Went to a somewhat local lake last night that I've always said is difficult to fish. I've heard others say the same thing. Decent clarity, lots of depth, and gets fished a good amount.

 

I'm convinced that the best time to go after bass is in the dark, at least in the summer.

 

There's an area that holds vertical timber as well as timber that is fully submerged that I think the DNR just threw in there. It's the most fishiest place you can imagine. I just had this gut feeling, like you could almost sense they were there. A couple big explosions on the top confirmed my gut feeling.

 

Not easy to fish though.

 

I tried a swim jig for a bit but got hung up and had to cut it loose. It was almost 1:00am by then so I called it a night.

 

I'm thinking, unless there are better suggestions, that topwater is by far the best.

 

Buzzbait? Frog? I could fish like a popper but I think I need a heavyish rod with heavy line. If I get a nice fish I'll need to get them out of the wood as fast as possible.

 

Anyone fish wood at night?

 

Thoughts?  

 

Thanks to all!

It sounds pretty darn awesome to me! I would be throwing texas rigs and spinnerbaits in there.

 

I've not done it a whole lot yet, but I've had some success pulling a weightless lizard across the surface, both during the day and at night.

 

I've had really good success not snagging spinnerbaits in wood. You can always use those cheap strike king promo spinnerbaits from walmart if hanging up becomes a problem.

 

You could always replace the treble hooks on a squarebill with single hooks. Maybe not use it all the time for fear of losing it.

You could try a Texas rigged weightless senko

trebles around wood is going to be a challenge in the daytime.  At night forget it.  For topwaters, a buzzbait is my primary night lure.  it is mostly snag free.  You can tell if the line or hook is fouled very easily as you're reeling it in.  The plopping sound at night just drives bass nuts.  it is a big fish bait anyway, and night fishing is about big fish for me.

 

A spinnerbait will fish well in timber at night.  Again, the constant reeling means that the arms will hit the wood first so unless you reel it into the Y of a branch you should be okay.

 

A brush jig is the other good choice.  One with a decent weed guard.  A swim jig with a lighter weed guard isn't going to be enough down in heavier timber.  You want an arkie style head with a full weedguard and then put a flatter bodied trailer on it, threaded up onto the hook.  Incidentally that's also a good skipping jig, not that you're doing that at night. It's a good timber jig though because it will slide up over branches instead of rolling on them.  Jig fishing at night is all about the feel though so on the retrieve just close your eyes and feel every branch and bump.

This is a great read.  It's a great primer to all things night fishing.

 

https://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/176285-night-bassing-~-a-jays-version/

We do a lot of night fishing here in the Roosevelt “jungle”, so I definitely feel your pain.

 

I would venture to say that the most common thing fished in summer night tournaments is still a 7” or 10” Power worm on a Texas rig. I still throw a lot of light spinnerbaits as well. The smaller profile 3/8 and 1/4 oz baits pull through the salt cedars easily. 
 

One of my buddies likes to throw a Fluke at night and has pulled in some nice fish doing so. 

Try a Trigged large Gene Larew salt craw in black or plumb they work good around here in timber and brush piles.

I always liked a lizard or a big ol' thumpin' spinner bait like the Jewel jolt in black/purple.

If you don't already have one I would recommend a black light.

 

 

Im sure its great cover, but unless those fish are super spooky, they should be willing to come off that wood a few feet in the dark, particularly if its holding baitfish.  Depending on how heavy the cover is, I would throw a blacked out cavitron, Top Toad, or rage toad once the sun starts to set and into the night.

I fish a lot of log jams and beaver dams with 3 basic baits used in tandem.  A T/Free rig, swimjig and a weightless t rig or backsliding bait on spinning gear.  With a spinning reel I can leave the bail open and let the bait glide as far into the cover as it can.  A high viz braid and a spinning rod with some power in the lower end is a must for me, so I can see the hit quickly, set the hook, and point the tip down and winch her away from the cover.

Spinnerbaits are great too, but you have to have the right one in cover.  Zorros Short arm aggravator works pretty good.  The shorter arm helps keep the profile down which helps it in tight spaces.  It has 2 wire guards on the head as well which help the bait slide off cover if it happens to turn sideways.

 

Double buzz bait puts out lots of vibration running slow, good at night.

Tom

 

On 7/18/2025 at 12:46 PM, HawkeyeSmallie said:

Anyone fish wood at night?

 

Nope. Too scary.

 

I hope you look like this to get those bass into your boat:

 

2 hours ago, GetFishorDieTryin said:

Im sure its great cover, but unless those fish are super spooky, they should be willing to come off that wood a few feet in the dark

Agreed. One of the great things about night fishing is that bass are far less committed to structure or cover as ambush points. In fact, they become reckless in open water, especially where schooling baitfish are set up whether that's super shallow close to the bank or above weed tops offshore.

On 7/18/2025 at 12:46 PM, HawkeyeSmallie said:

I'm convinced that the best time to go after bass is in the dark, at least in the summer.

I agree, however, I think there are higher percentage areas than wood to focus on, especially right now when bluegill/pumpkinseed are suicidally committed to their beds. Catch the right night-bite window and you will find bass tail-slapping their way out of the shallows after snatching gills off beds. Get a bait between bedding gills and bass and your reward will be great.

On 7/18/2025 at 11:46 AM, HawkeyeSmallie said:

Went to a somewhat local lake last night that I've always said is difficult to fish. I've heard others say the same thing. Decent clarity, lots of depth, and gets fished a good amount.

 

I'm convinced that the best time to go after bass is in the dark, at least in the summer.

 

There's an area that holds vertical timber as well as timber that is fully submerged that I think the DNR just threw in there. It's the most fishiest place you can imagine. I just had this gut feeling, like you could almost sense they were there. A couple big explosions on the top confirmed my gut feeling.

 

Not easy to fish though.

 

I tried a swim jig for a bit but got hung up and had to cut it loose. It was almost 1:00am by then so I called it a night.

 

I'm thinking, unless there are better suggestions, that topwater is by far the best.

 

Buzzbait? Frog? I could fish like a popper but I think I need a heavyish rod with heavy line. If I get a nice fish I'll need to get them out of the wood as fast as possible.

 

Anyone fish wood at night?

 

Thoughts?  

 

Thanks to all!

After all these years, I still score with a black Jitterbug.

I've done a lot of this. Honestly, it takes patience, and willingness to donate some tackle. You're gonna lose some tackle, and it helps to pack a bit like a minimalist to help keep your gear well organized. You're gonna spend a good amount of time rigging, and I prefer to make it as easy as possible. 

 

T-rigs, and soft plastic swimbaits are good options, as well as weedless topwaters. I fished a spot just like you described a few weeks ago. Couldn't buy a bite. My buddy started slapping them on jigs pitching up against the trees and in the log jams. Once I got dialed in it was lights out, but I burned though about a dozen jigs in a couple hours. 

 

Generally, I don't really change anything to fish at night. I beef up my leader a little bit because the fish are less spooky, and it helps to get your bait (and fish) out of snags. 

On 7/19/2025 at 7:50 AM, GreenTrout said:

My favorite night-time bass lure. I replace the trebles with double hooks. 

 

Tom

On 7/19/2025 at 7:50 AM, GreenTrout said:

 

Ya know, a couple of you mentioned the ole Jitterbug so I googled it.

 

I've never fished them before so I just "assumed" you twitched it like a popper.

 

Boy was I wrong.

 

Basically a wake bait it looks like.

 

Might have to grab me one.

Flippin rig, jig, slow rolled spinnerbait, toad.

14 hours ago, HawkeyeSmallie said:

 

Ya know, a couple of you mentioned the ole Jitterbug so I googled it.

 

I've never fished them before so I just "assumed" you twitched it like a popper.

 

Boy was I wrong.

 

Basically a wake bait it looks like.

 

Might have to grab me one.

Basically just a slow, steady retrieve. I like to randomly kill the retrieve, and usually get a strike right when I start moving again. 
 

If you leave the factory galvanized hooks on it, hit them with a file before using it - they are dull as can be. 

I've been following this thread. Don't know why. Here in Florida bass fishing after dark comes with issues... Even in a boat these guys get more aggressive and less passive at night and come after you, especially if you are splashing around with some fish is like ringing their dinner bell.

 

In a boat? Think you are safe? Better flip the fish into the boat and be wary of reaching down over the railing to reach down towards the water to grab your fish. Someone else might be right there to do the same... been there. Done that. I give these guys the night.

 

I primarily fish the Florida everglades at night solo out of a kayak, all night, all the time and basically fish it like I do during the daytime. Most of my focus is topwater because I get the big explosions that way….big explosions equal big fish! I make my own wooden jittrtbugs and use massive saltwater hooks on everything. All of my subsurface lures like chatterbaits and spinnerbaits use big trailer hooks. Yet as pointy as I fish, I hardly ever get a snag or break-off. Frankly, I can’t even remember the last snag or break- off that I’ve ever had out there. Only snags I get are giant bass lol Call it it a sixth sense or a second sense or whatever, it’s a feeling I can’t really describe that you learn to adapt to…..you know where to cast, how to cast, how far, shadows, moonlight, wind, sounds, all those factors are blended together to become the “light of the night.” 
 

Custom made wooden jitterbug with saltwater BKK hooks 

 

Launching into the abyss 

 

 

These gals feed at night and when they hit a topwater bait, it’s like a nuclear bomb going off! 

 

2 hours ago, FloridaFishinFool said:

I've been following this thread. Don't know why. Here in Florida bass fishing after dark comes with issues... Even in a boat these guys get more aggressive and less passive at night and come after you, especially if you are splashing around with some fish is like ringing their dinner bell.

 

In a boat? Think you are safe? Better flip the fish into the boat and be wary of reaching down over the railing to reach down towards the water to grab your fish. Someone else might be right there to do the same... been there. Done that. I give these guys the night.

 

Out in the everglades, I have less issues with gators at night than I do during the daytime. In fact, I look for them because not only are they easier to see but, most importantly, to find the gators is to find the fish! 

18 hours ago, HawkeyeSmallie said:

 

Ya know, a couple of you mentioned the ole Jitterbug so I googled it.

 

I've never fished them before so I just "assumed" you twitched it like a popper.

 

Boy was I wrong.

 

Basically a wake bait it looks like.

 

Might have to grab me one.

 

A jitterbug is the original wake bait.  In the smaller sizes they get a little twitchy about the retrieve speed, but when you get up to the 3" ones or the musky jitterbug (which isn't that big at all) they are more forgiving.  

53 minutes ago, casts_by_fly said:

 

A jitterbug is the original wake bait.  In the smaller sizes they get a little twitchy about the retrieve speed, but when you get up to the 3" ones or the musky jitterbug (which isn't that big at all) they are more forgiving.  

The largest Jitterbug ever made was the Musky Jitterbug from around 1940 or so. It was 4 1/2 inches long and weighted 1 1/2 oz. and had 3 treble hooks (most Jitterbugs have 2) It is no longer made. The largest currently available is the Jitterbug XL which is 4 1/4 inches long and weighs 1 1/4 oz. with 2 treble hooks. There was a company that made a knock off of the Jitterbug that was almost 6 inches long and weight over 2 oz (I used to have one of them), but I cannot remember the name of the company. I lost mine while trolling it at dusk and something VERY large ate it and broke (cut) me off. I think the lure may have been designed to use in saltwater, but I am not sure. The hooks looked like saltwater hooks.  I found it at a swap meet years ago and paid $5.00 for it.

The Musky wooden Jitter bug can still be found on wooden lure Webb sites.

Need to replace the hook hangers with screw eyes, split rings and premium size 2/0 treble hooks*. 
The reason I suggested and still suggest the double buzz bait ( Picasso make a good one) is any top water treble hook lure will get snagged in underwater brush when a big bass dives with the lure. The buzzer is a single hook lure better in wooded areas or surface cover at night.

Tom

* Gammy Big Bait 

22 minutes ago, WRB-2.0 said:

The reason I suggested and still suggest the double buzz bait ( Picasso make a good one) is any top water treble hook lure will get snagged in underwater brush when a big bass dives with the lure. The buzzer is a single hook lure better in wooded areas or surface cover at night.

Tom

 

 

Thanks for the added tip.

 

Yes, this particular place has a ton of wood under the surface.