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Any of you enjoy night time bass fishing as much as I do?

I enjoy the peace and calmness of the water after all the boats and seadoos have been put to bed. I catch a lot of fish on top water and plastics during the night.

What all do you enjoy or use to catch the late night lunkers?

Roger,

I spent one summer fishing for those nite time lunkers. Every Thurs., Fri., and Sat. nite I would head out to the lake (starting at 10pm and finishing at 7am). I do have to agree that you can catch more and bigger fish than during the day time hours. My number one lure was a buzz bait. It was so peaceful to be on the lake alone--except for the owls. That was a summer to remember........

Roger, I too love to fish at night, but must do it in Missouri. We have to be off the Iowa lakes by 10:30 p.m. I have fished Bull Shoals many nights. I prefer to use a black jig tipped with a black six inch Uncle josh pork Eel. When that jig slides down the side of a steep bluff, and you feel that kerthump it just stops your heart.Many fish are caught in shallow water, but during August I've taken bass at sixty feet on purple paddle tail worms, when it's absolutely black everywhere. I tend to sit down more. fish slower and relax more at night than during the daylight. The air is cool, the gentle slap of the water against a bluff or side of the boat has a calming effect on me that's very much needed at times. Night tournaments are not so relaxing, but still great fun. Thanks for bringing this subject up, brings back fond memories and future plans. Johnnie Crain, Iowa.

As with Johnnie, my night time fishing has been Bull Shoals Lake.
My favorite lures are black or black/blue spinnerbaits and jigs. A black tube will also do a fairly good job at times, as will a black plastic worm. In fact, a large, 10" black ribbon tail worm, can turn some big boys in the summer.
Best of fishing,
Dan

We fish a workingmans tournaments here and most of them start at around 6 and end a 1000 at night. Its a lot of fun. Yes I love fishing after dark. There are alot of lighted boat hoses here on the lakes and the fishing around them can be awsome. I don't actually fish under the lights but out in the shadows. Think about that for a second. We all know about fishing edges. Edges of grass, brush and mud lines. Well think of the light and shadow as edges and you can see what I mean. Alot of white bass and small bass hang right under the light but those biguns hang out there in the shadows waiting for one them small ones to venture out of the light.

Favorite baits are Zara spooks in black as well as a big ole black Buzz Bait, and black Jitter Bug. When those fail to produce I like the 10" Blue fleck worm rigged almost weightless. I just stick a heavy nail in it and let it sink really slow. Good way to fish it is cast it to the bank and let it sink and sit, let it sit there till you cant stand it anymore and then let it set a little longer, then rip it up off the bank let it settle and do it all over again.

Conley, great answer! While I have fished lighted docks etc. I never thought of the shadow approach, man-I love this site!! Johnnie

Thanks Jonnie,

I forgot to mention about skipping those big 10" power worms up under the docks into the shadows created by the dock itself. When that worm skips up under there it gets the attention as something is trying to get away. We have all seen bait fish flee from predetors when they come to the top skipping across the surface trying to get away. The big worm or even a fluke rigged weightless and skipped up under there. MOst of the strikes I get happen right after the bait stops skipping and starts to sink. Its a lot of fun. It works really good right in the light itself but I tend to catch alot of short fish that way too.

Something else I have done with success it to rig a small crappie jig in front of the Fluke and cast it and work it like a jerk bait. Looks just like a small fish chasing a smaller fish .Bass can't handle it.

You might also try the boat ramps because most of them are lit up too. I have caught some nice fish just seconds after a boat had launched and the water was still boiling from the motor.

Conley

Conley, great stuff. Do the bass take the crappie jig or the fluke more frequently? I fish lots of boat ramps during the day and have won tournaments while boats were using the ramps. I think the motor stirs up the algae and plancton then the minnows get active then the bait fish get active, then the bass get active, then I get active. Love them boat ramps. Johnnie

Mister Twister 11" Phenom worm-Black