First Attempt: Nighttime Kayak Fishing

[Koz]

I've been busy with work and haven't had much time to fish after work lately and the lake is filled with pleasure boaters and jet skiers on the weekend and I haven't felt like contending with that. The water temperature on the shallow end of Oconee has been 89 degrees and the daytime fishing has been lousy.

 

So I woke up at 3:30 this morning and thought I'd try some nighttime fishing from my kayak. So I rigged up my port, starboard, and stern lights, grabbed a couple of headlamps, and headed out on the water by 4 am. My hotel is in a narrow cove and most of the dock lights are lit, but there's a stretch exiting the cove heading to the main channel where it's a black out. It was quite disorienting at first, and when I got my bearings I noticed I had covered a lot more water than I thought. Next time I'll turn on my nav map instead of the sonar.

 

There was no one else out on the water, and with the dead calm is was kind of creepy out there. I made my way to the causeway and fished for a bit, but the sonar was showing the usual baitfish and nothing else. I made my to the bridge and the other side of the causeway but once again it was just baitfish out there. There was one cove that I wanted to hit, but as I neared there were no dock lights in that area so I erred on the side of caution and passed up that area. I'd prefer to get more experience at night and feel more comfortable under those conditions before navigated an area of heavy docks in a narrow cove in the pitch black night.

 

By the time I pedaled to my next spot it was first light. I fished a little while longer but still drew blanks. The one spot I wanted to fish was littered with floats and cutbait and that kind of ticked me off. I can see dropping a few floats, but this guy just carpet bombed one of my favorite areas to fish, making it nearly impossible for me to fish that area.

 

I saw one of the floats go under and took off after it. When it surfaced I managed to grab it and hand line it. The next thing I know I'm going for a little ride. The fish tired a bit and I pulled it close to the surface - it was a decent 20lb or so catfish. I don't even consider what that guy did to be fishing. It's not very sporting at all.

 

Even after sun up there was no one fishing in my end of the lake. I'm convinced that now that the stripers moved off for their spawn, it's pretty much catfish, carp, baitfish, and bluegill on this end of the lake until the water temps come down again.

 

As for night fishing, that was weird to say the least. I'll probably try it again, but next time I think I'll head out at 10pm or 11pm.

 

The first picture below is heading off into the dark where I didn't realize how much water I had covered. The second photo is just a small section where this guy carpet bombed the are with cutbait and floats.

 

 

[GreenPig]

Night fishing Oconee & Sinclair during the Summer I only need two rods and both have Shakey Heads on them for LM. I of course fish the docks but also fish anything out deeper in front of the docks outside of the lights. I've followed behind many boats that only threw to the actual dock and not around it and caught fish. Jugging/Noodles are a legal method to fish. For a little lighting to accurately cast to the dark docks you could run a strip of LED's down the side of your kayak. Goodluck.

[Koz]

3 hours ago, GreenPig said:

Night fishing Oconee & Sinclair during the Summer I only need two rods and both have Shakey Heads on them for LM. I of course fish the docks but also fish anything out deeper in front of the docks outside of the lights. I've followed behind many boats that only threw to the actual dock and not around it and caught fish. Jugging/Noodles are a legal method to fish. For a little lighting to accurately cast to the dark docks you could run a strip of LED's down the side of your kayak. Goodluck.

I found a lot of schooling fish 20-30 feet off the docks that by eye and sonar looked to be mostly baitfish. It's a haven for bluegill and shad down at this shallow end of Oconee. I'll have to try a shaky head next time.

[Bubba 460]

 

 Did you see any Crocs? Those things are everywhere now days.

 

[Koz]

1 hour ago, Bubba 460 said:

 

 Did you see any Crocs? Those things are everywhere now days.

 

LOL!

[bigbassin']

17 hours ago, Koz said:

I've been busy with work and haven't had much time to fish after work lately and the lake is filled with pleasure boaters and jet skiers on the weekend and I haven't felt like contending with that. The water temperature on the shallow end of Oconee has been 89 degrees and the daytime fishing has been lousy.

 

So I woke up at 3:30 this morning and thought I'd try some nighttime fishing from my kayak. So I rigged up my port, starboard, and stern lights, grabbed a couple of headlamps, and headed out on the water by 4 am. My hotel is in a narrow cove and most of the dock lights are lit, but there's a stretch exiting the cove heading to the main channel where it's a black out. It was quite disorienting at first, and when I got my bearings I noticed I had covered a lot more water than I thought. Next time I'll turn on my nav map instead of the sonar.

 

There was no one else out on the water, and with the dead calm is was kind of creepy out there. I made my way to the causeway and fished for a bit, but the sonar was showing the usual baitfish and nothing else. I made my to the bridge and the other side of the causeway but once again it was just baitfish out there. There was one cove that I wanted to hit, but as I neared there were no dock lights in that area so I erred on the side of caution and passed up that area. I'd prefer to get more experience at night and feel more comfortable under those conditions before navigated an area of heavy docks in a narrow cove in the pitch black night.

 

By the time I pedaled to my next spot it was first light. I fished a little while longer but still drew blanks. The one spot I wanted to fish was littered with floats and cutbait and that kind of ticked me off. I can see dropping a few floats, but this guy just carpet bombed one of my favorite areas to fish, making it nearly impossible for me to fish that area.

 

I saw one of the floats go under and took off after it. When it surfaced I managed to grab it and hand line it. The next thing I know I'm going for a little ride. The fish tired a bit and I pulled it close to the surface - it was a decent 20lb or so catfish. I don't even consider what that guy did to be fishing. It's not very sporting at all.

 

Even after sun up there was no one fishing in my end of the lake. I'm convinced that now that the stripers moved off for their spawn, it's pretty much catfish, carp, baitfish, and bluegill on this end of the lake until the water temps come down again.

 

As for night fishing, that was weird to say the least. I'll probably try it again, but next time I think I'll head out at 10pm or 11pm.

 

The first picture below is heading off into the dark where I didn't realize how much water I had covered. The second photo is just a small section where this guy carpet bombed the are with cutbait and floats.

 

 

Jugging is fairly popular in Georgia, it gets discussed a decent amount on the local forum. Not really something I’ve ever seen in Florida.

[Choporoz]

I love fishing from a kayak at night.  A lot of mundane experiences become lifelong memories.....like a carp or catfish bumping into the bottom of your hull....or getting stuck on a stump and spinning a bit.. with zero sense of what direction you were headed or how to back off it....bats hitting your line can make for monster hooksets or scare the crap out of you... Love flashing on the headlamp to gauge how far off the bank I am, and seeing a huge red pair of eyes that look to be a couple feet from my nose...

[Koz]

20 hours ago, GreenPig said:

Night fishing Oconee & Sinclair during the Summer I only need two rods and both have Shakey Heads on them for LM. I of course fish the docks but also fish anything out deeper in front of the docks outside of the lights. I've followed behind many boats that only threw to the actual dock and not around it and caught fish. Jugging/Noodles are a legal method to fish. For a little lighting to accurately cast to the dark docks you could run a strip of LED's down the side of your kayak. Goodluck.

So, I realized I didn’t have any shaky heads so I went to Tackle Warehouse to order some as well as some Strike King Bottom Hoppers. That should be around $20 bucks, right?

 

So how did I end up spending $360 on a new rod and reel as well? ?

 

Thanks, buddy! ??

[J Francho]

What is the motivation for powerboat navigation lights?  Proper lighting for a kayak is a white all around light, according to USCG rules.  Not sure you want another vessel to assume you are a vessel under power, which is what's going to happen.

[moguy1973]

1 hour ago, J Francho said:

What is the motivation for powerboat navigation lights?  Proper lighting for a kayak is a white all around light, according to USCG rules.  Not sure you want another vessel to assume you are a vessel under power, which is what's going to happen.

I know Missouri only requires a white all around light for unpowered vessels less than 23' unless its feasible to add standard navigation lights to the vessel, so it may depend on the state regulations on what is needed. 

 

To the OP though, I would make sure your green and red lights can't be seen from the opposite side of the kayak from where they are installed.

[J Francho]

1 hour ago, moguy1973 said:

state regulations

USCG trumps any state regs.

[moguy1973]

19 minutes ago, J Francho said:

USCG trumps any state regs.

USCG regs actually says the same wording the Missouri regs do.

 

420.PDF (uscgboating.org)  (page 29)

[J Francho]

Correct. The point is that state regs are irrelevant since USCG regs are law of the water. 

[Koz]

5 hours ago, J Francho said:

What is the motivation for powerboat navigation lights?  Proper lighting for a kayak is a white all around light, according to USCG rules.  Not sure you want another vessel to assume you are a vessel under power, which is what's going to happen.

My tall, all around white light has not come in yet so rather than just have the shorter white light in the stern I wanted to make sure there were lights up front in case I had me headlamp off.

 

As it turns out, I was the only one out on that part of the lake until well after sunrise.

[GreenPig]

17 hours ago, Koz said:

So, I realized I didn’t have any shaky heads so I went to Tackle Warehouse to order some as well as some Strike King Bottom Hoppers. That should be around $20 bucks, right?

 

So how did I end up spending $360 on a new rod and reel as well? ?

 

Thanks, buddy! ??

Need anymore lure suggestions just holler. ???

[cyclops2]

This is a FANTASTIC topic about night time & being run over by raise hell crowd in any other boats.  Just stay out of the day time paths.  I have USCG lights and a very slow pulsing white light on the bow also.  Lights & distance at night are very deceiving for some drivers. 

 

Do not fish in front of a wealthy mile of houses with docks in front of them. YYEEE  HAAWWW as they blow by at 50 + mph. They do not see you at all with so many lights on the docks & yards  and house.   I live in such a  area.  Had enough close calls.  Yes the fishing is MUCH BETTER !!   ?     The real excitement is when they do a U turn next to  you on full plane  and you know they never saw you.  What no wakes 100'  ?