What are your guys' favorite night time lures? I've never night fished but I'm planning on doing it a couple times this summer. I've heard of using buzzbaits, spinnerbaits, big worms, and jigs. Also bass pick up dark lures better at night?
Iv never stayed out when its dark dark but a hour after sunset usually and black buzz baits all the way I always wanted to try true night fishing but I pass out to early when I'm home to head back out lol
Spinnerbaits & rattling lipless cranks work well for night time fishing but they are not my favorites, for night fishing I have only one favorite: Arbogast Jitterbug.
Big Ole Worm, Big Ole Craw Worm, a Big Ole Jig-N-Craw & lots of deep water structure
I guide at night in Wisconsin. Here are the baits I fish at night. Big black Jitterbug ( change out the hooks ),big worms up to 15", 3/4 oz.football jigs,swimming jigs,beaver baits,Paca and baby Paca craws! I know I am forgeting some.I fish deep water from 10 to 40 ft. I fish them on a T-rig, C-rig, drop shot,or a C-drop shot rig.
Most night-fishing I've done has been during the summertime and on natural lakes rather than deep reservoirs.
After the splashabouts are off the water, bass on the shallow flats are more receptive.
I prefer black lures at night which contrasts nicely against the lighter sky. I also like "topwaters" which give me full control
over the time I can spend in one spot. Among my favorite nocturnals are the Arbogast Jitterbug and Magnum Pop-R..
Roger
Since most of the areas I fish at night are no deeper than 7-8', I use a 1/2 - 5/8 oz. spinnerbait in black/blue with a #11 Pork Frog trailer or a big worm in black/red glitter or junebug. I'll also have a black buzzbait and a jig as backups in the rod box when the fish turn down my first two options.
On 6/9/2011 at 1:07 AM, RoryO said:What are your guys' favorite night time lures? I've never night fished but I'm planning on doing it a couple times this summer. I've heard of using buzzbaits, spinnerbaits, big worms, and jigs. Also bass pick up dark lures better at night?
I used to Guide at night and the ones you mentioned are the norm for most... Your choices in each particular bait presentation should possibly revolve around the amount of water movement, vibration, noise, and possibly be more snag resistant since your lack of vision might result in casts that are in heavy grass or brush. Soft Plastic Buzz baits and Toads, Spinner Baits with big Colorado Blade, Big Worm with Big Movement and Rattle jig w/High action trailer. Hope that helps!
Big O
www.ragetail.com
I typically use the same things I use during the day. One thing that will help you alot is a black light and florescent line; for your bottom baits. Seeing the line helps alot. Topwaters and spinnerbaits work well. Ive done just as well with white spinnerbaits as i have black. I think the blade size and shape probably matters more than anything.
If had to choose 1 lure at night it would be a big plastic worm Texas rigged with a rattle weight, second would be jig & pig. Colors black/blue neon.
Keep it simple at night!
Tom
I fish a heavily pressured small lake here in southern Wisconsin. It is gin clear most of the time and very weedy. I've had great luck fishing at night using top-water baits like many others have mentioned. Two baits I particularly like but have not seen mentioned yet are the Rage Shad & Rapala DT-1. I like the Rage Shads around the lily pads. Over the submerged weeds, I've had great success with the DT-1s. They do not really dive to 1-foot. They are more of a big fat wake bait. I've gone so far as to have a couple of DT-1s custom painted black specifically for night-time fishing. I think the DTs must be being discontinued because every Gander Mountain I've gone into has them deeply discounted. Good Luck.
Whets
Big dark colored worms, jigs, spinnerbait, and buzzbaits. I've caught some big fish on a black Zara Spook but if you fish one at night or any topwater for that matter make sure you feel weight before you set the hook. Set the hook on the splash and you'll be trying to dodge a bunch of treble hooks you can't see .
On 6/9/2011 at 11:52 AM, Whets Lines said:I fish a heavily pressured small lake here in southern Wisconsin. It is gin clear most of the time and very weedy. I've had great luck fishing at night using top-water baits like many others have mentioned. Two baits I particularly like but have not seen mentioned yet are the Rage Shad & Rapala DT-1. I like the Rage Shads around the lily pads. Over the submerged weeds, I've had great success with the DT-1s. They do not really dive to 1-foot. They are more of a big fat wake bait. I've gone so far as to have a couple of DT-1s custom painted black specifically for night-time fishing. I think the DTs must be being discontinued because every Gander Mountain I've gone into has them deeply discounted. Good Luck.
Whets
Ditto here but northern Illinois.
Favorite night bait is 1/2 oz. double bladed buzzbait in black. Have caught several nice fish using this in between swatting mosquitos.
X2 on the Rage Shad. This is probably my favorite all around bait to fish, day or night. Good thing at night is if you cast into a patch of junk, you won't have to burn it in and clean it off. Start reeling and hang on. Much more forgiving. Buzzbait seems to draw in bigger fish but Shad has nailed some big ones also. Don't forget big spinnerbait with single oversized Colorado blade.
I think all DT baits are being phased out. The manager at my local Dick's said they can't get them anymore. Too bad.
As others have said, Black Jitterbugs work very well, either one piece or two piece, caught them on both. Another one is a jointed Rapala, J11. Black and gold have worked well for me.
I might be goin old school here but I have always like using Jitterbugs and topwater Torpedos. Also a spinnerbait (dark colored w/ colorado blades)
10 inch black/blue or even black/red curly tail worms
and i also use a black buzzbait
I went to my neighborhood pond the other night after work and threw a black and purple spinnerbait with 2 Indiana blades. To add some bulk, I threw a Yum Mighty Bug on it. It worked well and even had an overly ambitious bluegill try to eat it.
Black Jitterbug or a black spinnerbait.
This lure never seems to be brought up, like never, ever, ever, everrrr in terms of just all around general bass fishing...and that is the Kelly's Worms. I prefer the solid purple with a single white stripe, prerigged, 2-3 hook, weedless.
They are such a simple and basic lure. Not too flashy, no bells and whistles, just an soft plastic worm with a few hooks and the option to go weedless or not.
Ive honestly had the best fishing of my life Day And night using these worms. Especially the purple, black, blue, and natural color. I promise, throw that thing out there and let it sink to the bottom then slowly drag it in and you'll slam'em ALL DAY.
ALSO...The one and only, SENKO has never let me down. Rigged up weightless/weedless with a 3-4ot offset hook...Moneyyyyy
I swear by using weedless hooks. If we feel a bump and the weedless keeper comes up still closed we hit something. If it comes up open we had a strike and a miss. Slow down your line speed on the next cast. I've seen the bass grab the tail of the worm. That tells me I'm reeling too fast.
night time baits I like the mister twister top prop. In a slow reel just fast enough to make the prop spin. Any topwater popper or spook that has a rattle in it. A shot of bass attractant doesn't hurt too.
Fact/tip,
i find myself reeling too fast sometimes, I'm in a rush to fish. I slow down and work the area over slowly. Slowing down your line speed is the key to success.
my favorite presentations is a 1-2-3 twitch n pause. Make the twitches even, try short pauses and longer pauses. Another one is a slow reel, line speed. Move the blade baits just fast enough to make them spin. With crankbaits just fast enough to make a short slow wobble just under the surface. You can make the deeper running cranks run more shallow by going slower on your line speed.
Buzzbait .
Spinnerbait
Texas rigged soft plastic
and Crankbaits .
Those are the four lures I use most during the day too . In my neck of the woods I have never got on deep bass at night. 6 foot is about the limit . But the best spots are where I catch deep bass during the day just closer to bank .
Fish about anything as long as it has a large profile, displaces a lot of water, and makes a lot of noise and vibration.
Jigs, cranks, long arm spinnerbaits with a large colorado blade, Zara Spook.
A-Jay
I like a nice big spro rat. Tons of water movement and good sound. Color me diffrent
On 6/9/2011 at 1:25 AM, eyedabassman said:I guide at night in Wisconsin. Here are the baits I fish at night. Big black Jitterbug ( change out the hooks ),big worms up to 15", 3/4 oz.football jigs,swimming jigs,beaver baits,Paca and baby Paca craws! I know I am forgeting some.I fish deep water from 10 to 40 ft. I fish them on a T-rig, C-rig, drop shot,or a C-drop shot rig.
What is a C-drop shot rig? I've never heard of it, of course I am still fairly new to bass fishing.
On 8/28/2017 at 2:00 AM, A-Jay said:
A-Jay
Never thought of putting a trailer on my spinnerbaits. Gonna have to try that! ?
Wow a 6 year old thread!
Early evening transitioning to night I like deep diving red/black and Shad colored DD22's on steep rocky points. I also fish jigs in Black/brown/purple colors in the same areas.
Brushy areas with more cover I use dark brown BBZ1 Spro big rats and Black Dog wooden Shell Cracker and wake them. Also fish big soft plastic worms in the same area.
After it's dark and depending on how things went during dusk I switch to both big worms like Uptons 9" and 13" black grape blue neon or Hersey light blue and black/blue jigs most of the time and throw the rat to change things occasionally plus use the red/black crankbait on rocky points.
Don't like a lot of different rods out at night.
Tom
On 8/28/2017 at 5:59 AM, MichaelCopeland said:Never thought of putting a trailer on my spinnerbaits. Gonna have to try that! ?
Works during the day too ~
A-Jay
On 8/28/2017 at 6:18 AM, A-Jay said:Works during the day too ~
A-Jay
Right on. Is white colors as good in murky water as black and blue and other dark colors?
On 8/28/2017 at 6:46 AM, MichaelCopeland said:Right on. Is white colors as good in murky water as black and blue and other dark colors?
It is for me Michael ~
A-Jay
On 8/28/2017 at 6:48 AM, A-Jay said:It is for me Michael ~
A-Jay
Gonna have to buy me some white spinnerbaits, chatter baits, Buzz baits and jigs to see if they work well for me too. I have some of the dollar spinnerbaits and buzzbaits, but they're cheap and it's kinda noticeable. The band for the skirting isn't very tight and the skirts keep trying to come off. Plus I don't think the action is as good.
I have tried spinnerbaits at night with mixed to poor results where I fish. Double blades, single thumper blade, white/chartruese, black/blue, black/chartreuse, silver, copper, gold blades, you name it.
Tom
The spro rat has been the most productive bait st night followed by a black spinner bait
I fish night a lot at local Ponds. Black 3/8 oz Jitterbug is my favorite late summer - Fall. Winter and Spring, as long as it's not a full moon, I've had consistent success throwing a pearl white chatterbait with a white ice super Fluke jr trailer. White grubs are fantastic at night too so I think that contrast works. On full moons, I like using a black and silver sassy Shad on a chartreuse roadrunner or a black powerworm in various sizes
for night fishing , it's time for rat's and buzz frogs
that savage gear rat is money ...... .