yet another night fishing question

[kms399]

I have never fished later than maybe 10 pm but I want to go out this friday night. my question is do you think bass relate  to cover as they do during the day? should I still fish docks and weeds or will you see more fish cruising and suspended because of the darkness to hide them. I suppose baits that produce more sound and larger profile baits would be first choice, mabye use a little extra scent on my baits? sorry if this has been covered I am sure it has but when I used the search function all I came up with was a bunch of little snippets of info.

[GatorTom]

Also, darker baits.  Most of the baits that I use at night are black.

[dieselaw]

fish the bass pretty much the same. oh and check the articles on night fishing they r a good head start to being prepared out there.

[Bassn Blvd]

I concentrate on shallower water at night, 1-8'.  I use 10-12' black or june bug worms and fish them very, very slow.  I may wait 15 -30 seconds between movements or longer. I might put a rattle in the worm but not always.  You can also try C-rigging them.  I don't use scent.  For topwater, try large noise makers like a devils horse or chug bug.  Black/blue jigs also produce well at night.  Just remember to fish SLOW.  

[Catt]

Night fishing areas: I normally fish the same areas fished during the day with one exception; night lighted areas. Lighted docks, lighted boat ramps, a row of camps with lights along the bank or a single camp with a light near the water. I know a killer spot on Toledo Bend where a road parallels the water's edge with several streetlights within 10 yards of the water. These lighted areas are also productive during a new moon and should be fished thoroughly.

Shallow verses deep water: I have not noticed a distinct advantage one way or the other. I will normally fish both areas thoroughly staying with the one that produces the best results. However shallow water does offer a greater opportunity to use different baits.

Probably my most productive night baits by far are Texas Rigs, Carolina Rigs, & Jig-N-Craws which can be fished shallow or deep.

The colors I have found to be most productive:

Cinnamon Pepper Neon/June Bug Laminated (Camouflage).

Black Neon with a clear tail that has silver glitter in the tail.

Junebug/Blue tail.

Black/Blue tail

Grape Big Red.

Black/Silver glitter.

I use these colors in 10 worms, 4 craw worms, 6 craw worms & Jigs but I will use other colors if these don't produce. Never limit yourself when it comes to colors, sizes, or shapes, some nights I have had to change baits regularly to get bite.

[Bass_Akwards]

Absolutely no doubt bass come in close to shore to hunt bait fish after dark, at least in the multiple ponds i fish.

I've been noticing it in nearly every pond i throw a lie into. You can try sight fishing on many of the ponds I fish during the day and not see a thing near shore. You can cast and cast and not get a bite near shore. Then, when the sun goes down, everything noticably changes. Of course fish can be caught near shore during the day, but at night, the shoreline comes alive in my opinion.

my friends and I wait till the sun goes down and tie on rapalas. For some reason, this year, the #11(i think) fire tiger has been KILLING it every night on lots of ponds when casted down the shore line.

I fish a TON an hour before dusk, and will fish until 10:30, well into darkness. The changes are obvious when the sun goes down. Bass in my ponds get ballsy, daring, and unafraid to hunt in shallow water near shore.

Throw an x-rap or fire tiger rapala, fish it all different ways until you get slammed. then, stick with that retrieve until the fish tell you different. Cast down shore off a nice point, or to a place where water is shallow, but might have some deeper water, or a drop off next to it, either jerk or swim it back to you, listen or look for a splash and bro...... HOLD ON TIGHT!

[Tokyo Tony]

I've heard (and read about) conflicting beliefs on bass at night: 1. They are in the same places as they are during the day 2. They are usually in the same general areas but roam more.

In my experience, #2 is true. I don't find fish as tight to cover as they are during the day, and I catch a lot of fish just fan casting a general area near a ledge or dropoff, for example. Although I'm sure fishing a worm or jig slowly will produce well, as long as you're fishing at night, why not have more fun and throw moving lures? I've said it many times before, and as long as night fishing threads exist, I'll keep saying it: Black Chatterbaits. $$$$

I get the feeling that as long as there's not some type of devastating cold front (or in coldwater periods), bass at night lose most if not all of their inhibitions. If something noisy screams through the water in front of them, they don't hesitate, and just nail it, whereas during the day the fish might actually swim in the opposite direction.

$.02

[fishfordollars]

I fish the same places that I would during the day. If the moon is close to or full giving plenty of light I fish the same colors that I do at other times. The darker the night the larger and darker my lures.

Example: Fished a night tournament and finished second last Saturday night and fished watermellon/red lizards, trick worms, and senkos all night long.

[WRB]

My advice for night bass fishing is to " keep it simple". Everything you do at night is more difficult, especailly tying good knots.

Your first trip; take a cell phone a let someone know you are out fishing. take a spare flash light and a small pen light. A cap with LED light is a good item. Bug spray before you start fishing and wash your hands.

Bass roam the shallower water looking for prey at night, so there will always be some bass up tight to cover, unless you are fishing for smallmouth.

Go up in line size; 15 lb mono minimum and increase the hook size to match larger worms. I would start with Texas rigged worms; 7 1/2" and 10" black with blue flake and Tequlia sunrise.

Gamakatsu or Owner 5/0 G lock wide gap worm hooks, 3/16 oz bullet sinker with rattles.

Bass strike hard at night and tend too move off with the worm, so be prepeared to drop the rod tip, reel in the slack line and set into slightly slack line when using the 10" worm.

Good luck.

WRB

[Catt]

Cloudy low light conditions will increase the strike zone of a bass and night time is no different. Bass do not morph into a different creature and completely change behaviors or locations in darkness; bass are predators and will use darkness to their advantage.

Bass can see color but not at night, color it's self is meaningless at night. Bass cannot see details at night, so don't waste time with meticulously painted or patterned lures. Contrast is more important by far than color at night.

Ring Rascal has a worm color called Starry Night; it is dark smoke on top, clear smoke on the bottom with lots of silver glitter in the clear. On appearance alone this goes against every thing you hear about night fishing, everyone says to use dark colors but I slay the bass with this color.  

[Bass_Akwards]

I wonder if the pond itself can change bass behavior?  The pond I fish that has the most noticable change in bass movement, from daylight to dark, is a pond where there is no obvious cover off shore.  No weeds, no visable trees, docks, etc etc.  

In ponds with obvious cover, I think it's eaiser to "fish the same spots you do during the daylight" because the bass are relating to this cover a huge percentage of the 24 hour day.

With a pond that has no/not a lot of cover, it seems many bass relate to deeper structure during daylight hours, and move shallow when the sun goes down.

Does this mean theres no bass out there at night where they were during the day?   Of course not.  But when I fish my ponds that don't have a lot of cover in them, I notice a huge difference in my strike ratio when I fish near shore at night as compared with when I fish the shorelines during the day.

Also, when fishing a pond without a lot of cover, I notice a higher strike rate in deeper water during the day, than I do fishing shallower water during the day.  

I can't say if this is universal bass behavior with ponds like this, I can just say what I've seen in the 1 little year I've fished these types of ponds at night.

Also, catt mentioned color is not as important as contrast.  He's right, but don't forget there's some great baits out there with 3 or 4 contrasting colors, that can produce amazing strikes at night, like the rapala #10 Huskie Jerk.  That thing has really paid off for me after dusk.

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

I wonder if the pond itself can change bass behavior?  The pond I fish that has the most noticable change in bass movement, from daylight to dark, is a pond where there is no obvious cover off shore.  No weeds, no visable trees, docks, etc etc.  

B.In ponds with obvious cover, I think it's eaiser to "fish the same spots you do during the daylight" because the bass are relating to this cover a huge percentage of the 24 hour day.

With a pond that has no/not a lot of cover, it seems many bass relate to deeper structure during daylight hours, and move shallow when the sun goes down.

Does this mean theres no bass out there at night where they were during the day?   Of course not.  But when I fish my ponds that don't have a lot of cover in them, I notice a huge difference in my strike ratio when I fish near shore at night as compared with when I fish the shorelines during the day.

Also, when fishing a pond without a lot of cover, I notice a higher strike rate in deeper water during the day, than I do fishing shallower water during the day.  

I can't say if this is universal bass behavior with ponds like this, I can just say what I've seen in the 1 little year I've fished these types of ponds at night.

Also, catt mentioned color is not as important as contrast.  He's right, but don't forget there's some great baits out there with 3 or 4 contrasting colors, that can produce amazing strikes at night, like the rapala #10 Huskie Jerk.  That thing has really paid off for me after dusk.

Our better class bass are out in the structureless-looking water 90% of the time anyway.  What is under the water, can be much more appealing to a bigger bass than what is sticking out of the water.  It's a tough transition when you try to "get off the bank" because you are putting your trust in the science of what we are telling you instead of what you already know as a learned condition (one with eye candy no less, trees, docks, bank brush,etc)

Until those first few fish come, confidence can be tough to gain.  Once they do though,...there's no looking back (at the bank,hehe)

Don't get me wrong, we fish the whole lake, but......deep water structure is the main priority when assessing water.  This especially applies during the high sun conditions as the bass will move deeper to adjust to the high light condition. (light sensitive eyes)

Topo maps are a must here.   You want to look for flats and points.  Then narrow it down to the ones with deep water access nearby.

These basic principles apply regardless of day or night.  

I also have no base belief in color other than, whatever the color is when you got it in front of them,....that's probably the color that will work,lol.  With every new day I fish, I become a firmer believer that we give fish waaaaaaay too much credit.  It is becoming simpler and simpler to me as I get more time in the boat.  

color, size, brand, etc are much less a factor to the bass I think than these primary factors......

A. it appears "edible"

B. it is catchable w/o expending more energy than it is worth

Keeping it simple in a low budget world,lol

Many here will disagree with some or all of my beliefs but that's my story and I'm sticking to it!!  

[WRB]

Ponds and small lakes are affected by the thermocline during the summer period. The deep water may not have enough DO, dissolved oxygen below the thermocline for the bass to survive. At night the weeds stop producing DO and consume it, so the levels drop during the night hours. Some ponds that have a lot of weed growth, also have poor water clarity, making it difficult for the bass to find anything near the bottom. Surface lures that bass can trap agianst the surface or near the surface work well under those conditions. The wooden Jitterbug is one of the most effective night lures ever made as it makes a lot of waves and sound with a steady retrieve that the bass can easily target.

The best night fishing lakes usually have good water clarity and a mixture of rocky, sandy, clay, brush and weed areas for the bass to locate.

WRB

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

Ponds and small lakes are affected by the thermocline during the summer period. The deep water may not have enough DO, dissolved oxygen below the thermocline for the bass to survive.

WRB

To reiterate, WRB made me rethink my post.

To clarify- I am speaking about my home lake and "deep water" is 20-25 ft max which borders flats that range from 5' to 12 ft deep.  Not really a true definition of "deep" where the thermocline is a very big factor, but this is what is relevant to my world. (223 acre lake)

------------------------------------------------------------------

As for baits, these are some of my favorites

J-bug  #1, not many will dispute that

Heddon SUPER spook (big)

Heddon Dying flutter (twin prop bait)

Renosky crippled shad (twitch bait)

Heddon spitting image

J-Bug (deserves 2 mentions )

--------------------------------------------------------------

couple more notes

Have pfd's out and ready if not on, in the night, things happen

Bring lights (headlamps are best)  Also bring extra batteries

Keep your floor clean!!  Avoid needless accidents, put things back in their place immediately after use

CELL PHONE or some type of alternate communication

Lights hold baitfish.  Bass like baitfish.  Docks with lights, boat houses, etc,...all good targets

Good luck, be safe and catch 'em up

[kms399]

Ok guys you have given me a lot of good ideas. I am trying to put together a game plan I will let you know how I do. I will be launching the boat at 8:00 PMand I hope to stay out till at least 1:00 AM

[kms399]

well if anyone was curious as to how my outing went here you go. I launched the boat at 8:30, when I got there a small band of dark rain clouds and high winds were over the lake and I had to wait for 15 minutes just to launch the boat because everyone was in a hurry to get off the lake. I got some weird looks because I was the only one trying to launch. after the band of clouds moved off the lake was dead calm and I caught 1 fish about 1 1/2 lbs on a fluke skipped way under a dock. I fished the fluke until it got dark then I switched to a black jitterbug and I worked that for like 30 minutes- no bites, oh well I tried a black and orange spinner bait- nothing, a black and silver buzz bait- nothing, I tried a split shot rig with a 10" tequila green worm- nothing finally about 12:00 I had one miss a skitter walk. I left the lake at 1:15 AM with one fish caught before it even got dark.

things I learned

never wear shorts and a t-shirt, no matter how much ultrathon you spray on the bugs will not leave you alone. ( I did wash my hands several times)

bait casters require a little more attention, I kept getting backlashes since I couldn't see my lure

it is really funny to listen to drunk people sitting around their fires when they don't know you are there.

I had a good time even though I didn't catch any fish and I will try it again some time.

thanks for your help.

[JShrock07]

it is really funny to listen to drunk people sitting around their fires when they don't know you are there.

HAHAHAHA X2!!!! ;D ;D ;D

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

well if anyone was curious as to how my outing went here you go. I launched the boat at 8:30, when I got there a small band of dark rain clouds and high winds were over the lake and I had to wait for 15 minutes just to launch the boat because everyone was in a hurry to get off the lake. I got some weird looks because I was the only one trying to launch. after the band of clouds moved off the lake was dead calm and I caught 1 fish about 1 1/2 lbs on a fluke skipped way under a dock. I fished the fluke until it got dark then I switched to a black jitterbug and I worked that for like 30 minutes- no bites, oh well I tried a black and orange spinner bait- nothing, a black and silver buzz bait- nothing, I tried a split shot rig with a 10" tequila green worm- nothing finally about 12:00 I had one miss a skitter walk. I left the lake at 1:15 AM with one fish caught before it even got dark.

things I learned

never wear shorts and a t-shirt, no matter how much ultrathon you spray on the bugs will not leave you alone. ( I did wash my hands several times)

bait casters require a little more attention, I kept getting backlashes since I couldn't see my lure

it is really funny to listen to drunk people sitting around their fires when they don't know you are there.

I had a good time even though I didn't catch any fish and I will try it again some time.

thanks for your help.

That's awesome.  Your attitude is where it is at though.  It's just like trying to learn a new presentation.  It probably won't go perfectly at first but you learn as you go and with that comes a comfort and confidence.  

Also, just because you are there at night, this does not guarantee you a bite or guarantee you topwater action.  That';s something to adjust to at first because the expectations can be so high.

tip- I have found (this morning was perfect example) that if there isn't even a follower or blow up on the topwater, I go directly to the bottom with a jig.  (as the next step in trying to put together a pattern)

Once you have a night where the bite is on,....it's awesome,...you get that, plus the feeling that you have the whole bite allll to yourself.

Either way, I know you'll be back,......I'm that guy on the boat ramp alllll the time, lol......same look you get when it's snowing out....I look forward to those looks, and now so will you.

[procraft68]

I have caught fish on the same baits at night as I do during the day. The club I fish in fish 3 night tournaments and 6 day tournaments so we have done alot of night fishing. My favorite bait for day or night is a Venom Salty Sling (like a senko).Watermellon/Candy or Green Pumpkin Candy. If there is little or no wind I fish it weightless if there is wind I use a split shot or worm weight. Just my 2 cents, hope it helps.

Later,

Snag

[Bass_Akwards]

Have been fishing this pond in Boulder. A couple anglers I've talked to have pulled out 7&8 pounders there. Thats HUGE for Colorado. I've only fished it 30 times or so.

The last 15 times or so, I've been fishing this huge flat. It has deep water access and just looks like it would be an amazing spot for bass to hang out. I have fished it during the day over and over again, not catching a darn thing. I wind up moving down the bank or to the other side of the 35 acre pond.

I went over to this pond  last night, about an hour before dark, with a friend. First time we've fished it at night. I walked to the end of the pond and started fishing this flat again. Nothing.

It got dark. I started thinking about this thread oddly enough and I tied on a Silver X-rap. 6 or 7 casts or so to this flat and I got slammed. In no more than 3 feet of water I caught my personal best of this year so far at 5 pounds 4 ounces.

I lost another one that sounded and felt huge. My friend heard the massive splash and came running over to me as I lost my Rapala and the fish. I threw my rod and acted like a 4 year old for about 2 minutes, then settled down to fish some more. Didn't catch anything for about an hour and left.

Just got back from that same pond 10 minutes ago. I site fished and threw X-raps, a black and blue jig, and swimbaits to the flat. Nothing. Didn't see or catch any fish. I can't wait to go back there tonight at about 8:30. I guarentee I catch a monster no more than 10 feet from shore. Night fishing is addicting. Use the banks to your advantage and slay 'em.

[kms399]

Ok, I am going to give it another try this weekend. I plan to launch at 3 AM. My thought is that since this is a heavily fished lake maybe the bass need some time to  relax before the bite starts? I usually fish around 5 AM and do pretty good.

I plan on heading to a spot I know which is a kind of ledge, it is about 5 feet deep with sand/weeds and docks it come out about 30 yards from shore then makes a quick drop off to about 12 feet. my hope is that they will be up on the ledge. I am thinking topwater and maybe a spinnerbait or fluke. another spot is a really defined weed line which is millfoil and lilly pads which drops down to about 10 feet. I hope to work that line with a jig or maybe slow roll a spinner  bait along that edge. these spots are pretty much my go to spots during the day and for some reason I never hit the ledge spot on my last night fishing adventure.

anyone have any thoughts on my plan.

[KYntucky Warmouth]

I'm not an expert, but have done a fair share of night fishing with my dad.  No matter what the species, his favorite fishing is usually launching around 6-7 pm.  We actually went last night with some success.  While still light we I caught 3-4 undersized fish with a weightless Kinami Flash in green pumpkin wacky rigged, at dusk a wounded zara and manns waker provided some topwater action, and after dark the flash rigged texas weightless produced.  

from my experiences, flourescent line and a blacklight are almost a must after dark.  It allows for easier detection of light strikes.  

as for the fish, the bites moved from 10-15 feet during the day to 1-3 after dark. with many bites so shallow that they could be heard just inches from the bank with the fishes backs out of the water.

but that's just my experience, take from it what you will

[Cory20]

I like your plan.  Slow rolling a colorado bladed spinnerbait with a grub trailer has worked well for me this season.  You know you're fishing in the right spot when panfish/rock bass start pecking at the grub.  

Try a c-rig/t-rig on spots that were producing with the spinnerbait/topwater too.

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

I like your plan.  Lately, we have been on the water by 3 and it's slow,....but it gets better

Don't be discouraged as soon as you get out there either, be ready to give it a little time to kick.  Also, it takes a little bit for your eyes to adjust, and your hearing to peak.  Settle in and get a groove going.

Definitely hit the areas you find them in during the day, the deeper, the better, My favorite depth is when the bait lands in 5-7' and gets worked out to 20-25 ft.  When you see a common depth the hits are coming from, attack that slope from a parallel point now, targeting only that depth.

Good luck and welcome,..........

                                                ........................to the Dark Side 8-)