Night Fishing

[N Florida Mike]

I haven’t done well at night so don’t have much to contribute. But since I primarily fish afternoons until shortly after dark it’s probably that I don’t go at night enough to judge it. 
What seems to happen every time, (talking hundreds of times) is that they can be biting great but as soon as it gets dark, they stop. I mean completely stop. I suspect that they start again later in the night but it just gets so dead I go home.

I have done best at night ( which isn’t saying much) with a hollow body frog. I have also caught some using a stop and go retrieve with a dark colored worm.

[OkobojiEagle]

On 2/9/2020 at 12:36 PM, fisher21342 said:

Do bass bite at night?

Yes they do... and so do the bugs!

 

oe

[Catt]

1 hour ago, N Florida Mike said:

What seems to happen every time, (talking hundreds of times) is that they can be biting great but as soon as it gets dark, they stop. I mean completely stop. I suspect that they start again later in the night but it just gets so dead I go home.

 

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. 

 

During this adaptation period the feeding slows down until vision returns.

[N Florida Mike]

How could I have bass fished all these years and never heard that?!

That explains a lot!

Thanks, Catt !

[PhishLI]

This afternoon was perfect. Overcast. Mild wind. Slight ripple. ZilchO. Tonight:  Darkness. The Mattlures 6" Hardgill. Boom.

 

 

[whitwolf]

When I reply to night threads it is usually to say this: if you go at night know your water well. I refuse to night fish unless I have fished it dozens of times during the day. There are the few times that it wasn't an option, usually tournaments. In  those few cases I take a couple of days off and run the lake to become comfortable. I can't say it enough, know your water well. Your life could depend on that.

 

As for baits and times. I used to get caught up in the "right" baits to fish at night and for several years bought into that. I found through the years that I caught fish on the same baits and locations day or night. A spicy Beaver, jig, magnum finesse worm, a topwater of some sort, and  a big paddle tail swimbait are what I throw most. The best time to fish during the darkness seems to be, for me, between 10 pm and 5 am. That's not to say earlier or later are a waste of time but again, for me, I have caught more and bigger fish in that time frame. 

 

A good head lamp is a must, bug spray if they bother you, and plenty of water and sports drinks. I usually bring an apple if I get hungry. 

 

Also, ALWAYS wear you PFD, day or night.

 

 

[bazzelite19]

Definitely ive caught a lot of fish at night on a chatterbait, popping frog, and a buzzbait. Squarebill cranks work too something big like a manns c-4. Another good bait is a texas rigged rage craw or rage lobster. Something with flapper claws like that. They've bitten chartreuse, white, black, black and blue, even firetiger for me at night. The important part is a slow, steady cadence so the bass can track it. Also consider scented gel and rattles. The gel or jelly types act like a lube so baits slip through cover. In stained water at night lots of bass like to root around the bank line in really shallow water sometimes with their fins sticking out. In really clear water you can keep fishing just like you would in the day. The warmer it gets the better the night bite. Most bass, around 80% feed after dark once water temps exceed 80f. This reduces stress from lowering oxygen levels in warming water.