I fish more at night than I do at day and some years its 90%-10% day. It's my favorite time to fish any time of the year.
For bass what I look for is water temps to hold in upper 50's-low 60's over night then I will start fishing. Sometimes that is in March or April depending on weather. Remeber its water temps not air that you're watching. Be prepared to get cold and once dew/fog sets in colder especially running around the lake. I will typically layer up then throw my Frogg Toggs on over as they are light and protect me from wind and moving around on a damp boat.
This is my typical fishing through fall once the water hits those temps again. Early in the year you'll catch more good fish than small ones and it will level out during summer then fall swing back to better fish again. March, April and October have gave me more 4,5,6lbers at night than the other months it seems.
I use no light at all unless changing baits. Your eyes will adjust eventually as you cover the same areas you can cast just as well as daytime.
Lures think more along the lines of appealing to the fish's lateral line and smell not visual unless its a full moon. Darker colors will give a better object to pick up against the light that available at night but not a must. A shad doesn't become black a night yet they still find them and eat them. Think Vibration-Sound-Scent-Color in that order picking baits.
Be sure to have a back up plan for trouble as you're not guaranteed to meet someone else out there. Also, night fishing is not the time to go check out that cove up lake where you haven't been in the daytime either. No where you are, going and how to get back.
Wear your PFD and Kill Switch as we are supposed always but you know how that goes sometimes. Night is not one of those times especially if your alone.
|