I have fished a few day tournaments now and I am starting to get the hang of it, but does anyone have any advice for fishing one at night?

A black Jitterbug works good for me.

Gee, man I don 't know where you at but one good piece of advice down here is not to night fish, you can easily step on a rattlesnake or put your hand on a scorpion, them scorpions found in my neck of the woods are pretty poinsonous.

I put away weightless soft plastics at night. I know they catch fish, but if I can't see the line move I feel lost.

Favorite night fishing baits:

Jitterbug (black)

Spinnerbait (black w/big single copper blade)

Chatterbait (black)

Frog (black)

10" Powerbait worm, t-rigged & weighted (black)

One other thing, an led cap light is about all the light you'll need while night fishing. That and a regular flashlight are all the extra light I take. A billion candle power is nice, but you'll never develop any night vision.

Finally, only fish a lake you're familiar with, wear a PFD and go slow.

Fishing in Kentucky, Nolin Lake.  No scorpions that I know of, but we do have some copper heads.  I don't think they will be much of a problem, plus we will be in a boat.

Fish the same baits, same locations, and same techniques you would during the day. The only thing different I add to my repertoire at night is a Q-Beam!

One of the best baits I have found is a 1/2 to 5/8 black spinner bait with a single black nickle blade.

Or a jig and pig with a big rattle! :D

A big single bladed colorado spinnerbait is hard to beat for numbers and sometimes the bigguns will hit it.

but to me night fishing means topwaters.

big black jitterbug,

wake baits.

hollow body frogs.

buzzbaits.

poppers, walkers, chuggers, props, you name it.  If a topwater is EVER gonna work. Night time is the right time.

Black light, florescent line, black spinner bait with Colorado spoon = fish at night on ky lake.  

I put away weightless soft plastics at night. I know they catch fish, but if I can't see the line move I feel lost.

BLACK LIGHT!!!

After fishing a lot at night over the last month and missing a few fish, I finally broke down and bought a black light and changed my reels over to fluorescent line.

Well worth what ever you pay for it.

Burley and yet another line choice?

It might never end! LOL

My Dad ran a pot tournament for years when I was younger. they were in daytime in the spring and moved to nights in the heat of the summer. I LOVED fishing at night. Seemed like I had more patience and could feel fish better. I generally use pumpkin seed worms and finesse ones in brush piles. I tend to stick with the same old baits that I've been using since those pot tournaments but I usually catch fish  

I definitely agree about the black light. Just need a line that shows up good with it.

The problem with black lights is they make you cast only where they are shining, while the bass are 360 degrees around the boat.

I just got back in from night fishing. Tonight I used a wacky rigged senko, started with pumpkin with a chartreuse tail, then switched over to black with blue flake. Caught 8 fish from the bank in an hour and a half, all ranging in size from a half pound to three.  

Fish the same baits, same locations, and same techniques you would during the day. The only thing different I add to my repertoire at night is a Q-Beam!

Ditto

BLACK LIGHT!!!

Just don't stick your face too close to it for too long or you'll look like Burley  8-)

Just don't stick your face too close to it for too long or you'll look like Burley 8-)

Hey, I'm a sexy no fish-catching *****!  

The problem with black lights is they make you cast only where they are shining, while the bass are 360 degrees around the boat.

I've been fishing with a black light for awhile now, and I've never noticed this problem.  I guess if you did fall into this category you could just by two or three lights and have your own little rave. LMAO  

Wow, thanks for all the info.  I feel I can come up with a good game plan now.  My Uncle and I will be fishing this tournament on 7-14-07 I will post my results, hopefully they will be good.

Since I live in Arizona, it's either night fishing or no fishing, at least this time of year.  I pick a night(s) a few days before or after the full moon to get maximum light but even so, I'm kinda lost fishing without being able to watch my lure/line.  I find a colorado bladed spinnerbait to give me the best tactile feedback.  

My Dad ran a pot tournament for years when I was younger.

Haha, good times!!! Did he provide snacks too?  

skeeter repellant. ;D

One good thing about night fishing is you wont get a sunburn,  no jetskiers.

Night fishing will make you a better "feel" fisherman

What is a Q-Beam?

On the black lights can you get a lantern that will do the same thing?

Will green monofilament show up well at night?

Sorry for all the stupid questions but all these posts got me excited about doing some night fishing!!

Brinkman Max Million III 3,000,000 candlepower for lighting up buoy markers when running at night.  

carolina rig a BLACK BERKELY POWER WORM!!!!!!! works like a charm an a good black light helps alot also.

Will green monofilament show up well at night?

Nope.