Night Fishing Questions

[OCdockskipper]

I have only fished for largemouth at night on a handful of occasions, so I have a few questions about night fishing for those of you who do it at a regular basis:

 

1. I know bass can be caught at night nearly year round, but is there a point of water temperature level that tends to cause bass to begin feeding more at night than during the day?
    
2. Does water clarity affect the amount bass will feed at night (i.e., more in clear water)?
    
3. Does the amount of light in the sky at night affect how much bass feed at night (clear moonlit nights vs. cloudy or moonless nights)?
    
4. Does sustained increased human activity on the water during the day result in bass choosing to feed more at night?
    
5. Does the forage of a lake change the amount bass will feed at night?  In other words, are there some kinds of forage that bass find an easy meal at night and other types of forage that are difficult for them to locate/eat at night?

 

Thanks in advance.

[A-Jay]

This may answer some of your questions / concerns.

A-Jay

 

 

[JustJames]

I don’t know how to answer you, but this will make you miss Canyon Lake even more.

 

Sorry, this is night fishing topic.

[WRB]

1 hour ago, OCdockskipper said:

I have only fished for largemouth at night on a handful of occasions, so I have a few questions about night fishing for those of you who do it at a regular basis:

 

1. I know bass can be caught at night nearly year round, but is there a point of water temperature level that tends to cause bass to begin feeding more at night than during the day?
    
2. Does water clarity affect the amount bass will feed at night (i.e., more in clear water)?
    
3. Does the amount of light in the sky at night affect how much bass feed at night (clear moonlit nights vs. cloudy or moonless nights)?
    
4. Does sustained increased human activity on the water during the day result in bass choosing to feed more at night?
    
5. Does the forage of a lake change the amount bass will feed at night?  In other words, are there some kinds of forage that bass find an easy meal at night and other types of forage that are difficult for them to locate/eat at night?

 

Thanks in advance.

Catt has more night bass experience then any other member I know of and sure he will answer your questions differently.

1. Since you fish the same climate as I do albeit a private lake, cold period night bass fishing hasn't been more productive for me then warmer periods. I can't bass fish at night on public lakes when closed to night fishing between April to Oct.

2. It does for me, clearer water has been better then lakes wit 3' or less depth of light.

3. I prefer to fish around the full moon period because I can see better,don't think it affects bass at night. Weather is bigger factor.

4. I believe boating traffic affects bass feeding cycles. For example marinas are god night fishing locations, when the boat traffic is gone.

5. The forage base changes at night with nuacturnal critters active like crawdads, rats/mice and big insects. The smaller fish forage tends to hide in cover at night. It's been my experience bass tend to roam and hunt cover edges more at night.

Tom

[GreenPig]

1) The 4 lakes I fish the most really slow down at around 80 degrees. 2) The clearer the water the better the big fish bite is in my opinion. 3) In clear lakes my better nights have been darker nights. Doesn't seem to make much difference on my muddier lakes.4) Yes. 5) I believe it does make a difference with larger bass. I bowfished for alot for 12 years and saw more 5 lb+ largemouth in 4' and shallower water at night than most would believe. The crawfish are of course nocturnal and threadin and gizzard shad cruise the shallows after dark. Especially the large gizzard shad. 

[OCdockskipper]

44 minutes ago, JustJames said:

...Caught this one just a few day back on full moon, plenty of shad around feeding on green bug by the three tunnels on north ski side.

 

Way to go, that must have been nuts at night.  New PB, correct?

[WRB]

22 minutes ago, OCdockskipper said:

 

Way to go, that must have been nuts at night.  New PB, correct?

Congratulations 8.55 lbs big bass from Canyon lake. 

Didn't know Canyon had gizzard Shad population thought it was Threadfin Shad and they don't eat bugs.

Tom

[JustJames]

42 minutes ago, OCdockskipper said:

 

Way to go, that must have been nuts at night.  New PB, correct?

PMed you

thanks @wrb, i think they are threadfin shad about 1.5-2.5”. It might be small bluegill (I saw tons on main lake) that feeding on green bugs but shad also came close to shoreline (spawning?). I fish for crappies here most of the evening and saw one of the kids net the shad up shoreline when big wave come.

 

Now let continue night fishing, too bad this year I lost my fishing buddy forever and might not get a chance to take my boat out at night no more.

[WRB]

Threafin only eat phytoplankton (vegetable) and when the sun goes down the phytoplankton goes down and the Threadfin go to cover, under docks, into bushes under weed beds and predators like bass, crappie hunt them. You may also have Silversides, baby bass, small bluegill and crappie that eat bugs. It's all baitfish to bass.

Again congrats on the big girl, good to see you have some big bass in your home lake.

Tom

[Catt]

8 hours ago, WRB said:

Catt has more night bass experience then any other member I know of and sure he will answer your questions differently.

 

Nah! Top 10  ?

 

@OCdockskipper you're asking to cover the entire night fishing subject. We have had some outstanding threads on every aspect of night fishing.

 

1. Bass are cold-blooded the warmer the water the more often they feed, day or night.

2. I got nuthin! Can't remember ever fishing anywhere at night with less than 8-12' visibility.

3. I got a thread round here somewhere, I'll see if I can find it. Aint no short answer to that one.

4. During the day which is better, fishing on weekends or fishing during the middle of the week?

5. Same as during the day, what happens at night is some of the forage changes location.

 

[OCdockskipper]

22 hours ago, Catt said:

...1. Bass are cold-blooded the warmer the water the more often they feed, day or night...

I didn't phrase that first question right.  I do understand how rising water temps increase a bass's metabolism, the first question was more of a day versus night scenario.  What I am wondering is there a certain water temperature level where bass will change their habits and replace feeding during the day with feeding at night.

 

The reason I ask this question is I have noticed on my lake, that once water temps breach 80 degrees, a pretty consistent pattern emerges.  The first 20 minutes before sunrise & for about 10 minutes after, I can find chasing bass.  Then, like clockwork, the bite on moving baits shuts off.  I typically can still find fish in the area, but I usually have to use slower baits dropped right on their nose.  This occurs whether the morning is crystal clear or we have overcast skies from the marine layer.  I am wondering if that short morning activity I am encountering is a carryover from night feeding, that once we get into daytime, the fish's activity level slows down and while they will eat, they tend not to chase.  In other words, the morning activity I am encountering is the tail end of their warm water night feeding cycle.

 

Outside of midsummer, if I find a moving bait bite first thing in the morning, it typically carries on for most of the day (or until some kind of major weather change).

[WRB]

I tried to answer that question when creating my Cosmic Clock and Bass Calendar back in 1974. What I came up with was daily activity levels based on water temperature because that is what controls a cold blooded animals. 

Each lake has a different rythym of activity the predators develope based on their eccosystem. Suggest you take a look, read what I wrote 45 years ago.

Tom

[Catt]

@OCdockskipper I understand what you're asking but it's impossible to answer.

 

Bass feed day & night not inclusively one or the other.

 

How does one know for sure if your early morning bite is left over from night feeding?

 

The eyes of a bass go through a night adaptation cycle beginning at twilight and are usually adapted for black, white, and all shades of gray within an hour after darkness. I'm quite sure the process is the same going from darkness to daylight.

 

As for temperatures, when a bass has digested it's last prey it starts looking to feed regardless of what the temperatures are. Now this doesn't take into account predatory feeding.

[YoTone]

i chalk up my modest success fishing at night in the summer to water temperature.. during the day it theyre sweating it out like us so i figure at night theyre physically more comfortable to hunt.  

 

 

[OCdockskipper]

Cool, thanks for the answers & input.

[JediAmoeba]

My favorite night lure is an all black chatterbait with a black blade and a black Biospawn Vilecraw on the back.  I have had more success with that combo than any other at night.  Other lures do well but that combo consistently produces.  

 

I used to use spinnerbaits a lot but I have had so many strikes where they seemingly grab the blade and get nada on the hook.  

 

What I love about night fishing is those huge strikes 3 feet from you.  Those are the moments that are exhilarating and prove if you have good knots, good line and the right rod.

[Catt]

Fuel for thought 

 

A bass's metabolism is finally tuned to its circulatory system temperature which is the same as the surrounding water temperature. 

 

When a bass's metabolism is at its highest the bass feed more often, this means the odds of encountering "actively" feeding bass increases. It also means the odds of encountering non-actively feeding bass increases simply because they're full.

 

Not only is the bass's metabolism up so is their food sources. All those Bluegill's, Bream, Gizzard Shad, Threadfin Shad, ect are cold-blooded.

 

Everything is rock-n-rolling along then up pops  the thermocline!

 

The thermocline effectively condenses the "usable" water column down. Everything below the thermocline is unusable & all of bass-n-bait has moved above it.

 

This is the "Dog Days of Summer" & in my opinion the absolute best time for catching bigger bass at night.

 

Catt why at night?

 

It's my choice simply because it's quite, not many anglers fish during the heat & even less fish it at night.

 

Throw in mid-week & it's on ?

[cyclops2]

Catt is covered with green scales & telling the truth.

I always did better for 2 hours after sundown in the shallows. Great way to eliminate all legal sized bass in a lake / river.