The Kid did a great job of laying out how bass see after dark. This adaptation to their eyesight, in conjunction with other specialized sensory systems, afford them the ability to hunt very efficiently after the sun goes down. Using a little of that information will help you get started with your night fishing.
We have had several questions from readers who have yet to take the plunge, not literally of course, into night time bass fishing. I have to tell you, from experience, that fishing in the dark can be some of the most fun an angler can have whether they are on the deck of a boat or on the shore of a pond.
For most of us, myself included, fishing isn’t just about catching fish. It’s also about spending time away from the distractions of electronic devices, enjoying a small measure of solitude for the sake of tranquility, spending time with family and friends and any number of other reasons that generally speaking, are aimed at slowing down our usual pace for some period of time.
Fishing at night provides this in spades but does come with some inherent challenges. Some folks are intimidated by these considerations so we are going to attempt to give you a comprehensive list of items and strategies that will make your first night fishing trip easier in the hopes that you’ll discover how enjoyable and productive it can be and ultimately plan several trips per season for the wee hours.
One of the main reasons to embark on a night fishing excursion is to take advantage of the decreased angling pressure. Let’s face it, there just aren’t all that many folks who are going to compete with you for a spot on the lake after dark. This means that you have more opportunity to fish all the best spots thoroughly before moving to the next. But I’m getting ahead of myself.
First Things First, Your Clothes
Okay, you’ve decided to give it a try and you’re wondering what to do next. The first thing that I always do is make sure that I’m prepared in the clothing department. Yup, you have to think ahead and anticipate what it’s going to take to stay comfortable. Because you’ll be fishing in the dark, there are a few things that might surprise you. One being the amount of buggy critters that are nocturnal.
When these guys come out to party, the best defense is to have as little skin showing as possible. I like to have a long sleeve, light weight shirt on that buttons snugly around the wrists so that creepy crawlers can’t get under the cuff and crawl up my arms. After all, you never know where they might eventually end up!
I also insist on wearing long pants, close toed shoes and socks. Same reason. I really don’t want to give any of these pests any more chance to do their thing on me than is possible. The close toed shoes are very important.
If you’re fishing from the deck of a boat at night and have several rods laying around, there is an increased chance of you stepping on or stubbing your toe on a lure with a hook exposed. This can really put a damper in your trip if you have to take the time to remove it from your toe. If you’re walking the shore with something like sandals at night, the first time you accidentally kick a rock or tree root or have some unidentified crawly thing using your foot to sharpen their incisors, you’ll regret that decision.
Keep The Bugs Away
Another really handy item to have with you is some good quality bug juice. I have yet to find a way to stay completely covered up. I prefer the 3M Ultrathon for those random patches of skin that have no other protection.
You should always have a quality first aid kit handy for the occasional accident. These are fairly inexpensive but are invaluable when needed. Getting a cut and bleeding all over your equipment, clothing and yourself does not improve your chances of catching more or bigger fish. At least it’s never worked for me.
A hat is another essential for night fishing. You may never wear in one during the day but you’ll be glad that you do at night. Keeping your dome covered will help prevent not only injury but can also keep weird, random stuff that has fallen seemingly from nowhere, out of your hair. This sounds weird but I can’t count how many times something from above has hit the bill of my hat that after identification, I wasn’t really relieved to have avoided having it on my melon.
A Few Other Items
Two pieces of equipment that you’ll want to have on your person that I consider absolutely critical are a good flashlight and a quality pair of needle-nose pliers. I carry a mini-mag on my belt every night fishing trip. We’ve talked about this particular flashlight before and brought up the fact that between its LED light, which doesn’t alter color like standard bulbs do and it’s adjustable beam, it is in my opinion, one of the best flashlights out there for fishing.
The Leathermen pliers I prefer not only have long ends on them but, like the light, have a case that threads onto my belt. This makes them easily accessible after landing a fish and provides a convenient place to put them when not in use. Of course the additional tools that are standard on these pliers are just icing on the cake when you need them.
Now that we’ve covered the basics, we’ll get into depth with strategies and lure preferences in our next “night fishing” article.
See ya’ on the water …