Night fishing

[Catt]

New Moon: Offshore 

Full Moon: Shoreline 

 

[T-Billy]

11 minutes ago, Catt said:

New Moon: Offshore 

Full Moon: Shoreline 

 

That's a solid simple rule of thumb right there. Definitely wanna be chasing the shadows when there's a bright moon overhead. I may stay offshore, but if so, I'm fishing deep weed edges or even deeper rock piles.

[RipzLipz]

On 11/15/2023 at 9:22 PM, snowplow said:

Hey guys. I a WA guy and lve heard night fishing can be good. It looks like it's legal in WA but it seems like all the boat launches say closed at dusk?? So what the heck is up with that? Is that there way of just making it so you can't fish at night? Does anybody else run into this?

Only one way to know - launch & find out for sure. As others have said, most CO’s aren’t going to enforce the actual rules like that to the letter. But there’s always one that has to try & make a name for themselves. Play dumb if that happens ("Never saw the sign/posting, sir"). Never had any police show up where I fish but I tend to stick to smaller public bodies of water when not on private lakes.

10 hours ago, scaleface said:

Some of the lakes around here have off limit  hours but fishing is allowed. They are just keeping the partying away.

This, more often than not.

[RipzLipz]

9 hours ago, Darth-Baiter said:

asking cuz i dont know.

 

how to you cast accurately to cover in the dark?  

Along with the above info, I fish the potential night fishing lake during the day a few times & pick out good areas for night & note areas to either avoid or wait until I’ve memorized them a bit better.
 

Laydowns with sprawling limbs underwater are no-no’s for me unless I’m using T-rig or a jig that won’t hang up as easy when pulled through limbs. Angle of the jig hook eye & shape of head will often dictate what usually works best along with learning how to finesse lures through logs, limbs, etc. Hollow body frogs with paddle tail legs & braid are great for avoiding the snaggy stuff. Just go slow until your confidence level goes up. Experience & lost lures are great teachers as well.

 

Personally, I tend to fish open water areas that draw fish to them after dark. Points, humps, weedlines, channels, paralleling the bank. Be quiet, more quiet than normal, position your boat accordingly. If casting to shore & trees are overhanging, try using a lure that won’t get easily snagged in the trees should you be casting too far in. Move out from bank 10-20 more feet & try again. Once you get the feel for the casting distance, it will feel more comfortable & can then change to a lure of your preference.

 

Another positioning method I like is finding a good area like a point or flat near a drop off & setting up so I can fan cast all around without worrying about the bank. I also tend to fish just the areas where I’ve caught bigger fish in the past. Big ones tend to use similar areas for both traveling to & from feeding areas & feeding over & over (creatures of habit) all around the lake. Target those first & hit them each time you go at night. Those places that don’t produce during the day but look like they should might be full of fish moving in & out during the night. Use your day fishing experiences to guide you to specific locations at night.

 

Lastly, you won’t catch any at night if you don’t try it & stick to it. Give it a chance to show you what can be done & don’t give up too easily. Make each outing a learning experience.

 

Sorry for multi-posting!

[ElGuapo928]

9 hours ago, Darth-Baiter said:

 

how to you cast accurately to cover in the dark?  

Typically at night I work mostly points and steep banks, not too much targeted casting.

 

The last night tournament we fished, we spent the whole night dropshotting on a little hump maybe 150 yards from the ramp.

 

 

A little tip I picked up for night fishing is to cut the top off a Mountain Dew bottle then slip it over your stern light - makes it a more yellowish glow like a bug light, cuts way down on the insect swarm/involuntary blood donations.

9 hours ago, Darth-Baiter said:

 

 

 

9 hours ago, Darth-Baiter said:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 17, 2023 by ElGuapo928
Technical incompetence

[Catt]

What are y'all afraid of?

 

Avoiding cover! Really!

 

If you’re afraid of getting hung up ya might wanna consider golf. 

 

Heck I get hung up in broad daylight!

[Pat Brown]

I like my night fishing before the sun comes up.  😎😎😎

 

But after the sun sets is also fun too.  Like last night 😉

 

[Zcoker]

It's often said that night fishing requires special lures with special colors along with special techniques. I say fish at night the same way you do during the daytime. I fish the same cover with the same baits along with the same techniques. I use swimbaits, punch baits, plastic worms, jerk baits...everything that I use in the daytime works just as good at night. The bass are the same fish at night as they are during daytime, using the same cover, same depths, same haunts, roaming around, in schools, same patterns. The hits come in cycles or flurries, just like they do in daytime. ANY color can get hit at night. Black is good, yes, but I've caught them just as good on white or yellow or red or pink or purple.....ANY color gets hit. 

 

Casting becomes a bit subluminal, that is to say, relying less on visual and more on hunch. Shadows, starlight, moonlight, reflections, surface ripples, all these factors paint a picture for the cast! It's a skill that's eventually acquired...just like it was for the daytime. 

[Captain Phil]

35 minutes ago, Zcoker said:

It's often said that night fishing requires special lures with special colors along with special techniques. I say fish at night the same way you do during the daytime. I fish the same cover with the same baits along with the same techniques. I use swimbaits, punch baits, plastic worms, jerk baits...everything that I use in the daytime works just as good at night. The bass are the same fish at night as they are during daytime, using the same cover, same depths, same haunts, roaming around, in schools, same patterns. The hits come in cycles or flurries, just like they do in daytime. ANY color can get hit at night. Black is good, yes, but I've caught them just as good on white or yellow or red or pink or purple.....ANY color gets hit. 

 

Casting becomes a bit subluminal, that is to say, relying less on visual and more on hunch. Shadows, starlight, moonlight, reflections, wind ripples, all these factors paint a picture for the cast! It's a skill that's eventually acquired...just like it was for the daytime. 

 

I've done my share of night bass fishing.  We have a weekly nighttime bass tournament on the Harris Chain. In my early days, I fished the Everglades at night during the summer.  It was the only way to get away from the summer heat.  The fish are in the same places you would fish for them during the day.  Vibration and sound becomes their major way of finding food.   Top water lures are the obvious choice.  You can't see that well, so hangups can be a problem. Here in Florida, alligators are a bigger issue as they love top water lures.  I tend to use larger baits at night because they are easier for bass to find.  A 9" black paddle tail worm is about as good as it gets.  Spinnerbaits also work well.  Anything that puts out some vibration will catch bass. 

 

You need to be extra cautious when night fishing.   Small things can become big problems in the dark.  When I was young I fished alone in the Everglades at night.  That was stupid, don't do it.  If something happens you have someone to help you.   Be careful when running.  Take it easy and make sure your boat and motor are in good condition and your lights are working.  Never run the shoreline at night.   Numerous people have been killed running into docks.  Night bass fishing can be very rewarding. The bass you catch night fishing will average larger than in the light of day. 

[PhishLI]

4 hours ago, Pat Brown said:

But after the sun sets is also fun too.  Like last night 😉

Got one too last night. It was tough in the cold, but I got the right bite.

 

[thediscochef]

All of my 7+ pounds bass this year came at night, many others 4+ too. My PB smallmouth was landed at 10:35pm. 

[Zcoker]

56 minutes ago, Captain Phil said:

 

You need to be extra cautious when night fishing.   Small things can become big problems in the dark.  When I was young I fished alone in the Everglades at night.  That was stupid, don't do it.  If something happens you have someone to help you.   Be careful when running.  Take it easy and make sure your boat and motor are in good condition and your lights are working.  Never run the shoreline at night.   Numerous people have been killed running into docks.  Night bass fishing can be very rewarding. The bass you catch night fishing will average larger than in the light of day. 

 

I feel the same way. Do not fish alone at night unless you either have experience or bring along someone who does. I've been fishing solo at night for years, so I have a very good handle on the many pitfalls that are bound to happen. Not only freshwater for bass but also saltwater for sharks. I solo fish for sharks at night, yaking baits hundreds of yards out into a pitch black ocean to drop the bait, and then later fight 12-13 foot hammerhead sharks back to shore, not only beaching them but removing the hook, tagging them, and then swimming them off (yep, physically swimming them to deeper water). Many, many years dealing with nature in all shapes and forms in order to do things like fish the everglades at night solo miles away from everything in nothing but a kayak. So please, do not do it just because someone else does! 

[Catt]

Darkness covers up an angler's presence & most of all his mistakes. 

 

Fish the same baits, same locations, and same techniques you would during the day.

 

As mentioned above night fishing isn't for everyone, I've seen some really good boat captains get completely turned around at night.

[TnRiver46]

5 hours ago, Pat Brown said:

I like my night fishing before the sun comes up.  😎😎😎

 

But after the sun sets is also fun too.  Like last night 😉

 

I think that’s called morning fishing …… that I can do haha. Stay up after 9 pm , not so easy 

[RipzLipz]

5 hours ago, Catt said:

What are y'all afraid of?

 

Avoiding cover! Really!

 

If you’re afraid of getting hung up ya might wanna consider golf. 

 

Heck I get hung up in broad daylight!

If I’m included in your reply, I don’t recall advising to avoid anything. I still fish cover but not with lures that will easily get hung up given my level of experience. Maybe I could have chosen my words a bit better. Just not going to assume others see things the way I do or anyone else might.

 

Also, I’m not going to tell a potential newb to night fishing to just go at it with reckless abandon - not everyone enjoys losing lures which can result in giving up or has an endless budget. The bites from the bait monkey ain’t getting any cheaper. Don’t know about you, but I don’t enjoy losing $50 in lures on a trip & a newb to night trips is more likely to have that happen than someone more experienced. Plus dealing with a snagged lure can be hazardous if fishing from smaller craft which can turn over more easily like my 2 man boat or a canoe. We’re not all fishing 10,000+ acre lakes in bass boats. Each scenario can present its own challenges & hazards.
 

It was intended to be advice to take it slow until the angler gets used to it, not avoid anything on a permanent basis. It’s all good though, not upset just wanted to clarify.

 

Golf? Too many snobs for me.

[Catt]

27 minutes ago, RipzLipz said:

If I’m included in your reply,

 

Really wasn't including anyone

 

If I can work a Texas Rig or Jig-n-Craw or any "weedless" lure through heavy cover during daylight why would that change at night. 

 

Yes accuracy can diminish at night but it's something you adapt to. Some people's night vision isn't sharp enough & they will struggle. 

[Zcoker]

I've heard some comments on here about losing a lot of lures at night. Granted, if blindly casting into thick cover with, say, a lure loaded with treble hooks, then, sure, it's gonna get snagged-up and possibly lost. That's a given. But if carefully orchestrated, night fishing offers little to no worries with lost lures, at least from my experience. I've only lost lures because of my own errors, mainly in the daytime. Heck, just the other morning I lost a nice white Jackhammer chatterbait when picking it up, just flopped over into the water. And that was after fishing most of the night! lol I can't remember losing a lure out in the glades at night or for anywhere else, for that matter. Maybe it's just pure luck or maybe it's just the way I "tune" into the night that keeps my lures attached, I dunno. Frankly, I lose more lures during the daylight hours!  

[TOXIC]

Well, that explains it.  On the main lake I night fished on, the bass moved up into the shallows to feed at night.  This meant casting at docks, boat lifts and swimming docks.  Pitching a weightless Senko under a dock in the black of night is an acquired skill to say the least.  I could manage it but most co’s I took out with me couldn’t and I’m not a fan of hanging lures up on people’s docks and even less on their boats.  While a Texas rigged Senko is pretty forgiving, it will still hang up.  I usually put them on what I called the canvas boat lift pattern and had them throw their Senko on top of a canvas covered boat lift and slowly pull it until it fell vertically into the water.  Caught a lot of fish on that pattern and never stuck a hook in the canvas.  😂😆

[Woody B]

On 11/15/2023 at 9:22 PM, snowplow said:

It looks like it's legal in WA but it seems like all the boat launches say closed at dusk??

 

Most of the launches around here are open 24 hours.  The ones that aren't have gates, you can't get in during closed times, but the gates are designed to let people out who are in after dark.   

 

Find out your local and state laws.  Be careful.   I see boats on plane on really dark nights.  This just doesn't make sense to me.  There's no way you could see hazards in the water.   I just putt around at night.   ~40 years ago myself and a friend got lost one night.   It was cloudy with no moon.   We had been on the trolling motor for quite a while after dark.   When we decided to head back to the landing we couldn't figure out where we were.   We just stayed on the trolling motor and fished all night.   As soon as it started getting daylight we knew where we were.   This was way before GPS and charts.   

[MN Fisher]

37 minutes ago, Woody B said:

Most of the launches around here are open 24 hours. 

Same in MN - only lake I know of that has no-fishing at night right now is Mille Lacs...and that's a special this year that they'd have to re-up next year.

 

Far as ramps - from the DNR...

"Public water accesses are open 24 hours a day unless posted otherwise. They are available for both trailer and carry-in. 12-18 foot boats can be launched at most launch ramps; some can handle larger boats. There are no launch fees, unless the access is located within a park requiring a vehicle permit."

[1984isNOW]

Night fishing is the best, but also the worst.

 

My dude @Kozmentioned how creepy it can be, and he's right. Especially in the beginning. Ironically for me its always been more about either bank fishing or getting on and off the water in regards to other humans, but my friend is more afraid of bumping into wildlife.

 

I've never heard a pack of coyotes cackling until this year... I probably did a dumb thing and stuck around hoping to catch a couple more, but it did spook me. Heard it a couple times this year, but not always sounding close. I didn't know they laughed like that, that was freakincreepy.

 

But I'd take my chances bumping into a bear or a coyote over some homeless dude thinking I'm trying to move into his tent, I've had some daylight encounters that caused me to take those areas off my night time fishing list - sucks because one of them was a rare heavy bass spot.

 

But on the water, in a kayak, it can get a little unnerving too. Going through fields of milfoil or hydrilla knowing if you tip you're gonna get so wrapped up so quick you're going to have 60 pounds of weeds pulling you deeper down and the more you swirl and try to right yourself the more you tangle up.

 

Once you accept the fact you might not make it home, but you might catch the biggest bass of your life you're good to go. All my biggest bass have been at night, and all the biggest bass I've ever seen caught have been between like 10:30pm and 1:30am.

 

If you get hung up, break free in a way the lure doesn't launch back at your eye or neck and stick ya, especially with trebles.

 

Bugs? I wear long sleeves and pants and a face mask even at night. Bring extra batteries or an extra headlamp. Bring a scale, you're gonna hook your next PB.

[WRB]

If you want to become a better jig or worm bottom contact angler night bass fishing will teach you to rely on feeling line movements. In the dark you must focus on what the lure is doing, same as day but you can’t rely on seeing line movements. Some night anglers use black lights and fluorescent line because they haven’t learned the valuable lesson of feel to detect strikes a skill that improves your day light strike detection.

The lesson is organization and keeping everything simple.

More then 2 rods on the deck is rolling the dice that a broken rod or tripping over a rod will happen.

Listen to your environment and be aware of your surrounds, night bass fishing is peaceful, enjoy it!

Tom

[RipzLipz]

On 11/17/2023 at 3:04 PM, Kites R4 Skyfishing said:

Night fishing is the best, but also the worst.

 

My dude @Kozmentioned how creepy it can be, and he's right. Especially in the beginning. Ironically for me its always been more about either bank fishing or getting on and off the water in regards to other humans, but my friend is more afraid of bumping into wildlife.

 

I've never heard a pack of coyotes cackling until this year...

Had a similar experience fishing a coal strip pit in the middle of a hilly prairie-like field but it was a whitetail buck snorting at me. I’m not a deer hunter so it kind of freaked me out a bit.

 

One other time while fishing late at night on a small public lake, we heard an awful screeching sound, not at all like an animal or anything followed by a loud crackling sound & very bright glow filling the sky over the top of the lake’s dam. We had no clue what it was until we were leaving around 4 in the morning & had to drive near the area from which the odd sounds & glow had come. It was a driver who had gone off the road into a rip rap ditch, over corrected & spun into a transformer. Driver was unfortunately DOA according to the emergency personnel we spoke to at the scene.

[Pat Brown]

I fish a public pond early in the morning almost every day before the sun comes up regardless of the weather and I have been scared more than a few times by snorting bucks and it's blood curdling in pitch black darkness. 🤣🤣🤣

[ElGuapo928]

Never had too many wildlife encounters on the lake at night……spookiest has been rattlesnakes cruising the shallows. Don’t like buzzworms on land, even less in the water.

 

Funniest was a bat attacking my wife’s hair - thing took 5 or 6 good passes at her, I was laughing so hard I’m surprised I didn’t fall out of the boat.