Night fishing is a little harder than fishing when the sun is bright. However, it is common throughout the reservoirs of the south and southeast when the summer months are too uncomfortable to fish for an entire day. The water will usually be so warm that the fish will go deeper and deeper from the surface to find more oxygen, making them harder to catch. Many people night fish as a hobby, but take extra safety precautions and be prepared for anything.
Generally, bass fishing is the most common type of night fishing. Since bass are slow-moving and they do not migrate long distances, you should be able to locate them at the same locations during many parts of the day. If you have a certain fishing spot, they should still be there at night as well. The fish will also find spots near manufactured structures and anywhere that crawfish may be in abundance.
Typically, you will want to use a heavier tackle at night than you would during the day. Since sight is limited, you will have to rely on the feel of the lure to determine whether you have a bite. Some of the lures that have been proven to give results are hair jigs, pork rinds, and rubber jigs.
When preparing for your night trip, you need to take some extra measures that you may not necessarily think about for a day trip. You should check the weather beforehand. When visibility is limited, you do not want to be caught in the rain or deep fog. You also need to make sure that your boat is in working order. The last thing that you will want is to break down at night.
You should be well aware of what you have and do not have in your tackle and toolboxes. Light sources are important to night fishing. Many anglers will use “black lights” and some sort of fluorescent line. When the line is under the blacklight, it will have a neon glow and make subtle movements more visible. At the very least, you should have extra flashlights and a mounted light on your boat. You want to keep yourself safe and visible to other boats that may be night fishing at the same time.
Bass fish do not have great vision, so they will rely on their sense of smell during the night. Your objective is to create a smell of food or wounded prey. A popular method during night fishing is to create a chum line. If you are not comfortable trolling a chum line, you may want to consider live bait. Be prepared that some larger species of fish are going to be looking for a free meal as well.
Another thing you cannot forget when you go out for any fishing trip is a first aid kit. If for some reason, you so much as cut your finger, you will need to have supplies ready and in reach. You need to wear your life jacket at all times when you are fishing at night. Don’t forget your insect repellent because mosquitoes are looking for a free meal, too.
