Night fishing in Fall/winter?

[Bazoo]

During the summer, bass fishing is productive at night. Water temperature is up, and bass hide from the heat it seems.

 

But what about during fall when water temperatures are dropping? Will there still be some bass feeding at night?

 

What about winter when the water temperatures stay low except for sunny days? Do bass just stop feeding at night, or does the night bite just slow down?

[TnRiver46]

I think it works both fall and winter but it’s fairly dangerous in winter so I don’t try it often. I know some people that slay them tho 

[PhishLI]

32 minutes ago, Bazoo said:

Will there still be some bass feeding at night?

Absolutely.

[GreenPig]

Gonna find out this Winter, I've just retired from deer hunting.

[AlabamaSpothunter]

Just got home from night fishing, and I fish about 60-75 nights a year.......yet I've never night fished in the true winter.   I have night fished in the Fall, mainly just September though, or that first warmer month of Fall.    

 

The reason I believe summer night fishing is so extraordinary is because of the relatively stable weather temps, the thermocline eliminating lots of dead water, and the fact that the biggest fish are arguably at their most predictable places which in my area of the world is that 6-12ft zone with isolated cover.    All three of those things are completely opposite during the winter here.    During the winter, the weather is at its most dynamic of the year, the entire water column is in play, and the fish become nomadic constantly targeting Threadfin and Gizzard Shad.  

 

Thought about it a bunch, but once I commit to fishing during the days, I really can't fish nights as it throws my body for a loop.   The way I see it is I can either focus on the pre dawn/early morning bite, or I can focus on the pre dusk/night bite.    In the winters/springs I fish the early morning bite,and in the summer/fall I fish the later afternoon/night bite.

 

Only one way to find out for sure brother, and that's to just go fishing at those times 🙂

[RenzokukenFisher]

Funny I just watched a tactical bassin video on this today. When those guys were on clearlake they said they would night fish in the dead of winter wishing they could go home to the warmth 😂 however it paid off with them catching multiple double digit fish in those times. From the sounds of it bottom crawling a swimbait suuuuuuuuper slow helped them get those bigguns

[gulfcaptain]

So adding to the above comment and seeing it for myself,  there are definitely 2 populations of bass. Ones that forage in the day and then those that choose night time.  And you can't catch night fish during the day, whatever was on fire at night normally isn't once the sun comes up and those fish shut down. I have friends that do lots of night fishing here in S. Cal all winter as that's been when they catch their biggest and sometimes the most productive due to so much pressure as well on the fishery.  Comes down to how much you wanna be out there when it's cold and dark.

[Catt]

Probably the biggest misconception is that bass feed better at night.

 

Yes & No!

 

A Bass's "clock" is its digestive system & its reproductive system. When its time to eat, they eat, when its time to reproduce, they reproduce. 

 

Back to the OP, yes bass will bite 24/7/365.

 

It is simple guys, water temperatures effects metabolism, metabolism effects how fast the digestive system works. High body temperature, fast digestion, more food required. Low body temperatures, slow digestion, less food required.

[Pat Brown]

10 minutes ago, Catt said:

Probably the biggest misconception is that bass feed better at night.

 

Yes & No!

 

A Bass's "clock" is its digestive system & its reproductive system. When its time to eat, they eat, when its time to reproduce, they reproduce. 

 

Back to the OP, yes bass will bite 24/7/365.

 

It is simple guys, water temperatures effects metabolism, metabolism effects how fast the digestive system works. High body temperature, fast digestion, more food required. Low body temperatures, slow digestion, less food required.

 

 

Bigger fish are also energy conservationists and in general they learn where Something that they like to eat spends the winter time and they're not far most of the time - day or night, cold or hot.

 

The gizzard eaters follow the gizzards. 

 

But there's other big bass on every Lake.  😏🌝

[Zcoker]

2 hours ago, Catt said:

Probably the biggest misconception is that bass feed better at night.

 

 

 

I'd say bigger bass feed better at night, only because all of my fish that I get at night are much larger than during the daytime. Most every hit is a tank. I can almost count on it. Rarely do I get smaller fish at night. At least that's the way it is in my neck of the woods. The smaller fish come to life when the sun comes up. 

[king fisher]

I sleep at night, work, fish, and eat during the day.  I expect the bass I fish for, to have the decency to do the same.

[Zcoker]

As much as I night fish, ain’t gonna happen when it’s freezing out. The daytime is pleasant enough here in south Florida during our so called winter months. 

[Skunkmaster-k]

I don’t fish at night during the winter. Too dangerous. 

[Catt]

I night fish from April to October, the rest of the year its daytime.

 

I have several friends who night fish year round. 

[gim]

This is what night time fishing here looks like during the winter.  Bring beer.

 

[Bazoo]

Interesting responses. I've fished at night in the fall and winter on a rare occasion. There is a small community pond I fish at sometimes at night, and have fished it during winter with no results.

 

I also fished my local city lake once for a bit past dusk. It's normally closed at night, but they were leaving the gates unlocked and the attendant told us to fish as long as we liked that night. It was february best I recall. Myself and my buddy didn't get anything.

 

 Both of those is/was from the bank.

[Woody B]

I've never night fished much past September, or before March or so.   My reasons for fishing at night are cooler temperatures, and a less crowded lake.   

[Catt]

24 minutes ago, Woody B said:

 My reasons for fishing at night are cooler temperatures, and a less crowded lake.   

 

Exact reason I night fish

 

I have fished some in late February & March; couple 7-8s. Early November, caught numbers.

[Pat Brown]

I think the hardest part of night fishing for some people is that they're more cover oriented sight casting types during the daytime and that does not really translate well once the sun goes down. 

 

 

I find at night I do better slowly working structure and it's good to develop those skills during the daytime first because they're the same skill. 

 

I'm not saying you can't Target cast in the dark at night because you can and I do and that's often how I catch fish but those fish are just as spooky and difficult to catch at night as they are during the day and you're just a worse caster LOL

[WRB]

Our local lakes are only open to night fishing during the 4 Summer Period months one night each month. Zero night fishing experience during winter.

Tom

[GreenPig]

9 hours ago, Zcoker said:

 

I'd say bigger bass feed better at night, only because all of my fish that I get at night are much larger than during the daytime. Most every hit is a tank. I can almost count on it. Rarely do I get smaller fish at night. At least that's the way it is in my neck of the woods. The smaller fish come to life when the sun comes up. 

Yes sir, bone jarring.🤣

[Bazoo]

Thanks for all the responses. Hmm, some bass are only nocturnal, and some only during daylight. I hadn't thought of that possibility.

 

Man... got me to thinking, a junebug fluke at night might be just the stuff.

[PhishLI]

2 hours ago, Bazoo said:

Man... got me to thinking, a junebug fluke at night might be just the stuff.

You'd be right about that.

[Zcoker]

20 hours ago, GreenPig said:

Yes sir, bone jarring.🤣

 

Lil bigger down my way