Night Fishing

[Darold_31]

I'm making my first night trip for the year this weekend.  It's not my favorite way to fish, but I did catch my personal best last year in July at night.  It was 9#'s 13ounces.  I just haven't patterned them in a single night and tore em' up yet.  Oh well, it helps pass the dog days I guess.  I was just curious to see if you anyone else has had any success at night?

Darold

[BassinWV]

I just been catfishing at night.

[K_Mac]

I love night fishing, and have caught some of my biggest fish (including my PB) at night. I enjoy the quiet and solitude, and the excitement of a strike in the dark. There are many good articles and threads on this topic on this site. Good luck.

[garry77]

All I can say is big,black jitterbug,preferably the one they use for muskies.

[DR_Bass]

I've had little success with night fishing.  I haven't been too often though.  I've caught fish on a buzzbait and a texas-rigged 7" junebug YUM worm.

[Guest the_muddy_man]

My favorite is a Jointed Rapala from #7 to # 11 in gold or silver Cast it close to cover or over weeds and rocks let it lie still for a 10 count then twitch and stop it and let its body snake a little causing a wake HOLD ON b/c they really smack this hard :

[Guest avid]

Night fishing is nice because of the solitude.  I always screw up some tackle or lose a lure.

Had a biiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiig gator scare the hell out of me one night.  I fish from a canoe and must have crept up him.  He was only about 3-4 feet away when he spun around dove into the water.  HUGE splash.  My hands start shakin just thinking about it.

for me night fishing has always been about topwaters, but I'm gonna try some swimbaits soon.

[Mattlures]

Night fishing is on of my strengths.I have have fished thousands of night hours I catch a lot of big fish at night. I will give you a good basic stratagey. Start big and work your way smaller. Start on top and work your way down. This ALWAYS works for me. For instance. I like to start with a large 9-7in waking swimbait. If I get no bites I will throw a 5in waking swimbait, still no bites, Buzzbait. Maybe a spook or jitterbug but usualy the swimbaits and buzzers. If I dont get hit on those than I will fish the mid depths. I start with a swimbait again and usualy 7-5in. I usualy just swim them slowly. Next choice would be a single blade spinnerbait, and then maybe crank bait. If I get no bites on those then I go worming. I start with a large power worm 10-12in next, a 9-7 in worm and finaly a small creature,senko,reaper,dropshot. If i cant get bit on those than I go home. I dont waist all night on a bait either. over time you will learn what should work and when you are waisting your time. Live bait can be deadly at night also. shiners and crawler are my favorites. never had much luck on dads. This meathod may seem complicated or time consuming but In most cases i have figured out a bite within an hour. I have spent many nights rotating rods with identical baits with the exceptions of rattles or scents  or diferent colors and these are my findings.

the bait does not have to be black. Black is good but pretty much any color works at night except glow. glow is a gimick in freshwater bassin. I like scent and I believe It gets me more bites. Color is not important. Rattles never seemed to help but they didnt hurt either so I still use them sometimes. One thing that is very important is being quiet. If you are shore fishing it makes a ton of diference to walk quietly, like you were hunting. This applies mainly when fishing shallow. I dont use lights. I think it tells the fish I am there. The warmer the water the more pronounced your presentation should be. the colder the more subtle it should be. On hot summer nights i usualy never get past the top water and in the winter I almost always end up slow worming.

This should get anybody started.

[Darold_31]

I was wondering about trying a swimbait this year.  Thanks for the input.  I usually have most of my luck on a 4" Gene Larew Craw Worm black w/pink pinchers.  That is what I caught my PB on last year.  I also do well on big worms.  I just haven't gotten mentally ready yet to drag around all night real slow.  I'm hoping to get some buzzbait action or maybe some slow-rolling spinnerbait action.  I'll let you guys know how it goes.  Maybe I'll have one worthy of pictures.

[jbass]

Night fishing is one of the most awesome things you can do. If you fish by yourself as I do, you are alone in the dark (I like to fish on moonless nights) only your senses help you. Once you get aclimated to the dark it isn't bad. I do bring a small light I have on my hat to help with knot ties and releasing fish. There is nothing like a top water explosion in complete darkness. Incredible.

[Guest avid]

Mattlures,

I like your system.  sounds very logical and appeals to my style of fishing.   It also has that "big fish" ring to it.  If I am fishing at night it's because I want a biggun.

Good stuff here.

avid

[Guest avid]

Night fishing is one of the most awesome things you can do. If you fish by yourself as I do, you are alone in the dark (I like to fish on moonless nights) only your senses help you. Once you get aclimated to the dark it isn't bad. I do bring a small light I have on my hat to help with knot ties and releasing fish. There is nothing like a top water explosion in complete darkness. Incredible.

I haven't been in "complete dark" in years.  I almost forgot what it's like not to be able to see your hand in front of your face.  Absolute dark is spooky  

[jbass]

Night fishing is one of the most awesome things you can do. If you fish by yourself as I do, you are alone in the dark (I like to fish on moonless nights) only your senses help you. Once you get aclimated to the dark it isn't bad. I do bring a small light I have on my hat to help with knot ties and releasing fish. There is nothing like a top water explosion in complete darkness. Incredible.

I haven't been in "complete dark" in years.  I almost forgot what it's like not to be able to see your hand in front of your face.  Absolute dark is spooky  

I guess I should have said fishing only by star light.

[Brian_Reeves]

If I get the chance to fish some nights out here, I'm putting all my chips in on the Black Hart spinnerbait by Hart Tackle.  It just looks too derned good for that type of application.

If that doesn't work, then I will probably throw a black jig with a grub trailer or a black worm w/rattler.

[Rattlinrogue]

I use black s-baits,b-baits,topwaters,etc.I've caught more bass on a T-rigged black or purple Culprit 7 1/2 worm than all of the others combined.I've got many moons under my belt night fishing.

[ga_hawghauler]

Ive been having good luck with green pumkin brush hogs (the big ones) and i usally attach rattles to this. I also like to a zoom mag 2 in a purple or black color. I usually fish these real slow keeping them in contact with the bottom. This has been working for me the last couple of weekss.

[Matt Fly]

I equate big bucks and big bass as being nocturnal, they didn't get to be trophy class by being out in daylight hours.

I know we don't deer hunt at night, but sure do see more larger bucks out at night than I see in the day, or at least when I don't have the gun.

Big old phat bass like to feed at night when its quite and the light penetration is in their favor when feeding.

I like baits that give off their own vibrations, ie... no rattles on calm nights.    Day time usually has some boat chop and wind, which rattles can help them to locate the baits on days with surface noise.

I have always used dark colors at night.

Like Matt, I believe the big dog walks at night and thats why its important to not make noises or use unnecessary bright lights.

I like waking single blade colorados, swimbaits, and the big plastics, and if the grass and stumps are in the mix, a big bulky jig.

[CrazedL.IFisherman]

I love propeller based lures for largemouths at night, as well as everyones favorite walk the dog lures

[cart7t]

One of the best lakes for night fishing in this country is Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri.  It has one of the most reliable patterns out there.  10-12" plastic worms fished either on main lake points or my favorite, around deep brush that's been sunk around the hundreds of boat docks on the lake.  I have about 3 rods rigged, all with pegged T-rigged plastic worms in either black/neon or Junebug.  While some guys fish all night, I find the bite around an hour or two before dusk till an hour or so after along with an hour or 2 before and after dawn as the most productive.  Otherwise I'll tie off to a dock and catch a little shuteye.

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

Great post Mattlures.

Also do a "search" for "night fishing" and "the dark side" as there are some in-depth posts from some of the best here.  Long ones so pull up a chair

[move]We'll see you................................ON THE DARK SIDE[/move]

[Ben]

Wait now!!!  We can't all fish at night, there would not be any of us on the lake during the day for those dang PWC's to aggrivate.  That would take away from their fun.