushes.

My night fishing experiences are mostly night tournaments or shore fishing after dark.

The key for me is to keep it simple, jigs, worms, wake baits/rats and deep diving crankbaits and no added lights except a cap light to see when re tying or re rigging.

When I use a light it's either underwater out of sight at the stern or a flood light to luminate the shoreline if casting crankbaits toward shoreline trees or brush and that isn't often. Line I usually use heavier line like 15-17 lb  instead or 10-12 lb.

Since you are fishing out of your partners boat with black lights any fluorescent pigment color line will glow in the dark. Jigs and worms you are better off using your sense of tough day or night.

Tom 

[Catt]

48 minutes ago, TNReb said:

When you're fishing banks with lots of trees/bushes/limbs, you need to be able to see a liiiiitttle bit or you're going to be tangled up all night. 

 

You will be totally amazed at what you can see even on a moonless night!

 

Before old age set in I could thread my line through a bullet weight & with the huge hole in tungsten weights it still fairly easy. I would tie a worm hook on all by the light of a full moon.

 

What Black/UV lights do is force you to cast a certain direction, what if the fish are not on the side of the boat towards the bank?

 

Example: my nephew, his friend, & I were fishing shoreline because that's where light was shining. After 2-3 hrs of nothing we rounded a point & I heard something swirl on the surface. I was on the back deck & the noise was behind me. I turned fired a cast & hooked a 4# bass. Dropped her in the water & fired again, this time a 2# bass. I told my nephew Joey turn the light of they aint on the bank!

[soflabasser]

I fish the same line I use during the day that I use during the night and I do well during both times in the day.

[Deleted account]

I think you're on to something, just add some Donna Summer, and maybe chicken wings, and some bowling shoes, and screaming kids, and....hard for the money, so hard for it honey, so you'd better treat her right!...

[TOXIC]

Since I am 80% a finesse fisherman, I am a dedicated line watcher.  I want my line (small diameter) visible in the daylight.  Of course the best line I ever found got discontinued.  Berkley Trilene Tournament Strength in Photochromic.  It was a fluorescent orange and totally disappeared underwater.  I have experimented with many others since then but nothing has been as visible as that line was.  I try not to fish at night.  Not that I haven't but it's just not my preference.  

[Bluebasser86]

I use the same line at night as I do during the day. I also fish lakes with lots of docks, bushes, and overhanging trees at night. I get tangled sometimes, but as long as I keep my cast or pitches low it doesn't happen that often. I've night fished for years, never once used a blacklight. 

[rtc1]

Hi,

 

I'm new here (just created profile).

 

I have night fished for bass for about 20 years.

 

Assuming you use a black light so you can see your fluorescent line:

• My favorite line is Berkley FireLine in Flame Green 20# test. (glows in black light)
• Unfortunately, it's being phased out, but you can still get it on Berkley's website. If you get it, get the 'Original'.
• Minnow mentioned P-line CXX Hi-Viz fluorescent.  This looks interesting but I haven't tried it yet.

Advantages of superline or braid:

• This is not a problem with braid: when you cast a jig into a tree and try to pull it out, watch out!
• No stretch equals much better hooksets and bite detection - even with a lot of line out
• Longer casts and less backlashes on baitcasters

Other alternatives:

• Clear Blue Stren (17 lb) - very stretchy but limp enough so as not to cause many backlashes on baitcasters and very visible in black light
• Any other fluorescent mono or braid

For day fishing, I can still use the green line, but add a 10 yard 10# Trilene XT low-vis green leader using a double-uni knot.  I do this when I get to my lake in the late afternoon so I can fish last couple hours of daylight before it gets dark.  At dark, I remove the mono leader.

 

Oh, and no leader is necessary at night.

 

Good luck!

 

Rick

[Log Catcher]

Years ago I used Stren clear blue florescent line for everything with no problems. Used it for day and night fishing. I would have to check to see if it is still available.