We’ve discussed some of the factors in night fishing up to this point. Now let’s get down to where the rubber meets the road and get specific in terms of strategies and lure selection so that the uninitiated can jump in with both feet and start catching some fish!
I always make it a point to get to the water at least an hour before sunset. The time will differ depending on how large the body is as well as how familiar I am with it. If I’ve been there several times and have a good lay of the land, or lake in this case, I don’t need as much time to figure out where I’m going to start.
Conversely, if I haven’t fished a given location very often, I will take more time to assess where to start.
Locating Bass
One thing that tends to be fairly consistent when fishing after dark is the fact that bass will move closer to shore as they begin their feeding ritual. They may be targeting schools of baitfish or crawfish or other prey but they will do so more often than not in the shallows.
The process that we find to be the most productive in identifying where to fish is similar to what you do during the day. We are looking for hard and soft edges that bass can use as ambush points as well as elements of cover where they can lie in wait.
The biggest difference is that as we’re looking for these, we are making mental notes of landmarks, or marking them on the electronics— so we can stay on line with this structure and the various angles that come into play when fishing something like a flat, fallen or submerged timber, rip-rap or other features. While you don’t have to be surgical with your casts, you do want to focus on a given area.
The fact is that, in the dark, bass will tend to wander more than during the day which actually makes it somewhat easier for the angler. As long as you’re in the general area your chances of getting bit are substantially higher. So focus on areas to fish as opposed to specific places.
The angler fishing after sun down needs to remember that color plays a greatly reduced role in lure selection at night. Profile, size, and contrast are much more important.
You get these elements right and you’re in for some of the most bone-jarrin’, drag screamin’, rod bustin’ strikes you’ll experience. Not to say that every bite is going to be monumental but, in my experience, I have caught some of the biggest, meanest, most angry fish after the sun goes down.
Night Fishing Lure Selection
Typically, my lure selection is easy. I like to have a top-water bait like the Spook One-Knocker tied on for open water adjacent to grass, weeds or lily pads. For throwing in the middle of muck, I will have either a hollow body frog or a Flip in the Bird lure on another rod.
Both of these rigs will have braided line on them and the sticks will either be medium heavy or heavy action rods to handle the stress of pulling big fish out of cover. I’m not going to bore you with stories of fishing trips past, but I will say that one of the only times I was convinced that some part of my rig was going to fail was at night, fishing a frog and having to pull an absolute cow out of cover.
Netbait BK
For a search bait I like to use a soft plastic swimbait like the Netbait BK. I rig this on a Mustad Power Lock Plus hook with the hook point tex-posed into the back of the lure. I have yet to fish for bass where there are no small fish of some kind that represents prey.
The BK is similar in shape to any number of baitfish as well as having the added bonus of a tail that moves a lot of water which draws the attention of hungry bass even in the dark. Add to that the ability of this lure to be rigged weed-less and you’ve got a versatile, effective search tool for night time bassing.
Another favorite of ours is a soft plastic jerk bait. I like the Strike King Caffeine Shad in the five inch version due to its relatively stout weight and simple colors. Remember, profile is the key after sundown.
Another effective bait is a craw imitation. You can fish these any number of ways with our most effective retrieve being dragging along the bottom with short intermittent hops.
Basic dark colors have produced the most fish for us and you can add a worm rattle to the package to make a little noise. The key in my opinion is to use a craw that has claw appendages that move water. This triggering quality will get your offering noticed which is what happens just prior to the strike.
One last bait that we always have tied on for late night fishing is a swim jig. You can put any trailer you want on it. Whether that be a craw, a chunk, the south end of a north bound swimbait, a double tail grub or whatever you choose.
We prefer the Dirty Jigs Swim Jig in dark colors for this duty and tend to use the lighter versions so that we can keep them moving through grass and other vegetation without the worry of getting snagged.
That’s about all you need to get started. I hope that these articles will push some folks over the edge and get them out to the lake to witness first-hand how much fun midnight bassin’ can be.
Don’t Be Afraid Of The Dark!
When the sun goes down and all you’ve got to rely on is the feel in your hands for information, the force of any strike seems to get magnified. Add to that the surprise factor of not seeing the fish until you land it and it truly is a unique experience.
Oh, and don’t forget your flashlight!
See ya’ on the water …