night fishing

[Raider Nation Fisher]

What are the main differences between night fishing and daytime fishing? Aside from it being dark outside. To narrow down the subject, do you use the same lures and presentations that you would during the daylight hours. I know it differs as far as location, season, clarity, and water temperature. The lake in question is a reservoir with lightly stained water,in central alabama. The air temperature is in the high seventys to low sixtys,and the water temperature is in the low to mid seventys.

[7mm-08]

I used to think you had to do things differently at night but lots of reading here and personal experience has taught me differently.  I've found you can fish pretty much the same way/places as you would during the day.  As far as topwater fishing goes, the fish seem to relate a little farther off the bank but the differences are minimal.

[Catt]

Fish the same baits, same locations, and same techniques you would during the day. The only thing different I add to my repertoire at night is a Q-Beam!

[clayton86]

Iv had alot of luck with buzz baits at night iv geard jigs work good but I use the same retrieve I would in the day

[deaknh03]

get yourself a red light head lamp, they don't attract the bugs but still give you plenty of light to see, then get yourself a black jitterbug.

[fishn hard]

Get your self a pack of _ _ _ _ _ _ _ and hold on make shore you Texas rig them with a 3/16 weight  8-) 8-)

[JoePhish]

I'll make the same presentations but lures will be "Bigger and Blacker".

[Bigbarge50]

agree strongly but to expand the question....... when do you guys start night fishing?  I have always had it been a summer thing (mainly the warm summer nights are great) but what about everyone else?  Do you gets stay out after dark during other periods? 

[bass or bass ?]

Here in the desert it's over 110 degrees during the day in the summer.I just can't take that, so my summer time fishing trips are over nighters. I do a lot more surface fishing at night. I also catch sunfish before dark and use them for flathead catfish bait over night. Love tangling with big flatties!

[Catt]

I start night fishing in April & continue until September or October; I could have started this month because the conditions were ideal.

Darkness covers up an angler's presence and most of all his mistakes. Fish don't feed as regularly at night as they do in the day but when they are feeding, it's far less of a problem to catch them.

I normally prefer fishing during the full moon vs. the new moon because it is harder for the bass & angler to connect. If I fish a new moon I will usually fish open water and avoid shoreline areas. The light from the full moon illuminates the bait against the surface for more contrast. The moonlight provides the ideal light intensity for shallow water hunting and most importantly, it illuminates the natural paths large bass need to arrive in the shallows from the deep water. The routes available from the deep water to the shallows are more important in determining what bank the bass will be using. Move up closer to your target and waste less time in unproductive water. Give special attention to beaches, docks, buoys, rafts, rip-rap, or night lighted areas.

As for lights I don't use any other than a small cap light (white) for tying lures & a Q-beam for running. Yes the white light hinders night vision but only takes a minute or two and at night the last thing you want to do is be in a hurry.

[bigbill]

I had to switch to evening fishing to night / early morning fishing to get away from the crowds in the evenings. I'm fishing from shore. I have noticed there are more fish in the evening when they turn on at dusk but there smaller in size. I just can't get passed the 3lb to 4lb bass in the evenings.

Lightly stained water conditions. Were talking borderline colors between natural colors to brighter colors. I like to try the 2" baits with normal colors first. If nothing happens I switch to a bright color next. The trick is finding the correct presentation(speed) for the mood and the water conditions next.

I fish from night to early dawn. Now i normally go out at 3:30am or try to be there while its still dark. One thing about fishing at this time is to be very quiet, more stealthy because the bigger gals are right against the shoreline ambushing the bait fish. I find them as close as 2' from shore in 2' of water. Do not coff or clear your throat too because this will spook them too. I've done it and watch a big gal swim away right after. I'm very quiet when i handle my rods and put my tackle boxes down too. Do not step on any rocks while your walking too. The little rocks sticking up on top of the ground sends shock waves into the water letting the fish know your there. Its there natural radar. At this time i use a bps topnocker on topwater in the total darkness or i go with a Rebel BIG claw crawfish crankbait that dives 10' at the time the sky just starts to light up, first light. The channel i fish in is 10' deep along side a weedline on both sides with two rocky points on both sides of the low bridge that i fish from. I have it all with no boat. With the rocky points i can fan cast and go from the deeper part of the point straight up to the shallows or cast across the point and play it slow from the slow side of the current into the faster moving channel water. I like to use the BIG claw along side the weedline with a long cast and bring it back in the channel slowly trying to attract something from out of the weedline. I also like to jig with a jointed shad rap of rapala jointed minnow off the bridge too. Just drop it down and twitch it. As it gets light i switch to a 1/8oz carolina rig with a senko type bait wacky rigged. I cast it out and twitch it as it falls or just keep the line tight and wait for a strike. I move it and repeat. I have also jigg'd with it straight down in the channel too. I have also used the orginal rapala 2" in blue. I use it two ways one is reel it slow just under the surface in the channel or speed it up and keep it deeper in the sight line. The fish can be very finiky at times and will hide in the sight line its below the surface were we can't see them and they can't see you. If the fish are there and you use a crankbait or spinnerbait and fish the sight line you will have success. Its not just night fishin its knowing how to fish that area too and what the bottom structure we have too. We can fish it all to our advantage too. The most important thing is to be very very stealthy when your out at night by yourself. I alos find that during the day in low light conditions it can be the same as night conditions too. I find the fish at both times in the same haunts.

I find the fish will move to deeper cover as it gets lighter from a dark situation to a dawn/early dusk. For me the bite lasts from darkness till around 8:30am till 9 am then it falls off probably because there moving to deeper cover. At this time we can start fishing over the submerged weeds. I like to use a floating crankbait like a bomber in redapple craw. Its the same color as the crawfish here. I use it as a topwater bait but twitch it over the open spots / holes in the weeds. If the hole is big enough i will crank it and make it dive into the weed pocket. At this later time i have also found the bigger gals to be hiding there too.

There ya have it my best tactics from shore so far. Its only fishing backwards from a boat but its all good and works both directions. Everyone has an equal chance at success. It not luck in fishing its skill. Bill

BTW; My very first cast is in the channel/open water, along side the weedline. I will soak my BPS topnocker with scent and cast it as far out as i can. Then pop or walk the dog slowly to spread the attractant to exceite the fish. After that is done its just fishing normal after that. Does it work? I seem to have better action when i scent the water first.

Now with my carolina rig with the senko i use no scent on my very first cast. If i miss a strike on the first cast one squirt of scent is a 100% hook up on the next cast. The fish will grab it and won't let go.

Fishing in low light conditions during the day, over cast. The fish can be like us when we were in school as kids during recess.  Then can be all over the place away from cover.  One day in this condition i caught 19 bass from shore in one spot fan casting the whole place. My point as dark becomes dawn and its still low light or over cast as it gets later don't be afraid to tie on an inline spinner or spinnerbait and go to work.

[Andy C]

I love to fish topwaters after dark...super spooks, buzzbaits, and jitterbugs all work great.  I also throw big jignpigs, 10 inch worms or slow roll big spinnerbaits or chatterbaits. During a full moon I ussually target cover or tree shadows along the bank, but sometimes they will pull out to deep water structure.  Be wary of your boats shadow during clear water and windless nights during a full moon.  If you forget a flashlight, you will get a lot better at tying palomars.

[Bluebasser86]

I really enjoy night fishing and it does seem to be a better technique during the heat of the summer months. I tend to fish baits with lots of vibration or big profiles that move a lot of water. Spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, jigs, and 10 inch or bigger worms are some of my favorites. Topwater is fun at night but make sure you feel the weight of the fish before you set the hook. If you set the hook on the splash you might be trying to dodge a lure flying back at you that you can't see  . I fish dark colors if I'm fishing high in the water colum because the fish will be looking up and a dark bait sillouettes against a light sky better. Lighter colors for baits fished along the bottom to make it easier for the fish to pick it out from the dark bottom. Sapphire blue is one of my favorite jig colors at night, but plain black and blue is another really good option. the fishes use of it's eyes will decrease at night just like ours does. This means you need to be steathly. Keep noise to a minimum, make long casts when possible, and stay off the trolling motor when you can. Night fishing is great because not only will you be dealing with fewer anglers on the water with you, you will probably be dealing with more large fish than you're used to during the summer months  8-).

[Catt]

The eyes of a bass go through a night adaptation cycle beginning at twilight and are usually adapted for black, white, and all shades of gray within an hour after darkness. 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. If you fish water where shad or minnows are the predominate prey species, then try white spinners with a white grub. The usual night time favorite black is the second choice in shad populated lakes. Black or dark hued lures give maximum contrast at night when run on or near the surface. Under water vision for the bass is reduced at night, so use lures that are a little larger. Slow retrieves work better because it lets the bass locate the lure easier and zero in on it.

[Blues19]

I tend to throw the same baits or bigger versions, like a 10" Anaconda instead of the 7". I also go dark, green pumpkin, black, june bug. With spinnerbaits I go black and a big colorado blade. Ive done really well with a twin tail grub for my trailer.  So the biggest difference i would say is in the spinnerbait.

We dont throw topwaters cause were fishing 4 out of a 17' boat.  Its rough!  too scared to set the hook and have one of those topwaters fly back at us

[Hamby]

I'm excited for next season. I tried a little bit of night fishing and wasnt successful, but i didn't give it much time. I'm gonna give it some more time and i hope i catch some pigs! If i can get them in the middle of a summer day i should be able to get them at night...hopefully. Just gotta give it some time.

[bucky]

I start might fishing in April and stop when the nights get too cool to be comfortable. I fish mostly Ky and Barkley. I do use a black light and flourosent line to fish jigs and fish tubes. I do fish spinnerbaits some but like the jigs and tubes. Use very little topwater and crank baits, but may have to invest more time in these after what you all have posted. I mostly use dark colors and fish a little slower than during the day. Several local bass clubs have night tournaments on the area lakes and some real good bags are weighed in. Both largmouth and smallmouth are taken at night. Kentucky lake can be somewhat crowded on a weekend night, but of course nothing like the days.

[midnighthrasher]

Get yourself a Black Jointed Jitterbug and get ready!!!!

[bass or bass ?]

Get yourself a Black Jointed Jitterbug and get ready!!!!

I agree; this is a standard night fishing lure, tried and true.

[Raider Nation Fisher]

Thanks for all the advice guys. I really appreciate it. I can't wait to try out some of the stuff y'all have recommended.

[Cecil]

Thanks for all the advice guys. I really appreciate it. I can't wait to try out some of the stuff y'all have recommended.

Agreed, good advice.

[bigbill]

I wasn't going to say this but i hear weird stuff going on at night too.  I hear the passing by bear hooting for a friend.  Its no owl its a multiple of short hoots and long hoots.  Very much different than an owl.  I can mimic them and call them right into my camp during the night.

But thats another story/post.  I'm out in the middle of no where and with forests all around me i hear chimes like wind chimes.  I've had bears near my car in the bushes. Noises comming from the woods with bright lights flashing. I just freeze in my spot and fish thoughout the whole night till daybreak.  I just focus on my fishing and the whole world could fall down around me and i just fish.                  Bill

BTW;  I hear body slams at night in the water at 12am like i did a belly flop in the water.  I figure its the big bass chowing on the baitfish.

[bigredxlt]

I wasn't going to say this but i hear weird stuff going on at night too. I hear the passing by bear hooting for a friend. Its no owl its a multiple of short hoots and long hoots. Very much different than an owl. I can mimic them and call them right into my camp during the night.

But thats another story/post. I'm out in the middle of no where and with forests all around me i hear chimes like wind chimes. I've had bears near my car in the bushes. Noises comming from the woods with bright lights flashing. I just freeze in my spot and fish thoughout the whole night till daybreak. I just focus on my fishing and the whole world could fall down around me and i just fish. Bill

BTW; I hear body slams at night in the water at 12am like i did a belly flop in the water. I figure its the big bass chowing on the baitfish.

Okay I dont know about all those crazy noises you were talking about. I think you have been spending a little too much time in the woods if that is even possible. But I do know what you are talking about when it comes to the cannon ball noises. Turns out the noises were from beavers jumping into the water from the sides of the quarry. It was pretty awesome to see.

[A-Jay]

I wasn't going to say this but i hear weird stuff going on at night too. I hear the passing by bear hooting for a friend. Its no owl its a multiple of short hoots and long hoots. Very much different than an owl. I can mimic them and call them right into my camp during the night.

But thats another story/post. I'm out in the middle of no where and with forests all around me i hear chimes like wind chimes. I've had bears near my car in the bushes. Noises comming from the woods with bright lights flashing. I just freeze in my spot and fish thoughout the whole night till daybreak. I just focus on my fishing and the whole world could fall down around me and i just fish. Bill

BTW; I hear body slams at night in the water at 12am like i did a belly flop in the water. I figure its the big bass chowing on the baitfish.

Okay I dont know about all those crazy noises you were talking about. I think you have been spending a little too much time in the woods if that is even possible. But I do know what you are talking about when it comes to the cannon ball noises. Turns out the noises were from beavers jumping into the water from the sides of the quarry. It was pretty awesome to see.

Yea Buddy - beavers often slap their tails on the water as a warning I guess or perhaps to frighten off the would be intruder. And - it works quite well. When on a dark quite night they do one of those outrageous tail slaps right next to the boat - wow ! No matter how many times I hear it, that first one always scares the ^&*()%$ right out of me . . . .

A-Jay

[B-Dozer]

I wasn't going to say this but i hear weird stuff going on at night too. I hear the passing by bear hooting for a friend. Its no owl its a multiple of short hoots and long hoots. Very much different than an owl. I can mimic them and call them right into my camp during the night.

But thats another story/post. I'm out in the middle of no where and with forests all around me i hear chimes like wind chimes. I've had bears near my car in the bushes. Noises comming from the woods with bright lights flashing. I just freeze in my spot and fish thoughout the whole night till daybreak. I just focus on my fishing and the whole world could fall down around me and i just fish. Bill

BTW; I hear body slams at night in the water at 12am like i did a belly flop in the water. I figure its the big bass chowing on the baitfish.

Uh Bill, those chime noises are your keys in the ignition, and lights are from your car. It's just the bears making a beer run, cause you drank them all! ;D