Fishing Into The Night

[chilliblanket]

I dont have a problem finding the fish midday in or around the channel at one lake i fish but as night approaches and it gets darker and darker, seems like the fish start to lose interest. Where are they going and what kind of color adjustment do i need to make in order to be the most successful?

Thanks for all the help:]

[clayton86]

I used to have a hard time in the final hours of the day as well but my lucks been changing throwing jigs and big worms at this time

[j0k3r]

I think as soon as it hits magic hour (twilight when sun dips below horizon) the bite heats up tremendously. I was out last night from 6-10 pm and around 9 pm we got most strikes. I think over 15 on topwater between my friend and I after the sunset, but we only converted a couple into hookups We were both fishing hollow body frogs. You have to go super slow since the light is dimmer and the bass aren't keying in as accurately on your bait. A ton of fish just missed by a country mile when hitting the frogs. Nighttime is all about slowing things down and going big. Big black/blue spinners, jigs and worms as well as hollow-body frogs are the ticket.

[chilliblanket]

in relation to earlier in the day.. you jus throw something with a larger silhouette or maybe darker colored.. and fish slower? do the fish move towards shallower waters or do they stay in or around the channel?

[WRB]

Take a look at "Best hours for night fishing" thread on this same forum page.

Tom

[chilliblanket]

alright, i'll take a look lol

thanks:]

[kms399]

I have the best luck with noisy topwater during 3/4 moon or better. my best is a slow moving black buzzbait. I have also had good luck with colorado blade spinnerbaits.

[chilliblanket]

so the majority of people here prefer topwater during the night, in the same areas they were catching bass midday?

[WRB]

From your initial question it sounds like you are fishing a man made reservoir in lieu of a natural lake and have deep structure available. Water clarity plays a roll on where you can fish and what you can fish successfully after dark. In clear deep structured lakes you can fish nearly every type of lure at night as during the day time during the transition time at dusk.

I like to fish outside structure and major points during the summer period during the day about 80% of the time on the water. At night I tend to reverse that and move towards the bank 80% of the time and fish deep shore breaks with nearby cover. Shore can be islands and shallow humps, not always the main lake banks. If I meter out side active bass than I will stay on them.

It's been may experience the deeper big bass tend to move up to feed on prey fish like shad seeking night cover for shelter and crawdads, frogs etc that more concentrated in those areas.

My number 1 night lure is a T-rigged 10" plastic worm in dark colors; dark purple with blue neon or black with blue or red flakes and rarely fish that worm and color during the day.

Number 2 is a jig in the same colors. Number 3 deep diving crank bait in black with red high lights or white with silver high lights. Number 4 is a double bladed buzz bait in black, 5 is a musky size black Jitter Bug w free hanging hooks. If the cover allows and the bass are up tight I like 7" to 9" Senkos in the same colors as the 10" t-rigged worm fished weightless.

During the day I fish with a boat load of different tackle, at night I try to keep simple.

Tom

[backpain...]

At night I use the same baits as during the day. I normally look to the edges of cover as they often move to areas and feed more in the lower light conditions. Like others my confidence baits are larger profiles like bigger worms, brush hogs etc. Last night however the only thing we could get them to eat were small beavers fished painfully slow in the darkness.

[chilliblanket]

thanks for all the help.. i was fishing with a blue and black jig that night.. forgot what color trailer i was using... how are you fishing the structure with your jig? on the fish finder it seemed as if most of the fish were suspended 6-12 feet in the water column.. would working that jig on the bottom still be as effective as using something that i can work slightlty above the fish?

[WRB]

thanks for all the help.. i was fishing with a blue and black jig that night.. forgot what color trailer i was using... how are you fishing the structure with your jig? on the fish finder it seemed as if most of the fish were suspended 6-12 feet in the water column.. would working that jig on the bottom still be as effective as using something that i can work slightlty above the fish?

Suspended fish are not always bass and if they are bass they are usually inactive. It is usually better for your lure to be at the same depth or above bass. You can count down the jig and swim it through the suspended fish or use a different lure like a crank bait, swimbait or spoon.

Tom

[chilliblanket]

so i shouldnt be targeting the bass that are suspended over the channel, rather running a crankbait or whatever i choose deeper or underneath them? targeting the fish that are hugging or nearer to the cover or structure that i'm fishing?

thanks for all the help again

[WRB]

so i shouldnt be targeting the bass that are suspended over the channel, rather running a crankbait or whatever i choose deeper or underneath them? targeting the fish that are hugging or nearer to the cover or structure that i'm fishing?

thanks for all the help again

You can do whatever pleases you! Suspended bass during dusk are very hard to catch. Active bass that are roaming near structure or cover or located near ambush sites are much easier to catch. Spend your prime time fishing for active bass.

Tom

[chilliblanket]

one more thing tom

if i find cover next to some structure... and i cant really see fish in or around the cover... should i fish into the cover anyways if there are bass suspended over or around it?

[WRB]

one more thing tom

if i find cover next to some structure... and i cant really see fish in or around the cover... should i fish into the cover anyways if there are bass suspended over or around it?

Active bass are looking for prey, find the bait and bass will be close by. Structure or cover isn't good without bait at night; bass either wait to ambush or roam to hunt for bait. Do you camp out and wait or move? that is always the question. IF you know bass are there then stay. If you know bait is there, bass should be there; stay. No bass, no bait...move!

Tom

[chilliblanket]

ok, thanks for all the help again:]