The middle of the summer can be a tough time to go bass fishing. Besides the extreme heat, fishing can be challenging as the bass have slowed down with the hotter water temperatures. Plus, they've seen plenty of baits this far into the season and have become a little smarter with the pressure from spring until now. It can be harder to trick a bass to eat a lure during the day, but it can be easier once the sun goes down.
A straightforward solution to beat the heat and catch fish with their guard down is fishing at night. It's a fun change of pace and can lead to some great summertime fishing if you take the right gear and ensure you are ready for fishing in the dark.
Fishing After Dark
Many bass turn into nocturnal feeders and can be much easier to catch once the sun goes down, when they do most of their hunting for prey. Some believe that the biggest bass in any body of water feed mostly at night, which offers a great chance to see some giant bass when they are a little easier to target and fewer anglers are fishing for them.
One thing to remember when fishing at night is that it's not as easy, simply because everything you do takes more time to do things in the dark. This is why lighting is so crucial. Several lights are available to make things much easier, from headlamps and lamps that can suction onto your boat. Everything from tying on a new lure or moving around in the boat will take longer without proper lighting.
Some anglers prefer black lights, which do the trick without being too bright. There is also an added benefit with black lights if you are using some monofilament lines. The black light will give them a glowing look and make things much easier when casting, working your lure, and detecting bites at night.
One thing to pack with you besides the light is safety equipment, including wearing a life jacket when fishing. You can do this to keep yourself safe should you accidentally fall in. It's a simple thing you can do to protect yourself and ensure that you can keep fishing at night for years to come.
Baits to Bring
Fishing once the sun goes down can be simple, and a handful of lures work very well. One key thing to remember is to use lures that put off more noise and vibration, as this will help bass hone in on your bait.
These include noisy topwater lures like buzzbaits, walking topwaters, and oversized buzzing topwaters like the Deps Buzzjet Wakebait or Bass Mafia Hitman Wake Bait. For baits with added vibration, ChatterBaits and spinnerbaits with oversized Colorado blades will generate plenty of thumps and help attract bass. Many night fishing specialized spinnerbaits, including the Booyah Covert Night Time Spinnerbait, come with a large single Colorado blade for maximum vibration.
Another must-have is black lures, which sounds counterintuitive, but work very well in the dark. Everything from black soft plastics to jigs and topwater lures will be better for bass, especially when shown against moonlight. Dark colors are excellent for any lure that you will use at night.
When fishing soft plastics, don't be afraid to upsize your lure for more action and vibration. If you are used to using a 7-inch worm on a Texas-Rig, opt for a larger 10 or 12-inch version of baits like the Berkley Power Worm or Zoom Ol' Monster. The large size of these baits and the big ribbon tail will put off plenty of action that works well at night.
Besides the lure selection, fishing at night is very similar to fishing during the day, with many of your favorite areas likely to produce fish. One change is that you can fish very shallow, extremely shallow at times, and catch fish as bass search the shallows for their next meal.
Night Fishing Insights
Fishing at night can be very rewarding, but like fishing during the day, there will generally be feeding windows when the lake seems to come alive. Even when fishing all night, there are generally a few times when the fish decide to bite and others that can be slow. There is no rhyme or reason to it many times, but typically, the first hour after the sun sets can be slower as bass adjust to the dark skies.
Another significant difference between night and day is how bass will attack your lures. Fishing at night can generate some of the most ferocious bites you will get all season, as bass hit lures very hard most of the time.
While some safety equipment was listed above, safety can't be stressed enough when discussing night fishing. It should always be on your mind as you prepare for a trip and while on the water at night, because things can go wrong quickly without complete visibility.
That's why it's essential to try to fish with someone else and to take it easy when driving the boat. Some lakes do not allow for driving at full speed after dark or have very low speed limits, but either way, take caution anytime you are moving the boat, as obstacles and other boats can be anywhere in the dark.
Fishing at night is a fun way to fish that will challenge you to slow down, use your insights, and feel the fish, but it can be very rewarding to experience a good night bite. If given the chance, go fishing at night and see why it's a favorite approach for many anglers during the summer months.
