Bass Night Fishing? 2024
Joedodge reply :
So I've night fished for inshore and Sharks. But never messed with bass at night. Id like to give it a try as the summers coming and it gets warm. But a lot of where I fish is nature preserve and park lakes that close at dusk. But I have a few I can try. Do you guys have a suggestion on lure choice, or tactics in general. Seems so weird to do a finesse type fishing in pitch black
A-Jay reply :
The list of factors that make Night Time Bass Fishing Operations attractive to me is long & varied.
In no particular order: the lake is usually empty, the winds are usually less than during the day, the bass are often a little shallower, Top water baits are pretty good at night, the bigger bass are often a less wary under the cover of darkness, a spinnerbait is like magic, and to key in on the present for you personally - a moon burn is highly unlikely 
but do bring insect repellent.
As for tips & techniques - fish the same type of productive water & baits you have success with during the day. However, drop shots, & super finesse stuff may not be necessary at night.
Fish places you know well, wear a PFD, tell someone where you'll be & when to expect you home. Bring at least Two Lights (headlamps work well). Keep your gear & boat deck neat clean & organized or you'll find that loose plug stuck some where bad.
Have Fun and bring a camera with a flash . . .
Good Luck
A-Jay
Dogmatic reply :
I fish mostly topwater, but also throw large spinner baits, jerk baits, and swimbaits, but only when I know what I'm fishing. I found the key is getting your eyes adjusted to the dark, which means rarely using artificial light(flashlight,head lamp, ect...).
Joedodge reply :
Wow ok awesome guys! I have a small pond I fish alotin the day time that has good 1-1.5 pound fish and it's always accessible. I'll probably try there first. And I know a larger pond I can also. The parks all get locked up. I never thought of throwing spinners at night, but it makes sense!
Ozark_Basser reply :
Use the same things you do in the day. Expect to find bass up super shallow. Think of where the baitfish would go at night. Most baitfish cannot see nearly as well as bass, especially at night, so they relate to super shallow cover and the bank. The bass follow. So be careful with light so you don't spook the fish.
Some baits really do excel at night though. Wakebaits are good. Walking baits don't seem to do as well at night as they do at dusk, but they will still catch fish. Jigs and chatterbaits are my two favorite night baits with a trailer. A lot of guys like pork as a trailer at night. I just use RI sweet beavers. As far as colors, dark colors like black or brown work fine.
justhere reply :
Black Jitterbugs are a good bait for night time bass. Hearing them blow up on it is such a thrill. I also use shallow cranks and twister tail grubs with spinner arms.
Dogmatic reply :
On 4/2/2015 at 5:56 AM, Joedodge said:Wow ok awesome guys! I never thought of throwing spinners at night, but it makes sense!
I use "midnight specials" black with big thumping colorado blades. As for other baits, almost all my night fishing baits are black,(except for my CL8 bait baby possum) they just silhouette better.
whitwolf reply :
On 4/2/2015 at 5:50 AM, A-Jay said:The list of factors that make Night Time Bass Fishing Operations attractive to me is long & varied.
In no particular order: the lake is usually empty, the winds are usually less than during the day, the bass are often a little shallower, Top water baits are pretty good at night, the bigger bass are often a less wary under the cover of darkness, a spinnerbait is like magic, and to key in on the present for you personally - a moon burn is highly unlikely
but do bring insect repellent.
As for tips & techniques - fish the same type of productive water & baits you have success with during the day. However, drop shots, & super finesse stuff may not be necessary at night.
Fish places you know well, wear a PFD, tell someone where you'll be & when to expect you home. Bring at least Two Lights (headlamps work well). Keep your gear & boat deck neat clean & organized or you'll find that loose plug stuck some where bad.
Have Fun and bring a camera with a flash . . .
Good Luck
A-Jay
This is a great post. I can't stress enough being familiar with you body of water, It's a different animal at night. If you don't know your surroundings well I highly suggest going slow and being overly cautious.
As for baits, I'm partial to Zoom 8" big dead ringers, jigs(with rattles) a black spinnerbait, and a R.I. sweet beaver.
bigbill reply :
I was up at 3:30am hit the shore by 4:15 start fishing. I start with top water, poppers, spooks, propbaits, then shallow cranks, then deeper cranks etc. I throw a ritual of different baits.
Fishing in the dark the key to success is being stealthy, very stealthy. So quiet it's like your not there. I drive up slowly, close the door on the car slowly, walk up to my spot softly. Put my tackle box down lightly. Handle my rods with no noise. I use spinning reels only. I close the bail after a cast by hand. Any noise out of the norm spooks the big bass near the shoreline. Be very very quiet.
My PB of 10# was caught 2' from shore at 5:am. Right at dusk as the sky was lighting up.
I caught more bass in numbers in the evenings but the area is too crowded. So I tried the early am. I find the bass are bigger.
Plus we get to watch the night turn to day. I watch the big yellow ball come up thinking about Louie Armstrong's what a wonderful world.
Night fishing is awesome. I been told after the early evening bite after the place calms down the bass turn on again around 10pm. I never tried it.
Now as the night becomes day I run the same baits again. But I then go deeper cranks, Carolina rig senkos. I throw jig and pork trailer on the Rocky point. I have a weedlines that runs parallel to the channel away from me. It's good for a few bass at the transition point.
Each area is different just stay focused and motivated.
Joedodge reply :
Wow thanks so much for the awesome replys everyone. I am super pumped to try this. Always did well for snooks and shark at night and loved it!
bigbill reply :
Just be safe and aware of your surroundings. I heard a bear one night hoot. I had one near my car. There was one spotted at a nearby school.
I had a bobcat 15' away from me.
The bass fishing is awesome. I go anyway. I heard a bass do a body slam.wow.
AQUA VELVA reply :
Tons of good advice here from guys who know. I night fish my home lake a lot. What works for me are black jitterbugs, black Z-Man chatter baits and a black spinnerbait with a single colo blade on it. Sometimes a black buzz bait will be very productive also. Be careful with jitterbugs and buzzbaits. Don't set the hook till you feel the weight of the fish on your line or you could get a face full of lure. Good fishing!
Big C reply :
Watch out for the BOOGERMAN.
stkbassn reply :
Night fishing is my favorite kind of fishing for bass. I also look better in the dark 
Seriously I love to throw 12 inch power worms in black or black grape. I also throw storm jointed thundersticks right along the bank..reel slow and steady listening to the rattle and get ready for the explosion. Wait until you feel resistance and snap your hookset. Also, large wake baits like the ms slammer work well...bbz 6 inch or 8 inch floating shad..6 inch is great for me. Spinnerbaits are great too...I wake them closer to the surface on moonlit nights. Have a blast.
Catt reply :
Darkness covers up an angler's presence and most of all his mistakes!
Fish the same baits, the same locations, and techniques you would during the day. My best trip ever with a Drop Shot was at night. The only thing different I add to my repertoire at night is a Q-Beam!
Give special attention to night lighted areas; lighted docks, lighted boat ramps, a row of camps with lights along the bank or a single camp with a light near the water.
Shallow vs deep; I have not noticed a distinct advantage one way or the other. I will normally fish both areas thoroughly staying with the one that produces the best results. However shallow water does offer a greater opportunity to use different techniques.
WRB reply :
Night bass fishing has lots of advantages over day time. The one big disadvantage is the poor visibility we have. Difficult to judge distance, tie knots, see where you are going or stepping on.
My advice is to keep it simple at night and be safe. Flash lights, cap lights, navigation lights and spot light all help you see better. Light also attracts bugs, you are in Florida! Nocturnal critters are active at night; snakes, gators etc, be careful.
Rat swimbaits, buzz baits are good surface lures at night. Soft plastic worms of all sizes and jigs are good at night.
Crankbaits work good from a boat, just need to learn to cast in the darkens keep the lure in water.
Let someone know where you are and take a cell phone.
Good luck.
Tom
PS, use the search tool, lots of night fishing threads to look at. Listen to Catt!
Bluebasser86 reply :
Man I got excited just thinking about night fishing again! Night time is a great time to catch big fish and practice the KISS method of thinking. I fish a big dark jig, a big dark worm, and a bladed jig about 90% of the time. I don't like topwater or treble hooks at night because I've had too many baits come screaming back at me when someone didn't follow the rules and set the hook when they heard an explosion. Trying to unhook a bass on trebles is hard enough in the daylight, much worse at night.
SirSnookalot reply :
I fish pre dawn everyday (at the ocean), fish don't swim out of the water but gators and mocs do. I never bass fish at night in Florida from shore, not worth the risk for me.
Bluebasser86 reply :
On 4/2/2015 at 2:28 PM, SirSnookalot said:I fish pre dawn everyday (at the ocean), fish don't swim out of the water but gators and mocs do. I never bass fish at night in Florida from shore, not worth the risk for me.
I stepped on a ground hornet nest bank fishing in the dark once, that was a bad night.
Mr Q reply :
Around where I live, no one goes night bassing. That's a shame since its an excellent time for shore fishing.
Where I live, all the local "dead" ponds (in the daytime) become alive with large bass at night. All the ponds I fished were heavily covered with pond lilies so I picked a shore spot during the day and made many casts into the openings till I could place the surface lure into the openings with my eyes closed. Then I tried the exact same spot at night when the water was calm. The first (and only) bass I caught made such a racket fighting me that the pond area was "turned off" from all the noise. In these cases, get one bass then leave for the night. Strangely, lightning flashes don't seem to spook them at night but any loud noises from shore or lights will.
The most productive shore night lure for me is a spotted or black jitterbug in top water vegitation ponds and in open waters, a spinnerbait retreived close to the surface. The jitterbug drives the bass crazy with its slow gurgling noise and like other say, the strike can be so dramatic that once experienced, you will then never quit night fishing for bass! And the "dead" ponds mentioned above - they only produce small "trash" fish during the day but once dark, the bigger bass come close to shore feeding on frogs and the jitterbug resembles a wounded frog swimming - an easy meal for a large hungry bass. People don't beleive I catch 6-10 pounders in these dead ponds but I don't care - the thrill of the strikes are so nice to experience 
Bankbeater reply :
Make sure you know the area and your surroundings. Visit the area in the daytime, and take a good look around.
Joedodge reply :
Thanks so much everyone, I wouldn't dare fiah new territory alone at night in FL. We have enough deadly critters in the day time. I'll try the few lil ponds first and see how a night trip gos and fish some simple lures, like spinners, or roostertails and jigs. Maybe a frog
Senko lover reply :
The first time I ever went night fishing, I got about 5 strikes on my Popper in the course of 15 minutes. It was exhilerating!
The second time I ever went night fishing, I got my reel tangled so bad that I lost all the line on it.
So definitely make sure you bring a light with you.
In general, throw your favorite lures, but retrieve them slower and use darker colors.
papajoe222 reply :
My favorite lake is super clear and the major feeding time is from dusk until around midnight with another peak period beginning around 3:00AM. Both of these occur in shallow water from 1ft..-6ft. as the main forage here is minnows and they stick close to shoreline weeds.
My night time baits are geared toward mimicking those minnows. Long/narrow cranks, smaller spinnerbaits with willow blades, and PopR's worked steadily for hard baits and grubs on darter jigheads and Flukes for soft plastics.
During the 'off' period I'll move out deeper and switch to big, ribbon tailed worms, fat cranks and Colorado blade spinnerbaits. Jitterbugs and ChugBugs or PencilPoppers for topwaters
This is the only water I fish from my boat. My other night fishing is restricted to ponds which I'll fish with the same baits I'd use during the day.
wytstang reply :
This is on my to-do list this year, I would love to see how a slow rolled chatterbait does during a full moon. I'm definatly getting a jitter bug as well because everything Ive read about them during the night I want to experience.
scaleface reply :
I like to night fish. It usually takes a couple of hours after complete darkness for the bite to get hot. Black buzzbaits are my favorite lure and I prefer moonlit nights .
wytstang reply :
Also if you are bank fishing I would bring a pistol if you can carry one. I wouldn't be without one because I want a fighting chance against any large animal that feels your its next meal. I have a battery powered lamp that I can leave on the hood of my truck to give me some visability around me, I would suggest the same for any one doing bank fishing.
Dogmatic reply :
I see a lot of people on here recommending taking lights. My advice carry a light, a head lamp and a flashlight, but try to use them very little. Better to allow your eyes to adjust. Once you turn on a light, your night vision is shot, and it will take many minutes for your eyes to readjust. Stealth is very important, so lights and noise are a "no-no". Rig everything prior to fishing, keep it simple and be familiar with equipment and surroundings. Saw the MS Slammer mentioned, yeah,I forgot to mention it, the mini slammer, in black, probably one of the best low light baits ever created. Good Luck, Be Safe. By the way, if I was in FL, I wouldn't fish from the bank at night, gators just scare the hell out of me, but that's just me. ; )
Mainebass1984 reply :
On 4/2/2015 at 9:18 AM, bigbill said:Just be safe and aware of your surroundings. I heard a bear one night hoot. I had one near my car. There was one spotted at a nearby school.
I had a bobcat 15' away from me.
The bass fishing is awesome. I go anyway. I heard a bass do a body slam.wow.
Bears DO NOT hoot. You heard an owl.
Joedodge reply :
That's my only thing lol. There out enough in the day time but at nite man the snakes and gators come ALIVE!
K_Mac reply :
This topic comes up a least once a year, for good reason: Fishing at night is great! My personal best and over half of my "big" bass have come night fishing. The quiet and solitude that can't happen on most public lakes during the day makes night fishing a fantastic choice even if the chance of more and better fish wasn't so good. Catching good fish on a cool, bright moon lit night during the heat of the summer is as good as it gets IMO.
My favorite quote regarding bait choices for night fishing comes from Road Warrior: "Night fishing is just like fishing during the day, only darker!" Getting stuck on one or two baits or techniques will limit your success. My favorite way of catching bass at night is on a big worm or jig. It takes real concentration to feel a subtle bite at night, but it will get the adrenaline pumping. The times when they try to take your combo away from you are good too!
wytstang reply :
Any chance you can have your truck (if you have one) close enought to the edge to make cast? I have a few spot I can get my truck close enough I can lower the tail gate and fish off of that. Naturally would put my lamp at the edge of the bank (safe distance not were I'm going to fall in if I don't stop on a dime) before reversing. That way you have no worrys while you work an area. To be clear areas were the water and land are the same level not a massive drop, I wouldn't recommend any one that lol that would suck in a major way
beenreelsince94 reply :
For color focus on blue and black. The moon has a lot to do with what kind of success you will have. Most people think black/blue is too dark for night fishing but that is in fact incorrect. The black/blue lures contrast well with the white moon making it extremely visible to the bass and attracting because of the shadows. Top water at night is always my go to. Frogs and buzz baits. Hope that helps!
Mainebass1984 reply :
I have had success fishing black buzzbaits, chatterbaits, and spinnerbaits. Against everything that most people mention I do well with white. My biggest bass caught at night, a 7 lb 0 oz largemouth, was caught on a white spinnerbait. I do a lot of night fishing from late june until mid august. During the heat of the summer I have my best luck. I like to target the thickest weeds beds in a lake. Everyone insists on fishing black. Try fishing a white spinnerbait. Just give it a try. You will be surprised.
A-Jay reply :
On 4/3/2015 at 2:27 AM, Mainebass1984 said:I have had success fishing black buzzbaits, chatterbaits, and spinnerbaits. Against everything that most people mention I do well with white. My biggest bass caught at night, a 7 lb 0 oz largemouth, was caught on a white spinnerbait. I do a lot of night fishing from late june until mid august. During the heat of the summer I have my best luck. I like to target the thickest weeds beds in a lake. Everyone insists on fishing black. Try fishing a white spinnerbait. Just give it a try. You will be surprised.
OK - I haven't yet but I'm going to try it.
I'll let you know - thanks
A-Jay
Alonerankin2 reply :
On 4/2/2015 at 2:28 PM, SirSnookalot said:I fish pre dawn everyday (at the ocean), fish don't swim out of the water but gators and mocs do. I never bass fish at night in Florida from shore, not worth the risk for me.
I couldn't agree more, it is very hazardous, I've done it on Lochloosa before, and it's not just the snakes, and alligators, but poachers.. Real dangerous in the whole of the 80's era...
bigbill reply :
On 4/2/2015 at 9:52 PM, Mainebass1984 said:Bears DO NOT hoot. You heard an owl.
They do a distinctive hoot. It's Three short hoots, a long hoot. They hoot mountain to mountain because they can't call 1-800-collect. There looking for a mate. I mimic the hoot and can call them right into my camp.
bigbill reply :
I see the freshwater otters splashing the fawns trying to get a drink of water at the waters edge while the doe watches while I'm fishing. At first light still at dusk. I see otters all over the place and beavers too no one is trapping here. One beaver is 48" long with his tail.
A KGB Operative reply :
Interesting thread. I'm going to definately partake come the summer. Just those d**n mosquitos :!
Mainebass1984 reply :
On 4/3/2015 at 6:10 AM, bigbill said:They do a distinctive hoot. It's Three short hoots, a long hoot. They hoot mountain to mountain because they can't call 1-800-collect. There looking for a mate. I mimic the hoot and can call them right into my camp.
You are hilarious. I am still laughing. Watch out for those bears and there bear hoots.
WRB reply :
If I had to choose 1 lure at night it would be Berkley 7 1/2" ribbon tail black with blue flake Power worm Texas rigged with 3/0 hook and 3/16 oz sliding bullet weight sinker. #2 would be a 10" with 4/0 hook.On 4/2/2015 at 7:07 PM, Joedodge said:Thanks so much everyone, I wouldn't dare fiah new territory alone at night in FL. We have enough deadly critters in the day time. I'll try the few lil ponds first and see how a night trip gos and fish some simple lures, like spinners, or roostertails and jigs. Maybe a frog
You will learn a lot about night fishing and worm fishing, plus spend more time fishing then snagging and re tying.
Tom
RSM789 reply :
On 4/2/2015 at 9:52 PM, Mainebass1984 said:Bears DO NOT hoot. You heard an owl.
Maybe it was a bear eating an owl...
Bluebasser86 reply :
On 4/3/2015 at 2:27 AM, Mainebass1984 said:I have had success fishing black buzzbaits, chatterbaits, and spinnerbaits. Against everything that most people mention I do well with white. My biggest bass caught at night, a 7 lb 0 oz largemouth, was caught on a white spinnerbait. I do a lot of night fishing from late june until mid august. During the heat of the summer I have my best luck. I like to target the thickest weeds beds in a lake. Everyone insists on fishing black. Try fishing a white spinnerbait. Just give it a try. You will be surprised.
I find that to be especially true on bright nights.
primetime reply :
Just got in from some night fishing, full moon April 3rd, and did well, I fish similar to how I always fish but I try to find open water and weed edges where fish roam or replenish so picking the right area based on structure, depth etc. is important, but my favorite search bait is probably a chatterbait with a swimbait as a trailer, I like a black blade and black and blue skirt trimmed, and 3.5" speed shad in smoke blue flake.
I always have a popper tied on, usually the Rebel pop'r and/or Chug bug or the Heddon Pop n image Is good for walking and spitting plus casts well.
My go to technique however, for ponds especially or land fishing, is a wake bait or floating minnow bait fished steady and slow to keep a v wake, and my favorite is a Rapala Jointed Gold and black j-9 or J-11 for spinning tackle, the Rebel Tiny Wake'r is great for this time of year with small bait in water, same with a yo-zuri pins minnow as they cast well for their size.
A gold 4" redfin is awesome and catches good quality fish but is tough to cast due to it's light weight but you can add some weight to it and it wakes fine, the Rapala DT Fat is good as are any wakes, or floating minnows steadily retrieved so you miss less strikes. A horny toad wakes well if weeds are an issue, and a slug-o is a good alternative to a walking lure like a spook etc....Really same as flats fishing only with weeds in the local ponds, the Spro Popping frog is a great lure for open water or weeds, it is not cheap but is quality, the booyah is solid as well....I know spinnerbaitss and worms work well, jigs, same as during the day, I just like topwater and subsurface, I will let a worm sink if nothing is working on top....I like two tone colors, red shad, any black with contrast in plastics is my preference, or a bead in front of a trick worm for sound and I like the bream color they make.
primetime reply :
I worry about snakes more than Gators since I never fish new areas at night here in florida without knowing if a Large Gator is in the area, usually if you walk up to a spot and here a huge Splash, it is not usually a person swimming or diving into the water, it is usually a good sized gator and they like to sit up on lighted docks at night, but they take off if fishing public lakes and areas 99% of the time since they are usually removed if they bother people in public areas, or communities with ponds since people freak out if they see a big gator (over 4-6 feet) since it threatens their pets and kids and usually they have them removed.
I guess my point is to be smart, I never fish new lakes or ponds unless I am with another person who knows the area and I rarely go alone, in fact I only go alone if fishing a pond that is walking distance and has safe shoreline. Pay attention when fishing frogs and topwaters over weeds,especially lily pads, for some reason gators love to chase them and Moccasins will follow them in as well, and if you hook a baby gator that is not a safe area to be in the first place and that was not a good job of scoping the area and fishing it during the day. The babies will make that chirping sound and if you have ever seen the full grown Pre-Historic Sized gators, a gun will not help if the mother comes for you, your only hope is to have a friend with a lot of courage and truly values your friendship, odds are most friends are running for help, but in all seriousness, we were talking about this tonight, it is key to listen, and also to know the lake and area, and make sure you are not walking in weeds and have a clear cut shore to fish from or dock.
Make sure to purchase a pair of Steel Tipped boots, then purchase the Hunting socks that have the protective covering in them, not sure what they are called, I have had them forever, and I roll them over my Jeans, do not wear shorts for a few reasons...bugs are awful at night plus shorts leave you vulnerable to a moccasin and they are common, but if paying attention you or your buddy can avoid them. Also never reach in to lip a fish until you know for sure it is a bass, I actually have a cheap pair of orange fishing gloves that were 1.99 that I use to grab fish at night since I never know what I am grabbing since I am famous for losing lights and not having back up batteries, or having my clip on fall off my hat etc.. rattlesnakes are very common in the sandy areas both fresh and salt & if you veer off into vegetation that is when they are trouble, and after it rains they are usually most active if the next day is warm.
Put it this way, I met a guy who has been diving for golf balls in Florida for 14 years and he goes at night, in scuba gear, golf courses are notorious for having many large gators, especially one that has fish in them, and he has only been bitten 2x I believe he told me, and he dives all the courses all night long 3-4 days a week, and he will tell you that they are scared of you and the only time they are an issue is if you startle one and step on it etc....
If ever night fishing and you see anyone scuba diving, make sure to talk to him, he was one of the most interesting people I have ever met and he should have a reality TV show, plus he knows which ponds have the biggest fish....
Be safe, smart, and it is more fun with friends anyhow, plus you usually catch more fish since you can all try different things, but don't let gators scare you just use common sense and dress the part, and know your surroundings. Good luck, Night fishing in Florida Summers are necessary, especially in ponds which get super hot.
RSM789 reply :
On 4/3/2015 at 2:40 PM, primetime said:...The babies will make that chirping sound ...
Any chance that they hoot as well?
scaleface reply :
I have been catfishing late at night with the transom light on. Baitfish are attracted to it and every once in a while something will hit them .
mprestonSEK reply :
My go to lure for night fishing is a Siebert brush jig in black with a pit chunk in perfection as the trailer. A bladed jig or swim jig in chartreuse/white are solid choices as well.
Alonerankin2 reply :
On 4/3/2015 at 2:40 PM, primetime said:I worry about snakes more than Gators since I never fish new areas at night here in florida without knowing if a Large Gator is in the area, usually if you walk up to a spot and here a huge Splash, it is not usually a person swimming or diving into the water, it is usually a good sized gator and they like to sit up on lighted docks at night, but they take off if fishing public lakes and areas 99% of the time since they are usually removed if they bother people in public areas, or communities with ponds since people freak out if they see a big gator (over 4-6 feet) since it threatens their pets and kids and usually they have them removed.
I guess my point is to be smart, I never fish new lakes or ponds unless I am with another person who knows the area and I rarely go alone, in fact I only go alone if fishing a pond that is walking distance and has safe shoreline. Pay attention when fishing frogs and topwaters over weeds,especially lily pads, for some reason gators love to chase them and Moccasins will follow them in as well, and if you hook a baby gator that is not a safe area to be in the first place and that was not a good job of scoping the area and fishing it during the day. The babies will make that chirping sound and if you have ever seen the full grown Pre-Historic Sized gators, a gun will not help if the mother comes for you, your only hope is to have a friend with a lot of courage and truly values your friendship, odds are most friends are running for help, but in all seriousness, we were talking about this tonight, it is key to listen, and also to know the lake and area, and make sure you are not walking in weeds and have a clear cut shore to fish from or dock.
Make sure to purchase a pair of Steel Tipped boots, then purchase the Hunting socks that have the protective covering in them, not sure what they are called, I have had them forever, and I roll them over my Jeans, do not wear shorts for a few reasons...bugs are awful at night plus shorts leave you vulnerable to a moccasin and they are common, but if paying attention you or your buddy can avoid them. Also never reach in to lip a fish until you know for sure it is a bass, I actually have a cheap pair of orange fishing gloves that were 1.99 that I use to grab fish at night since I never know what I am grabbing since I am famous for losing lights and not having back up batteries, or having my clip on fall off my hat etc.. rattlesnakes are very common in the sandy areas both fresh and salt & if you veer off into vegetation that is when they are trouble, and after it rains they are usually most active if the next day is warm.
Put it this way, I met a guy who has been diving for golf balls in Florida for 14 years and he goes at night, in scuba gear, golf courses are notorious for having many large gators, especially one that has fish in them, and he has only been bitten 2x I believe he told me, and he dives all the courses all night long 3-4 days a week, and he will tell you that they are scared of you and the only time they are an issue is if you startle one and step on it etc....
If ever night fishing and you see anyone scuba diving, make sure to talk to him, he was one of the most interesting people I have ever met and he should have a reality TV show, plus he knows which ponds have the biggest fish....
Be safe, smart, and it is more fun with friends anyhow, plus you usually catch more fish since you can all try different things, but don't let gators scare you just use common sense and dress the part, and know your surroundings. Good luck, Night fishing in Florida Summers are necessary, especially in ponds which get super hot.
http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2012/05/09/helmet-cam-catches-alligator-leaping-out-water-attacking-kayaker/
And this...notice the 21 century increase in attacks.
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fatal_alligator_attacks_in_the_United_States_by_decade
bigbill reply :
On 4/2/2015 at 9:14 PM, wytstang said:Also if you are bank fishing I would bring a pistol if you can carry one. I wouldn't be without one because I want a fighting chance against any large animal that feels your its next meal. I have a battery powered lamp that I can leave on the hood of my truck to give me some visability around me, I would suggest the same for any one doing bank fishing.
If a bear comes near me ill find his zipper and take his fur coat.
bigbill reply :
On 4/3/2015 at 9:46 AM, Mainebass1984 said:You are hilarious. I am still laughing. Watch out for those bears and there bear hoots.
My camp is in Rochester,vt right near you.
bigbill reply :
Ok all you had your fun poking me.
Search, "BEARS HOOT LIKE AN OWL"
Get ready for an education. Trust what I tell you it's real.
Ozark_Basser reply :
Here's one I got tonight on a bronzeye frog in killer gill. Moss was everywhere, so the frog was pretty much the only choice. Water temp was 55 degrees and falling when I checked it. First top water fish of the year.On 4/2/2015 at 6:08 AM, Jiggin said:Walking baits don't seem to do as well at night as they do at dusk, but they will still catch fish.
bigbill reply :
We still have some ice on and snow flurries today.
I have new rods and reels sitting here for over a year now. Been sick but better now I'm ready to wet some lines and drown some crankbaits.
primetime reply :
The guy who was on a kayak and decided to bring his 10lb dinner bell dog with him to a lake is just dumb. That story is the story everyone uses about what not to do when in a kayak, it is like living on a lake, and leaving your dog chained outside and then wondering how it ran away?
If Kayaks were Dangerous because of Gators, They would not rent them at Every State Park, Lake Toho, Harris, and have Kayak trips on the Hillsbourough River here in Tampa where it is loaded with Gators. If people were getting attacked they would not be renting them since insurance would put them out of business, plus it was common for Guides and older Angler's to Wade Fish the Shallow Florida Lakes on the Kissimmee Chain like Toho, and I read Larry Larsen's book on Florida Bass Fishing and he pretty much spent 30 years wading in salt and Freshwater with Sharks and Gators, people still fish out of a Float tube on Lakes, water Ski, I could go on and on...You are more likely to get killed driving to the lake or drowning due to your boat or Kayak sinking and not having a life vest, crashing your bass boat while doing 70mph after naming it the "Intimidator" in 2.6 feet of water in an airboat trail 5 feet wide, getting lost in the fog without a GPS or Navigation system etc. Last year 2 fisherman drown here in Lake Tarpon while Crappie fishing in their Jon boat while anchored in 14' of water in an area where the wind picks up quickly without warning and can cause some pretty big waves that just so happened to be large enough to come over the bow and sink the boat. They 2 guys were only maybe 1/2 mile out on a lake surrounded with houses all with boats tied up to docks, restaurants, parks etc, but they did not have a flare gun, whistle, ability to swim, nothing in the boat as a floatation device.
I understand your logic and it is quite common for people to avoid certain activities for safety reasons and I do not fault them for that since we all have fears of being attacked by a Deer while filming nature, or gators, or whatever....I have made many mistakes on the water in my life and I have learned from them and I simply respect the outdoors, prepare for the worst if it happens, but if I were to be attacked by an alligator while fishing and not breaking any golden rules of safety then so be it...I am much more likely to die by lighting strike to be honest since I often push that one a bit too far when the fishing is good (I use my fiberglass rod to be safe)...
People swim with Great White Sharks, I like to Bass Fish at night, and I know how to swim, navigate, and I do not float tube personally although when I lived in NY and was in college I did it all the time, and people would always tell me I am crazy because of "Snapping Turtles"...fear of the unknown is normal, but I still feel like the fins on my feet make me look like a giant turtle in a float tube, so I do not do it, but when I see someone else doing it I just figure they know the lake and habits of predators in the lake.....Sorry for the ramble, I get frustrated when friends from work will ask me to take them fishing after work and when I tell them that we are taking a hike into the woods and fishing till midnight, they skip out because I am crazy and that is dangerous, so they go to happy hour instead, have a few drinks, and drive home nice and relaxed thinking how I take stupid risks just to catch fish....
scaleface reply :
All I know about crocs and gators I learned from Crocodile Dundee,
Alonerankin2 reply :
On 4/6/2015 at 5:47 PM, primetime said:The guy who was on a kayak and decided to bring his 10lb dinner bell dog with him to a lake is just dumb. That story is the story everyone uses about what not to do when in a kayak, it is like living on a lake, and leaving your dog chained outside and then wondering how it ran away?
If Kayaks were Dangerous because of Gators, They would not rent them at Every State Park, Lake Toho, Harris, and have Kayak trips on the Hillsbourough River here in Tampa where it is loaded with Gators. If people were getting attacked they would not be renting them since insurance would put them out of business, plus it was common for Guides and older Angler's to Wade Fish the Shallow Florida Lakes on the Kissimmee Chain like Toho, and I read Larry Larsen's book on Florida Bass Fishing and he pretty much spent 30 years wading in salt and Freshwater with Sharks and Gators, people still fish out of a Float tube on Lakes, water Ski, I could go on and on...You are more likely to get killed driving to the lake or drowning due to your boat or Kayak sinking and not having a life vest, crashing your bass boat while doing 70mph after naming it the "Intimidator" in 2.6 feet of water in an airboat trail 5 feet wide, getting lost in the fog without a GPS or Navigation system etc. Last year 2 fisherman drown here in Lake Tarpon while Crappie fishing in their Jon boat while anchored in 14' of water in an area where the wind picks up quickly without warning and can cause some pretty big waves that just so happened to be large enough to come over the bow and sink the boat. They 2 guys were only maybe 1/2 mile out on a lake surrounded with houses all with boats tied up to docks, restaurants, parks etc, but they did not have a flare gun, whistle, ability to swim, nothing in the boat as a floatation device.
I understand your logic and it is quite common for people to avoid certain activities for safety reasons and I do not fault them for that since we all have fears of being attacked by a Deer while filming nature, or gators, or whatever....I have made many mistakes on the water in my life and I have learned from them and I simply respect the outdoors, prepare for the worst if it happens, but if I were to be attacked by an alligator while fishing and not breaking any golden rules of safety then so be it...I am much more likely to die by lighting strike to be honest since I often push that one a bit too far when the fishing is good (I use my fiberglass rod to be safe)...
People swim with Great White Sharks, I like to Bass Fish at night, and I know how to swim, navigate, and I do not float tube personally although when I lived in NY and was in college I did it all the time, and people would always tell me I am crazy because of "Snapping Turtles"...fear of the unknown is normal, but I still feel like the fins on my feet make me look like a giant turtle in a float tube, so I do not do it, but when I see someone else doing it I just figure they know the lake and habits of predators in the lake.....Sorry for the ramble, I get frustrated when friends from work will ask me to take them fishing after work and when I tell them that we are taking a hike into the woods and fishing till midnight, they skip out because I am crazy and that is dangerous, so they go to happy hour instead, have a few drinks, and drive home nice and relaxed thinking how I take stupid risks just to catch fish....
It's fine, I just wanted to show, it has & will occur.
Not debating the percentage or other life dangers on the entirety of planet earth! I wade fished Dr. Inlet and was alone fishing in the Osceola forest many, many times... Saw plenty of gators, water moc's & large rattlesnakes, along with dangerous people! It's only a thing to consider...
WRB reply :
Bump, I know the mods hate bumps, just this last one.
Tom
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