Night fishing

[hawg hunter]

Hello guys I've done lots of bass fishing but never at night. I am looking for some advice on how other anglers deal with the lack of visibility in casting and maneuvering with the trolling motor. Do you guys plug lights into the boat batteries for casting. Any advice or tips would be greatly appreciated. I'm heading out to Lake Alan Henry in west TX friday and with the heat and boat traffic I'd like to explore the night fishing thing. Plus you don't get those goofy racoon-eyed sunglasses tan. LOL. I'm sure everyone hates that as much as I do.

Thanks again

Robert

[johnnie crain outdoors]

Good advice from Nunz. I like to arrive just before dark and let my eyes adjust naturally, plus get a look around before dark. Judging distance at night is difficult, not only for casting distance, but more importantly boat handling.Slow way down and be extra cautious when running. A good spot light helps, but can impair judgement as to distance, in my experience, everything is closer than it appears. All our senses become hightened after dark. Our eyes aren't as good, but our hearing gets better. I once thought I was seeing the state line marker on Bull Shoals, MO./ARK, but it was a beer can on the bank, I barely got shut down in time. Again, be careful and have fun. I too prefer dark colors at night. Black spinnerbait with black blades. Large black worms or lizards. Brown crankbaits with rattles. A black on black jig & pig is also great. Good luck, Johnnie

[johnnie crain outdoors]

P.S. I almost forgot-don't forget to try fishing around lighted boat houses at night, I've done very well doing that. The lights attract insects, the insects attract bait fish, bait fish attract bass, bass attracts us!!

[mofish]

Night fishing is great!! I am like Jonnie I like to arrive before darkness falls and adjust with the darkening of night. I like to get to the place I am going to be fishing and get familure with the surroundings before it gets to dark to see. It helps if you fish the area during the day also. that way you know what there that you could run into. I also like throwing alot of weedless baits that way if my cast does hit the bank I'm not tangled in the brush and can get the rig back. Hard to beat a jitter bug worked SLOWLY across the surface at night and a big black spinnerbait with a large colorado blade on it. Jig and pig and a 10" power worm are also great baits to throw. Black lights work well at night. If you use clear blue floresent line it will show up like a well rope with the black lights on, but were it enters the water it will disappear. Also throws out a little light for you to see. When using flash lights or spot lights, put a red lens on and it will save your night vision. Learned that in the ARMY. Plus it wont spook the fish.

And for goodness sakes for safety let someone know were you will be and what time you plan on being back. WEAR THAT LIFE JACKET you never know what you will run into that could throw you out of the boat. Sure would hate to see that happen.

[Capn jack duggins]

I can't believe some of you veterans didn't mention the BPS black light and flourescent GOLD Stren!

Ten lb. test gold looks like 1/4" rope at night with a black light and you can see your line jump better than in the daylight. I like worm fishing at night but even topwater can be a blast at night.

You can see where your line is all the time and of course your lure will be where the line ends.

[brendanc]

Capt Jack,

My cousin Joe has his champoin rigged up with a black light system. I'll have to pass your tip along about the gold stren.

Personally, I like to fish in complete darkness... it makes you really focus on feel.

[hawg hunter]

Thanks for all your help. I will try the gold stren with my senkos. I didn't think that i'd be able to watch my line while my senko fell. That will be a big advantage due to Alan Henry being a heavily pressured lake. The bites are very subtle. Just an extra tick or two in the line on the fall. I'm very anxious to run a buzzbait through all that thick west texas brush. If anyone is anywhere near w. texas I recommend stoping at lake alan henry. #1 in the share a lunker program for all of texas. see for yourself at lakealanhenry.com Again thank you for all the good advice

Robert

[carl]

I have to throw my two cents in. First, a little about night vision from an old Vet. It takes the human eye about 20 to 30 minutes to develope night vision. I don't remember how it goes but the rods and cones in the eye--one of them becomes dominate and we're able to see better at night. Any white light will negate that night vision, and the process starts all over again. I installed a switch under the front seat so I can shut off the stern light, while fishing the shore. If I hear someone coming I turn it on. Red light preserves night vision, so I cover my flashlite with red filters. You can use red plastic, or buy a military flashlite at an Army surplus store. Secondly SAFETY. Always wear a life jacket while running, and slow down. Last year I was night fishing a lake I know very well. While I was fishing a light fog developed on the lake. I was running back to the launch when I became disorinted. I was going north instead of going east. I was running at full speed when I saw a buey, so I shut down, and drifted in to buey. The bueys ring the spillway at the damn. If I hadn't been paying attention I would have gone over the spillway and dropped about a hundred to the bottom. Scared the living daylights out of me. I'll never even take my hoemlakes for granted again. Carl