Plugging/Spinning at night

Thu Mar 07, 2013 2:21 pm

Not something I have given much time but plan to change that. Anyone done it much..? I have taken fish into darkness, mostly macks n pollock but last year my mate took a nice bass in the pitch black using a White shallow feed. :shock: I thought he was messing at first when he shouted fish on.

From my understanding the lure is best to be black and a slow retrieve works better.
Would appreciate any advice/help or tips on this subject.

Re: Plugging/Spinning at night

Thu Mar 07, 2013 3:45 pm

Gave it lots of trys last summer mixed results senses go electric in the dark. Lots of takes without even retrieving, mostly fished 3/4am untill full light. Cant wait to do it again

Re: Plugging/Spinning at night

Thu Mar 07, 2013 4:16 pm

Did quiet a bit on fly last year very productive. Same places/tide times as you would fish daytime. Seems the fish (bass) were nearer and more confident. Was using gurglers topwater in black. I would have fished rivers a lot for seatrout for many years and the same seems to apply if there is moonlight/clear sky black/dark is best if overcast /dark bright flies/lures best. Very exciting and productive fishing and it seems that we the angler are not as obvious in the dark go for it

Re: Plugging/Spinning at night

Thu Mar 07, 2013 5:36 pm

Not done much of it myself but a mate of mine in north Dublin has decent success.
He uses Jointed lures with nice slow retrieve is the trick.

Storm thunderstick, rapala jointed etc.

best of luck and post reports :D

Re: Plugging/Spinning at night

Thu Mar 07, 2013 5:40 pm

I started to do more of this towards the end of my season last year and I was kicking myself that I didnt start earlier in the year as it out fish my usual mark day nealy 3-1.Live and learn

Re: Plugging/Spinning at night

Thu Mar 07, 2013 7:57 pm

Get out there, Fantastic way to catch fish on lures. Often its the venues most people least suspect to produce that actually produce the most.

Re: Plugging/Spinning at night

Fri Mar 08, 2013 12:25 pm

http://www.henry-gilbey.com/blog/lure_f ... be_better_

The comments at the end are worth a look - more interesting than the article itself.

I'd agree on the comments re the moon and Dave Barhams comments that fish can sense lures without having to see them are spot on. Key at night would always be to fish lures slow and easy.

Eoghan - if you can stay out of Murphys pub try senkos or similar at low water and the flood. Lob 'em out and let them trundle down the tide. When it comes time to retrieve them do it painfully slowly to allow bass to home in - had some success with this there last year (albeit in daylight).

Re: Plugging/Spinning at night

Fri Mar 08, 2013 12:40 pm

Had three bass in three casts with this method, unbelievable, friends of mine think I'm joking when I tell them that the retrieve is so slow that its impossible to go any slower !! Will do loads this summer.......at night with floating plug.

Re: Plugging/Spinning at night

Fri Mar 08, 2013 2:34 pm

Steve wrote:http://www.henry-gilbey.com/blog/lure_fishing_for_bass_at_night_is_it_always_going_to_be_better_

The comments at the end are worth a look - more interesting than the article itself.

I'd agree on the comments re the moon and Dave Barhams comments that fish can sense lures without having to see them are spot on. Key at night would always be to fish lures slow and easy.

Eoghan - if you can stay out of Murphys pub try senkos or similar at low water and the flood. Lob 'em out and let them trundle down the tide. When it comes time to retrieve them do it painfully slowly to allow Bass to home in - had some success with this there last year (albeit in daylight).


A lot of the comments were against fishing on a full moon. the best Bass plugging session I have ever seen was from a member on this Forum on a full moon and he had a rake of Bass even a 10lb one. :?

Re: Plugging/Spinning at night

Fri Mar 08, 2013 2:41 pm

Thanks all for the info, much appreciated. Its definitly something we're going to give some propper attention to.

Steve : Thats the problem, in the past after fishing all day, darkness at 8, we have fisished up in the pub for 9 or so. But after seeing the bass my mate got last year we realsied we were missing a trick. We were walking back along the beach, got to the slip at the pub there and my mate said he wanted to try a cast. It was pitch black, no moon, pissing rain, tide almost flat out.

Re: Plugging/Spinning at night

Fri Mar 08, 2013 5:40 pm

"A lot of the comments were against fishing on a full moon. the best Bass plugging session I have ever seen was from a member on this Forum on a full moon and he had a rake of Bass even a 10lb one.."

That's the problem Anto - often fish are just switched on - I've had great sessions in blinding sunlight, when the solunar forecast predicted poor fishing, and fishing a beach that only fishes at high tide - except it was low tide..! Everything was wrong one particular day but I still had 9 in less than 2 hours.

Its easy to generalise but it does make sense to me that fish would feed more voraciously under cover of darkness and the darker the better as they would feel more comfortable out hunting. So, in theory, if you offered me a crystal clear night on a full moon, or a full moon but with massive cloud cover, I guess I'd personally be more confident with the cloud cover.

Unfortunately I don't get to try these things too often so don't have the proof to back that up that and its only a guess...!

Re: Plugging/Spinning at night

Fri Mar 08, 2013 6:30 pm

Until you cast a lure you just never know...! I have had a few session when you wouldnt have thought there would be no bass about. Thats why I love lure fishing, ye just never know when its gona stop dead in the water.

Re: Plugging/Spinning at night

Fri Mar 08, 2013 8:25 pm

Maybe fish shoal more at night? Shoaling predators would behave in a similar vain to seagulls at the seaside, when food is thrown on the ground, I'd imagine.

Re: Plugging/Spinning at night

Sat Mar 09, 2013 12:07 am

I have had great success fishing at night.

Slow retrieve. Black lure.

Simples :)

Re: Plugging/Spinning at night

Sat Mar 09, 2013 2:12 am

Could anyone please recommend the type of lures to use for Sea Trout at night ? I am thinking of the need for a slow retrieve in an estuary where the weed comes up to near the surface .
Many thanks .

Re: Plugging/Spinning at night

Sat Mar 09, 2013 9:32 am

Try these
http://www.henrystackleshop.com/product ... ts_id/2536

I've never been able to fish these slowly enough. They are hard to fish with, I'd love some tips from the experts out there

Re: Plugging/Spinning at night

Sat Mar 09, 2013 10:48 am

By chance the fishing adventurer was fishing for stripers at night with live eels. Caught some massive bass. Slow retrieve. Bass had clearly no prob picking up either the silhouette of the fish or the vibration.

Re: Plugging/Spinning at night

Sat Mar 09, 2013 11:54 am

Watched that same program last night too, huge bass. A mate of mine actually wont fish a particular bass mark until it gets dark, only then will he start casting lures and he does very well in the right conditions.

Re: Plugging/Spinning at night

Sat Mar 09, 2013 5:36 pm

Heh Jim your a fishing guide who is very busy,how come we seldom see you out fishing?

Re: Plugging/Spinning at night

Sat Mar 09, 2013 8:05 pm

For those of us wondering if lure fishing at night could be more productive......well I think we should take that hint....!!!!