Night fishing tips for success

When I first started to get serious about angling, I was working second shift and often wouldn't be able to hit the water until 10:00 PM, sometimes even later.  Like many anglers, I couldn't scratch the itch and began to get a bit crazy, so I decided that I would try night fishing.

I was met with great success, but there are things about night fishing - such as breaking off, getting hung up, missing strikes, wild beavers, and many more things that can make the experience frustrating.  In light of knowing many other anglers are probably in a similar situation, I have decided to write a guide with a few pros, cons of night-fishing, along with and some tips for fishing during the darkest hours of the day.

The Pros of Night-Fishing:

Many species of game fish continue to eat during the night.  In fact, these hours are usually even better on highly pressured bodies of water.  Bass, for instance, have windows of time during the night when their eyesight is much better than that of their prey.  I am a firm believer in the fact that gamefish know when there are people in the area and when it is quiet and safe to feed. The answer to the age-old question, "Do fish sleep?" Is a resounding NO!  But… they do everything else at night including hunting and foraging.

During the nighttime, Bass and other ambush fish also come unglued from their usual structural haunts to roam more freely.  Most agree that night time provides them relief from their predators such as eagles and other, bigger gamefish.  Due to this, you may find them in places you usually wouldn’t see them during the day.

Many gamefish, Bass especially, when they reach a certain size and weight (around 5+ lbs.) begin to behave differently than their smaller brethren.  This is probably because the strategies that they adopted to become successful in their particular ecosystem are becoming solidified as they age.  For many successful fish who have never been caught, the reason may simply be that they hunt at night, or during times when no one is trying to nail them to a wall.

Although some gamefish have better eyesight during the night than many would expect, they are still handicapped by it.  Not only does this force them to rely heavily on their lateral lines to "feel" for prey, but it also mitigates their ability to get an accurate look at the lure and determine that it may not be food.  Using reaction-style lures at night can be incredibly productive.

The Downside of Night-Fishing:

Night has its drawbacks too.  It isn't for the faint of heart.  It can be scary out there alone for the bravest of us and frustrating to the most patient. Not every night is conducive to fishing, and nighttime can also be downright dangerous if you are not prepared.  Bugs, mosquitoes, and other nasties come out in force at night.  Bug spray is almost a must-have.  Tying and retying lines and lures can be difficult and getting hung up at any serious depth results in an almost guaranteed break off.  Birds-nesting a Baitcaster, or casting into a branch, can quickly ruin a peaceful night.  And… just wait until you hook your first bat that thought your rattle-trap flying through the air was a big, juicy bug.

It's a different world out there at night.  Consider these things and if you haven't before… get out there at least once, you don't know what you're missing.  If you think you're the type that would enjoy it… you probably are.

Tight lines and fish on!