Tried the baitcaster in pitch black dark this am at about 5:30. Not so good. Apparently I don't have the force, although I have been told I look llike Yoda. ;D However, after many overruns, I did get the hang of it. By the hang of it, I mean I went back to the spinning gear. I was spending too much fishing time clearing birdsnests. As the dawn approached, I went back to baitcaster and paid more attention to sound of reel during cast. I think that will help me next time. One can definitely hear reel winding down. Never noticed it before. Thanks for everyones input.

I just listen for the lure to hit the water and them thumb the brakes.

I pitch at nite with baitcaster and 7'6 flipin rod when you get use to doing it the bait leaves your hand and its low to the water and if you get god at pitchn you can send it out there pretty far and i dont use a black lite

I haven't had much trouble with backlashes at night, my troubles arise when I miscalculate the distance to the bank and put a super spook in the darn trees ;D :'(

agreed

Learning to do it with a bc at night is better than going to spinning gear imo. If you go to spinning gear you are going to cut out some of the best night time baits such as large spinners, buzzbaits, big topwaters, and 10-12'' worms. Practice doing it without looking in the daylight where you have more confidence, then when you get ready to try at night it will already be ingrained in your head and you will not need to think about it.

Worked on it exclusively yesterday morning at 5 am...still dark here in Ohio. Did much better than last weekend. Also, caught 4 fish, including one on the buzzbait. Good day all around. Thanks much to all who shared their knowledge.

It takes practice, I feather with my thumb more consistently at night especially at first.  As my confidence builds I find that it is no different than day time.  As another poster stated your ears become your eyes at night, you can hear the line playing out and just know when it is time to apply the thumb.  I bet you already know the sound of an overrun, listen to the reel, you do subconsciously already, that is why you can cast during the day.  As you get comfortable with it, you don't even think about it, you feather correctly, you know long before your eyes see the bait that the reel is slowing down, etc.  It is the same at night.

Easy for an old man to say ;D

Yep, and it gets harder every year.

I always thought that as men get older, there is a problem with it be let's say, "not as hard"

I don't have any problem at night unless I happen to hit something I didn't know was there.

The first two months I had trouble fishing at night with a baitcaster. Now I find it easy. I think you just need to get used to it.