One Solution to Crowded Water ~ Fish at Night

[A-Jay]

Seems there are more & more folks getting out and about on our nations lakes, rivers, ponds & reservoirs lately.

There are certainly more threads discussing the matter for sure.

I am seeing it some myself, however from what I've been reading here, it's pretty bad in many places.

 Anyway, it got me thinking about fishing at night.

 

 

 In places where it's safe and legal, fishing at night may be a way to reclaim most, if not all of the solitude, we've come to love while being at our favorite fishing hole, while at the same time catching some freak panda's in the process. 

 Night bassing may not be for everybody, but if you're not afraid of things that go bump in the night, I'd urge you to give it a try.

 The following thread was initially penned a few years ago but contains some useful info for the first time night bass angler.

 Hope this helps.

Stay Safe.

A-Jay

 

 

 

[Bluebasser86]

Bout that time of year. Crowds are certainly pushing me that was faster too.

 

[PhishLI]

95% of my fishing's done at night. I prefer it in every way. It's a much bigger rush.

[Bird]

Yes, good point.

 

The huge crowds have definitely taken a toll on my desire to fish all day.

 

I get on the water around 4 am and usually have some solitude for couple hours, actually catch all my fish in that span but by 10 am.....I'm gone.

[Catt]

Like I need an excuse to night fish ?

[A-Jay]

9 minutes ago, Catt said:

Like I need an excuse to night fish ?

I hear ya ~ 

But you know what it's like.

Some guys get a scared in the blackness. 

A-Jay

[MGF]

I've been trying to fall in love with night fishing my whole life...which is getting to be a fairly long time. So far no luck.

 

 

[Dminor9]

Fishing at night would be a good solution for the over crowding. Except at my local lake, the younger crowd has taken to jet skiing at night with no lights. Just waiting for the disaster in waiting to happen. Bunch of idiots! So, at this lake, no night fishing for me. 

[Catt]

1 hour ago, A-Jay said:

I hear ya ~ 

But you know what it's like.

Some guys get a scared in the blackness. 

A-Jay

 

Don't fear the night, fear what hunts at night!

 

We be the ones that hunt at night ?

[Fin S]

I've been thinking about giving it a try, but I'll definitely stay away from the main channel as much as possible. On my lake, you've got to look out for fools that think they can run 35 to 40 mph in pitch dark because they have a GPS and good ol' boys that boat at night without running lights.

[DitchPanda]

The lakes around me are all county parks with camping and because of that they are closed to fishing after 1030pm. So that leaves me no real option of night fishing. After my experience last night I wish it was an option. I was fishing off a jetty catching a few decent bass and the closest people to me were probably almost 100 yards down the bank. All of a sudden a guy and his girlfriend/wife walk up and start fishing literally almost back to back with me. I know it's a public place but they didn't even have the decency to ask...if they did it wouldn't have been a big deal at all. So i picked my rods up threw them in my truck and said a few choice words to them as I drove away. I wish I wouldn't have done the last part since it didn't solve anything. But I'm not gonna beat myself up over it..as far as I'm concerned they broke two rules 1. Unwritten fishing ethics 2. Coronavirus protocol which is one everybody should know by now. Most annoying part is I would expect this from teens but these two were probably my age..if guess late 30s...they are old enough to know better.

[Jleebesaw]

On 6/13/2020 at 7:40 AM, Bird said:

Yes, good point.

 

The huge crowds have definitely taken a toll on my desire to fish all day.

 

I get on the water around 4 am and usually have some solitude for couple hours, actually catch all my fish in that span but by 10 am.....I'm gone.

Thats basically how i do it too. I usually leave the house around 4 and get on the water by 5. Ive always prefered fishing mornings over evenings. 

     I have been thinking about going out at 8pm and fishing until 11 or midnight. Ive never actually gone at night. Other than bullhead or catfish fishing that is.

I think it would be safe enough at most of the places i fish. 

[Born 2 fish]

I’ll start going out at night starting next week. I usually go from midnight till about 7am I get the good night bite and morning top water bite.

[ISuckAtBassFishingBoise]

Around here all the bank catfish and some sturgeon guys setup at the docks at night.   Ramps are also close to the campgrounds and I have no idea whats opened and closed for boats at night.   I do know you have to have a 360deg white light shinning and i'm afraid someone would try to shoot out the light.

[GreenPig]

I'm the thing that goes bump in the night. 

[Tywithay]

I don't know if there's anything more exciting than hearing a bass hit a buzzbait in the middle of the night. It's just a different experience. 

[A-Jay]

7 hours ago, GreenPig said:

I'm the thing that goes bump in the night. 

 

 

A-Jay

[Captain Phil]

Florida summer bass fishing is much better at night.  Our summer days are unbearably hot. In my younger days living in South Florida, I did most of my summer bass fishing alone at night in the Everglades.  You haven't seen mosquitoes until you have tried that. When you are 20 miles down L67 canal by yourself at 2 AM, it can be pretty scary.  I did what I had to do.

 

There is a night tournament on the Harris Chain every Wednesday night.  Most nights it takes at least 20 pounds to win it.  Safety is important.  You don't want to fall out of the boat or hit an alligator.  Top water baits attract alligators.  The best night lures in Florida are big black worms or dark colored spinnerbaits.  Whatever you do, don't fish alone and stay safe.  

[gim]

I never did a whole lot of bass fishing at night time.  Back in the day when I had more will power and was more of a night owl, I did a lot of slip bobber fishing using a lighted cork for walleyes, and went muskie fishing at night.  Muskie fishing never produced a whole lot (seemingly never does), but walleye fishing was often gangbusters.  I have found a way to avoid crowds for the most part this season in a state where fishing license sales are up 40%.  I avoid the weekend and avoid warm, sunny days.  A cloudy/rainy day keeps quite a few boats off the lake too.

[Dirtyeggroll]

It hasn’t been so much the things that go “bump” as much as it has been the things that go “buzz” that have been my biggest obstacle in fishing at night.

[plawren53202]

14 hours ago, Jleebesaw said:

Thats basically how i do it too. I usually leave the house around 4 and get on the water by 5. Ive always prefered fishing mornings over evenings. 

     I have been thinking about going out at 8pm and fishing until 11 or midnight. Ive never actually gone at night. Other than bullhead or catfish fishing that is.

I think it would be safe enough at most of the places i fish. 

On the public ponds and small lakes around here, I've been going by necessity at 5 am. I prefer to fish early mornings/late evenings anyway, but I've found that the Covid hordes of bobber tossers are nowhere to be found at 5 am LOL but are out in droves in the evening (and the middle of the day).

 

Up until this weekend my observation had been that it had started getting better here in Missouri during the 3 weeks or so since Missouri started lifting restrictions. This weekend changed that evaluation ?? In the "old days" I might see one or two folks at peak times on my subdivision HOA pond. Yesterday there were at least 15 people there from 6:30-8:30 pm (and it's a small pond so 15 people makes any kind of effective fishing basically hopeless). It was bad. Saturday I was at a local park that has a stream running through it and it was packed as well. Looks like my alarm clock is going to be getting a workout again in the near future.

[GreenPig]

2 hours ago, Dirtyeggroll said:

It hasn’t been so much the things that go “bump” as much as it has been the things that go “buzz” that have been my biggest obstacle in fishing at night.

Had a hornet crawl/fly up my right shirt sleeve one night and hit me 3 times before could get my shirt off. I had a friend with me, that I'm sure he'd thought I lost my mind with me at 290 lbs jumping around on my decked jon boat, rip off my shirt and start stomping on it. I killed that thing and it had a half inch stinger. Good times.

[schplurg]

I can't cast straight at night. Only place I've tried is off my Dad's dock. Tried it this weekend.

 

I have to side-arm cast from the dock because of the cover on it, so I think that's the main issue. I hear my bait land sometimes 90 degrees from where I thought I was aiming.

[whitwolf]

From late April through September I primarily night fish. The only time I don't is if I'm fishing a charity tournament or if I'm going deep in the swamp. 

 

I fish mostly by myself but on occasion I can talk my wife into going. We drive separately because around 1:00 am she wants to go home. lol

 

Two things I always mention when talking about night fishing: know your lake well. At night it's very different. The other is ALWAYS wear you off.... Always.

[Bird]

Last time I went night fishing, got bit by a Dobson fly when I grabbed it off the back of my neck.....OUCH !!!!!