Plugging/Spinning at night

The results of a night fishing escapade.....

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wow that's some bass, was it a rocky ground or a beachs ground you fished. Not wanting to give your mark away so if you don't want to say no problem.but would you mind saying what lure you used. . ? Massive fish well done.

As a person who angles for bass for a living, putting customers on fish is a priority. Planning for every long term trip that a customer makes is very detailed and I will include the ‘option’ to fish at night time. Some people respond to this and will take the option, often much more so after they have experienced one night session.

Some weeks of the year during a season in Wexford, especially during august, some moon phases can at times prove very difficult during daytime. Fishing at night during a full moon at this time often takes away some of the pain!

I find that fishing over the change from dark to light and from light to dark when the tide is ‘fitting optimally’ is still one of our magic times. I will consciously apply this to the fishing EVERY time it’s possible and especially when the customer is willing to take it – it’s not possible to do it all week though!
Personally when I’m fishing I fish a LOT at night, by myself (I have a problem spooking myself though a lot of the time)

Shallow water fishing (I’m talking less than 18 inches) in developing tidal conditions, fast moving water, is often where you can’t take many fish during the day but at night you will find locations like this and many many others will open up and produce.

Dead drifted flies or dead drifted weightless, rigged weedless softlures, surface lures, poppers and walkers all work to deadly effect – bass can’t see colour after a point in time on the rhythm so, contrast, water movement, profile, and sound often play an increased role in attracting them.
Sometimes it requires more from you as an angler as the fish are at times at rod length – noise, lights, careless activity can spook them under certain conditions at other times a pack of happy swimming Labradors wouldn't bother them.

In order of preferences my own, and not necessarily cast in stone or in order because these elements are inter dependent - and it’s also not the same for anyone else

1. Tide
2. Light or darkness (including daylight levels)
3. Wind strength, direction and longevity
4. Weather influences previous five days (baro) – this could be point 2
5. Water temp and air temp
6. Wave type – none, small, medium – too big!
7. Depth and location type tied to 3 and 4 and 5 and hence 6
8. Air temperature
9. Arriving weather pattern if rapid – could be point 1!
10. Gear

Rory – planes fall out of the sky at a particular speed – a blimp will remain in the sky even when stopped!

Hard to follow that Jim, thanks for taking the time to write that. Covers it all.
Just over 6 weeks to go. The low water will be approx 11pm at night, perfect. I have an ideal mark that fishes 2 hours either side of low. Its great during daylight, be good to see what its like at night. It will be late April and Bass could be sporadic to say the least so I wont judge it on that alone but I will fish it hard and see.

BTW - Whats the Plane/Blimp reference all about..??

:shock: wow that's some Bass, was it a rocky ground or a beachs ground you fished. Not wanting to give your mark away so if you don't want to say no problem.but would you mind saying what lure you used. . ? Massive fish well done.

Dan that fish, a 10.5lber, was caught a number of years back at a rock mark in complete darkness. The lure was a Maria Chase Holo....retrieved extremely, extremely slowly. Hope that helps.

Btw, that was following a tip off from JimH, through a friend.

Pats fish is a MAJOR example of what can happen at night when fishing for bass. I think maybe more so than during daylight hours you just need to be that little bit more confident and believe in yourself and lure / method whilst staying safe and fishing effectively.

I have a friend who likes to fish at night from time to time. He uses a flash minnow 130 MR Sp in WHITE! This is what he reckons

1. Its big and pushes a lot of water (nearly six inches)
2. It has a ‘broad / heavy’ swimming action and – pushes a lot of water!
3. The fish can see it – big profile and white
4. He can swim it really slowly
5. It holds well in tough conditions

Meanwhile I like to believe in darker flies at night and this gives me confidence. Irrespective of what the fish see – my friend is happy and catches fish, I’m happy and catch fish and I bet loads of other people catch at night with many different things – it doesn't mean we all have to go out and buy flash minnow MRs!

BUT - believe in what you do and think each next cast is to a super big fish like Pats.

BTW - Whats the Plane/Blimp reference all about..??

Retrieve speed Eoghan. I asked earlier about fishing the kinetic salty magic minnow.

One thing that has sprung to mind, do bass take lightly in the dark..? Any tentative takes or is it business as usual..?

One thing that has sprung to mind, do Bass take lightly in the dark..? Any tentative takes or is it business as usual..?

No more tentatively than they do on occasions in daylight but certainly a lot more violent on occasions. Had some rod wrenching takes a lot of times, often in shallow water close in.

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One thing that has sprung to mind, do Bass take lightly in the dark..? Any tentative takes or is it business as usual..?

Big fish tend to take tentatively, and even at the early stage of the fight it might seem hat you have a smaller fish on....until they go bananas!