Before Daylight Tackle

[Dixon]

My bassclub decides last night to fish from 5 am to 1 this saturday.  I have never fished that early.   That will be about an hour and 15 minutes before daylight.

What should I be using?  Black buzzbaits and black spinnerbaits.  Any tips

[Uncle Leo]

Prime topwater time IMO. The best thing is you will not be able to see the bait so pulling the trigger prematurely is negated. Just wait to feel the fish.

[Shane J]

Definitely my favorite time to fish, and do it all the time. The best thing I've found, is a black neon Rage Shad on a 5/0 superline Gammy. Since you can't see exactly what you're throwing into, it doesn't matter. You can work it through everything, and it just SLAYS the bass for me between 4:00am and 5:30am. Dont forget a flashlight (I prefer the one you wear on your head with red LED's), and BUG SPRAY!

[NewAngler]

bugspray for sure. i throw cavitron buzzbaits, neon/ black. black. and a black with red flake rage shad with less success.

[tyrius.]

The only time that I use chatterbaits is at night.  Also bring jitterbugs for topwater.  And, plastics work just as well at night as they do during they day.

Color is irrelevant.

[Dixon]

What about well lighted docks?  

[catchbig0bass]

Heddon tiny torpedo all the way. I def think these are the absolute best topwater. Although I def want to pick up a cavitron buzzbait to try out I hear they are simply amazing. But I have personally tried jitterbugs, poppers and such then switched to the torpedo and started killing em every time it hit the water and outfished the other baits hands down with it.

[tnbassfisher]

Heddon tiny torpedo all the way. I def think these are the absolute best topwater. Although I def want to pick up a cavitron buzzbait to try out I hear they are simply amazing. But I have personally tried jitterbugs, poppers and such then switched to the torpedo and started killing em every time it hit the water and outfished the other baits hands down with it.

x2 on the Tiny Torpedo

[shootermcbob]

I catch at least one fish nearly every morning all season long on a black jitterbug, either 5/8 ounce regular or jointed. I sometimes catch 2 or 3 fish with this bait.  I also have good luck fishing in the early morning darkness with heddon torpedo. Many times, I catch a fish or two on the jitterbug and switch to the torpedo and almost immediately catch another fish. Must be the just the difference in the tow baits.

I recommend at least trying the jitterbug. The strikes are explosive, and if you bank fish like I do, many times you will nearly wet your pants when you have a strike near the bank. ;D

[aarogb]

    All you should have on the deck of your boat in that time frame is topwater baits.

    Preferably, black Lunker Lure buzzbaits and Lucky Craft G-Splash poppers.

[Steven Ladner]

I agree with everyone about the jitterbugs. That's my #1 night fishing topwater bait. I have caught some lunkers on them.

[Dixon]

how do you fish a jitterbug?

[Steven Ladner]

how do you fish a jitterbug?

It's simple because of the curved lip on the front. You slowly reel it straight back in. No working the bait or anything. It has a unique plop, plop sound that drives the big bass insane. Still unsure about using it, here's some inspiration

http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1233356100/0

People have been using them for 60+ years for a reason. They flat out catch fish.

[D4u2s0t]

I would fish whatever you would fish at "normal" hours.  If what you normaly do works, don't change it.  It's not like at 6:30am the fish magically no longer take a topwater, and before 6:30am they won't take a soft plastic like many would have you think.  Don't overanalyze and get held back by the "rules".  Any time can be good for topwaters, just like anytime can be good for soft plastics, or crankbaits, etc.

[bigbill]

My best early morning lures so far have been;

1.Rebel BIG Claw crawfish in chartruese/black back (Dark to dusk)

#1 (10lber so far) right along a weedline next to a channel. You can walk the dog or pop it 3 times and pause but timing it right is the key to success do it right for awesome topwater action.

2.BPS Topnocker #25 in color (dark to dusk)

#2 this a fish caller and one of the loudest rattle topwater baits.

3.Bomber FAT A in apple red crawdad (dusk)

#3 this is one lure you can use topwater by letting it sit or crank it slow.

4. Rapala orginal floater 2" in blue/white (dusk)

#4 just throw it and reel it slow or jerk and pause it at day break.

5. Strike king inline spinner silver/black tail (dusk first light)

6. Joes flies in firetiger apache & glo tiger in low light (1/4ox bass size)

7. Joes flies in blackgnat (1/4oz bass size) (dusk to first light)

8. torpedo

9. Top prop tri alive in firetiger over weeds. (weedless)

10. Mepps timber doodle size "00" or #1 in silver/white trailer.  Just drop it in the weed pockets.(weedless)

These are a few of my hottest baits fishing the shoreline from shore. They have to be awesome from a boat its only fishing it backwards.

[iceintheveins]

Black skirted buzzbaits, black jitterbugs, big black spooks, big ol' black prop baits, and black spinnerbaits. Some guys do well with a big black skirted jig that rattles too. Burning a, you guessed it, BLACK lipless crank near the surface is an overlooked option. On really quiet nights when they are less active, a dark colored jointed minnow of at least 4" long is an alternative.

[BassDeaton01]

I am going on an all night fishing trip to Lake Wylie this weekend and I was reading about the Jitterbug yesterday. I was in Wal-Mart last night and decided to pick one up. Unfortunately they didnt have black so I got the darkest color they had. It is the green with the yello dots...looks like frog colors. Will this work at night?

[CWB]

The Rage Shad is an excellent bait for early morning, nightime.

Doesn't matter where you throw it like a buzzbait, it will make it back without junk hanging off it and most likely a fish. Another good bait I use is BPS Tornado. This bait throws out more vibrations than any other spinnerbait and can be buzzed on top as well. Big single bladed Colorado spinnerbaits are good also. Don't limit yourself to topwater either but that's where I would start.

[guitarkid]

I am going on an all night fishing trip to Lake Wylie this weekend and I was reading about the Jitterbug yesterday. I was in Wal-Mart last night and decided to pick one up. Unfortunately they didnt have black so I got the darkest color they had. It is the green with the yello dots...looks like frog colors. Will this work at night?

If you really have your heart set on black, go over to Wal Mart's paint section and get the 98 cent can of flat black spray paint.

                  -gk

[bassin is addicting]

I agree with everyone about the jitterbugs. That's my #1 night fishing topwater bait. I have caught some lunkers on them.

X2

[The_Natural]

Buzzbait!  Black skirt with a black blade.  This and a worm that moves a lot of water, i.e. a paddle tail worm, zoom speed worm, or zoom g-tail.  Large worms in general move water, so any 10" is great in the dark.  The buzzbait is what I'm throwing 90% of the time though.  

[K_Mac]

A rattling jig with a big trailer like a paca chunk sr. has worked well for me. Working a single colorado blade spinnerbait much like a jig with a lift and fall retrieve has also caught a lot of fish for me at night.

I think it was roadwarrior who once said fishing at night "is just like during the day, only darker." The only real difference for me is that it takes a lot more focus and attention to detail. Being on a lake after all the crazies or before they get there makes any challenges well worth the effort. Good luck.