What’s more exciting than fishing? Fishing at night! If you’re all geared up to go out on the water with your tackle, bait, and rods, then the only thing left is to get some great night bass fishing tips!
The best night bass fishing tips come from understanding a bass fish’s habits during the night. Fish for bass in their hunting locations, which are drop-offs near the shallow water, using vibrating lures and timing your trip during dark nights.
In this article, we’ll cover the best times and seasons to go out and catch bass after the sun goes down, the best locations, and even the best equipment! Let’s dive into the most useful night bass fishing tips!
Top Night Bass Fishing Tips
The most important things to remember about fishing for bass at night include the following:
- Come Prepared
- Find the Best Fishing Location
- Let the Moon Work For You
- Stay Patient
- Don’t Use Colored Lures
- Fish Safely
Let’s take a deeper dive into each of these tips, so you know how to use your time on the water to the max, catching as many big bass as possible before the sun comes up!
Come Prepared
Perhaps the most important part of bass fishing at night is to come prepared. Bringing all of your fishing gear and then sorting out what you actually need in the dark, on the water, could turn out to be a frustrating waste of time. Therefore, shoot for being as prepared as possible, bringing only the essentials before you set out into the night!
Below is a list of the primary things you’ll need to catch bass once the day has ended:
- Rods – Expert fisherman Fred McGlintock makes sure his lures are pre-rigged to more than one rod before he goes out at night, and it’s a good practice! However, no matter how many rigged rods he brings, he recommends a stiff, seven-foot graphite rod so that you can feel the bass’ light nibbles, but the rod won’t break easily!
- Lure; Bait– It is recommended that a type of ‘loud’ lure is used for bass fishing, especially at night. Try a spinner bait blade or a jig, as long as each is topped with a chunk trailer. Jitterbugs, prop-baits, and buzz baits are all excellent lures to use at night!
- Light; Line – These are paired together because it is a great advantage to get yourself a large spool of blue or clear monofilament in the fluorescent variety and then light it up with a blacklight! Some models can be hitched to the back of a boat and light up a 360-degree radius, making your line easily visible in the dark.
- Headlamp – A headlamp for yourself that has the added benefits of being waterproof and durable in case of accidents will come in tremendous handy when you’re working with your hands or fighting to reel a tough bass in.
- Hook – The hooks that you’ll use can either win you bass or cost you a bass, especially at night! Use a straight shank hook when fishing for bass in heavy cover or an offset round bend hook for a more multi-purpose hook, equal to almost any type of fishing!
- Rod Bells – Even with the use of the glow-in-the-dark lines and lights mentioned above, it can be hard to know exactly when a fish is biting in the still of the night. Sometimes, a simple rod bell clipped to the end of a pole can come in huge handy when it’s time to set a hook!
With these items prepared beforehand, you’ll have less to worry about when you get out on the water at night.
Find the Best Fishing Location
In areas with high temperatures, like Florida or South Carolina, the majority of the year is a good season for bass fishing! Typically, the summer months will be the best time to go after bass at night. This is because bass like to hunt in colder water, and during the summer days, water heats up. However, after the sun goes down, bass become much more active!
In the nighttime, most bass will transition from living in deep water cover and begin hunting in shallow water. If you’re fishing after the sun goes down, your safest bet is to find an area where the shallows are actually steep. In other words, look for a channel bend, ditch, or drop-off.
Also important to note is the clarity of the water! Muddy lakes or canals are not great for bass, who can’t see well in the dark, to hunt in. Therefore, if you’re hunting for bass in water that isn’t clear for at least 2 feet, you won’t have much luck.
Let the Moon Work For You
Did you know that the moon can affect the results of your nighttime fishing expedition? It’s true: bass is what is known as opportunistic when feeding time rolls around. This means that they tend to wait until conditions swing in their favor before they go hunting.
The moon’s absence gives the bass a great advantage when they go out to hunt at night. When nights are at their blackest, bass know that smaller fish and insects aren’t likely to notice them coming. The fish, who find their prey as a result of vibrations in the water, will be most active when the moon is gone or small.
However, this doesn’t mean that new moons or half moons cause bass to stop hunting. It just means you will have to find a clear, non-muddy body of water to fish in under the moonlight. The cleanliness of the water means that the sun will have slowed the bass down during the day. They’ll be eager to feed in clear water even if the moon is bright!
Stay Patient
Fishing is, of course, renowned for being a patient sport. However, in bass fishing, particularly at night, patience is a great tool to be mindful of! Though bass are hunting and active during the times and locations listed above, they may only be hunting in your particular spot for an hour before their activity dies down. If you aren’t patient, you could miss this window.
A key to fishing in the dark is to rely on the vibrations of your bait instead of working them too hard. Because of their poor night vision, bass that are feeding when night falls can often aim for a piece of bait and then miss it.
One wrong jerk or pop of your bait, even as it puts out vibrations that the bass can sense, and you may lose your fish before it is even on the line! Instead, minimize the amount of movement you put on your baits and wait for the vibrating lures to do their job.
Don’t Use Colored Lures
Typically, those who fish for bass during the daytime know that they need to match their bait to the colors of the type of food that bass typically eat. For example, a silver type of bait is preferable when the bass’ food of choice is minnows.
In contrast, at night, most experts insist on fishing with black or dark types of bait. This is because, although bass have a hard time seeing in the dark, a black type of bait will stand out markedly against the moonlight. Couple this with the clean water locations we’ve discussed, and you have a recipe for night-fishing success!
The best types of lure to use are blue, black, or even deep brown spinnerbaits. Try a Texas-rigged ribbon tail worm, around ten or twelve inches. If you happen to be fishing in the spring, many fishermen swear by red crawfish-shaped bait.
A good rule of thumb is to match the clarity of the water to the bait. If the water is dirty or unclear, darken the color of your bait.
Fish Safely
As exciting as it is to go out and prepare to fight large bass on still night waters, it is still important to remain safe! Remember to wear a personal flotation device in case the monster you’re catching manages to yank you out or you misstep in the dark.
Additionally, though it’s no fun to think about, sometimes your boat can flip or an accident can happen. It’s dangerous to have these things happen when you’re alone at night, so consider taking a fishing buddy with you!
Finally, though it was mentioned earlier, you’ll want to bring plenty of sources of light for yourself. Fish can be attracted to green lights, and don’t forget to bring extra bulbs for your headlamps!
In Conclusion
In conclusion, bass fishing at night is as exciting as it is challenging! The best rule of thumb is to know how bass in your chosen fishing location will behave before setting out to catch them in the dark. Pack a sturdy but sensitive rod equipped with dark lures and bait and a fluorescent line. Stock up on blacklights, headlamps, and fish in clear, shallow waters to catch bass!