Why I night fish!

[T-Billy]

16 hours ago, gimruis said:

I look forward to seeing floater pictures tomorrow!

You'll have to keep looking. LOL. 10hrs two small LM. I SUCK!!! I hit a different lake. Hadn't been there since April. My plan didn't backfire, it blew up in my face. Back to lake #1 tonight.

[river-rat]

 

With heat indexes reaching 112+ degrees for the past week, I'll be fishing at night until we get a break from the heat which is usually mid to late September in south Louisiana.

 

[Catt]

1 hour ago, Bankc said:

I work 8-5 and my body is used to getting up and going to bed at specific times

 

Thought it was about acclimation?

 

There was a time when I worked construction, i would get off at 3, drove 2 hrs to the lake, fished until 4:30, drove back to the job, work all day, & then go home.

[river-rat]

2 minutes ago, Catt said:

 

Thought it was about acclimation?

 

There was a time when I worked construction, i would get off at 3, drove 2 hrs to the lake, fished until 4:30, drove back to the job, work all day, & then go home.

 

Same here. I remember those days. 

 

[gim]

3 hours ago, T-Billy said:

You'll have to keep looking. LOL. 10hrs two small LM. I SUCK!!! I hit a different lake. Hadn't been there since April. My plan didn't backfire, it blew up in my face. Back to lake #1 tonight.

That’s not like you to post an epic fail.

[Zcoker]

If there’s one place in the world to avoid at night, it’s the Florida Everglades lol That would most likely be the typical response from most folks because it’s the least likely place they’d fish at night. Yet I fish it from dusk to dawn….I still can’t believe that I do that. Sometimes I say to myself, geez, I must be on something to drive miles out on a dark and narrow levy road only to launch into the abyss and then go many more miles deep into complete and utter blackness on a kayak, of all things lol Yet the reward is incredible and over time I’ve learned how to deal with the dark side of life.

 

There’s just as much risk in the daytime as there is in the dark, imho. Maybe more risky during the day because of all the loose cannons running around lol Not so at night. In all my years, I have yet to see anyone else fishing there. Out there at night the senses kick into a sorta hyper overdrive and that sheer keenness of body and mind (and spirit) keeps things on the safe side. Just takes time, practice, and bit of patience….not to mention a bit of fearlessness lol

 

As far as the bugs go, I just don’t get it with them. I hear so many complain about the bugs at night yet I’ve never had an issue with them. You’d think the Everglades would be the king pen haven for bugs but it’s not. I do carry bug spray but never use it at night. Heck, I use the bug spray more often in the daytime to keep those god-awful hydrilla gnats away!  Alligators the same: never an issue. They seem more at ease at night, floating around and chilling out. They’re very useful, as far as I’m concerned. And is why I seek them out. Find the gators to find the fish! 

 

So that’s my story to get away from the blinding heat, which I can’t stand. I have same routine fishing the ocean. Night time can be exciting times all over! 

 

 

Launching into the abyss at last light 

 

 

[T-Billy]

1 hour ago, gimruis said:

That’s not like you to post an epic fail.

It happens. The lake I went to is the best SM lake around me, but it's a mess right now. The shallows are choked out with Chara and most of the shallow wood is covered in a blue/green alge. I fished some deeper hydrilla and some rock structure that usually gives up some SM and eyes, but it was the dead sea last night. I probably won't make the drive back down there until late summer, after the Chara dies off.

[Swamp Girl]

I'd love to fish the Everglades one or two nights with Zcoker. That sounds like a blast!

[T-Billy]

I slept in a bit to get back on my work schedule. Only got about 2hrs of fishing in the dark. I got a little bit of redemption with a couple 2# LM, a dink, and this 5.25# sammich before daylight.

I put a beatdown on the dinks after daylight. Low pressure, and low clouds had the milfoil full of 10-15 inchers. Hammered 'em pitching to holes in the topped out stuff. Not sure how many I caught, but I picked up 18 torn up Sweet Craws off the deck at the end of the trip, so easy couple dozen. Nothing over about 2#, but I saw a couple good ones cruising.

 Seeing better numbers of gills in the shallow weeds, so the nighttime mayhem isn't far off. Just in time for my vacation from July 3rd-13th. 

[gim]

1 minute ago, T-Billy said:

I put a beatdown on the dinks after daylight.

A 5 pound floater AND a beat down of dinks.  Quite an improvement from the epic failure last time out.

[Koz]

On 6/18/2023 at 10:33 PM, ol'crickety said:

I don't take a flashlight with me because it's one more thing to carry, but in a pinch, I could use my cell phone.

 

Head lamp.