Bank Fishing In The Dark? 2024

fish-fighting-illini reply :

I fish a large portion of the time from the Bank & in the dark.

Does anyone else fish this odd combination?

papajoe222 reply :

I fish a lot at night during the dog days and occasionally from shore. What applies to fishing from a boat also applies to fishing from shore, but being shorebound has it's advantages.

First and foremost, know the area you're fishing, especially the terrain you'll be standing/walking on. Second, slow down. This is no time to be in a hurry. If you only have a couple of hours to fish, get your mindset on concentrating on the details and you'll be forced to slow down. I'm not implying slow presentations, just being deliberate. Third, keep your equipment to a minimum. Clutter is not only a hassle to deal with in the dark, it can be dangerous. This is one area where being shorebound has an advantage as you are likely just bringing the essentials with. If you're fishing anywhere there is lighting, keep it in your face, not to your back. At the very least don't stand directly under shoreline lighting. Carry a landing net, more than one flashlight or a combination of cap light and flashlight. The advantage you'll have when it comes to using them is you can turn your back to the water when you turn them on.

As far as lure selection goes, use the same ones you'd use during the day. If you have them in dark colors, so much the better, but remember that baitfish don't get darker in color at night, so color selection is at the very bottom of my priorities. Unlike fishing during the day, however, steady retrieves seem to work better at night.

One last note. If you can, by all means bring a friend. At the very least, tell someone where you're going and how long you intend to stay.

TrapperJ reply :

If alone and bank fishing at night, my mind plays to many ticks on me, I suddenly envision 100's of snakes crawling everywhere.

Jig Meister reply :

Nothing like a black buzzbait at night in the summer time to really get some nice violent strikes.

Southfork reply :

Probably half of my fishing is alone on the bank in the dark.

fish-fighting-illini reply :

I fish some smaller lakes so I go at night to avoid the crowd. I generally get there about 30 mins to 1hr b4 dark, maybe 7:30 or 8 pm. As soon as it gets dark most everyone else leaves so except for a couple of meat hunter catfish fisherman I have the lake to myself as I only fish for bass.

By in large I catch 10x the amount of fish from dusk to 10pm than all of the daylight hours combined.

This works at one lake more so than the others which confuses me a little.

endless reply :

If bank fishing especially small ponds and so forth I toss out chatterbaits. Seems to be the only thing that works for me. I just fan toss as I circle the pond.

fstr385 reply :

Full or nearly full moon nights with black frogs or large poppers. Ive caught some bank fish too with light t rigged worms and even senkos. Snakeheads down here like the night bite too. Ive tried black jitterbugs too but no luck.

5fishlimit reply :

Black and blue Chatterbait is great at night.

Matthew Veillion reply :

People laugh at me when i fish in the dark but ive.caught my personal best 5 1/2 lbs on a texas rigged senko just slowly working it. I also have caught a couple nice ones on white buzzbaits, i never use my black one for some reason which is supposed to be better, its just a confidence thing.

wademaster1 reply :

Any top water will get a hit at night in the warmer months. I do it often. I killed them with the ribbit frog last year. Use footwear that will protect you from a snakebite though. Slow down, and don't forget your light.

TrapperJ reply :

Dang sounds like I better get some good snake boots and stay out later.

I like the sound of that top water action at night

rangerboy reply :

i used to camp out on a sand bank in putah creek alot in the summer, would catfish and fish for bass. i liked dark double willow spinner baits and hollow frogs. worked out great cause the bank was higher than the water, would always let the rancher know i was there, show up an hour before sun set and walk the bank first before it would get dark. then set a lantern out with my gear so i could see better.

Bluebasser86 reply :

I bank fish at night a lot in small ponds and lakes. A lot of the nearby lakes and ponds get tons of pressure during the day so night fishing is usually way more productive. I normally only carry 2 rods, one will have a 3/8oz black on black Cavitron, the other will have a 10" worm or 3/8oz jig.

wademaster1 reply :

Like Bluebasser said, most waters don't receive near as much pressure after light, the bass tend to act like deer during deer season. Come out to feed after the commotion settles in the safety of the dark.

MCS reply :

Yeah as long as I know there ain't no gators in it. LOL Mostly a gated community pond or something fenced animal free. but still keep a lookout for them red eyed toothy devils, snakes and pigs just in case.

Diggy reply :

I usually get caught out in the dark and keep fishing until mosquitoes send me in. Thank god for the flashlight app on my cellphone.

Darren. reply :

I would love to fish in the dark here in VA, but the local reservoirs are sun-up to sun-down and a stiff fine if you're caught after dark. Would have to travel further to find other spots.

But I have fished private ponds at night, back when I lived in NY. Best topwater bite I ever had was on a jitterbug on a moonlit night. Cast out over pond, reeled in and BANG. Good time was on!

Bankbeater reply :

If I am going out night fishing from bank, I walk it in the daylight so I can find any trip hazards.

TrapperJ reply :

Alright all these good stories about bigguns biting at night have me ready to try it this year, maybe on a warm full moon i'll give it a try.

Topwaterspook reply :

Trapper, check out the Manns Seizmic Toad in white or southern toad color . Great nightime topwater bait........those two colors are the ones that float.

fstr385 reply :

Full moon nights or even the day or 2 before and after are not only good beacuse of the lunar effect itself, but during peak hours when its up overhead and its clear out it lights up out, you can see and my favorite it on top water with the light, the fish can see the lure on top shadowing the light. Which triggers more strikes. More accurate strikes at that.

BigBassBarry reply :

Buzz Bait or Jitter bug at night. Oh how I love to fish a black jitter bug at night.

thehooligan reply :

I fished the banks at night all the time, favorite bait is my sammy 85, always do well....

shootermcbob reply :

I have found myself fishing thru the night more and more over the past few years. The lake nearest my house gets a lot of not only fishing pressure but also many pleasure boaters and folks riding jetskis.

I usually go after dark....maybe 9-10 pm, then stay until 8-9 am the next morning. I often will catch a little powernap in the middle of the night.

I take a few rods and have a few more in the car, carry my normal tackle bag, and also have two headamps...just in case. one more thing, I take deep woods off, but have noticed that after about midnight or so, the bugs seem to go away...apparently it is past their bedtime.

I use the same lures I normally would with two exceptions..I throw a black jointed jitterbug and I throw a booyah "moontalker" spinnerbait. I also have luck with same lures as in daytime..senko, grubs, squarebills, lipless cranks, and craw-type lures.

Jake Coucoules reply :

Youll definetly find out how big the bass in the lake are if you night fish. One time i was fishing and saw a huge commotion and thought it was a huge school of fish and i kept casting to no avail and when i walked over i saw it was a pack of muskrats! I had fished that lake my entire life and never saw one. And always check your surroundings because like others said snakes come out at night.

A-Jay reply :

I do fish quite a bit at night - it's just very cool - the whole experience.

But I do not fish from the bank.

I've seen a couple of the "maker of the tracks" in and around the boat ramps so . . .

A-Jay

Christian M reply :

I do a ton of bank fishing in the dark during late summer, black & blue Chatterbaits, single colorado blade spinnerbaits, jitterbugs, & dark colored soft plastics have all produced some big bass for me.

PABASS reply :

On 1/28/2013 at 9:51 AM, TrapperJ said:
If alone and bank fishing at night, my mind plays to many ticks on me, I suddenly envision 100's of snakes crawling everywhere.

That be awesome, you don't have many Venomous species in OK, especially ones that love water, copperheads mainly nocturnal during the hot nights, however western cottonmouths are nocturnal, just use a flash light and watch your step you will be fine.

Jay Ell Gee reply :

On 1/29/2013 at 1:57 AM, TrapperJ said:
Alright all these good stories about bigguns biting at night have me ready to try it this year, maybe on a warm full moon i'll give it a try.

You really should give it a try Trap. I actually fish the pond outside of work when I get off late. It is extremely weedy, so I only bring ribbit frogs and hollow body frogs/mice. I don't have enough open water to run a buzzbait or gunfish, even if I wanted to.

Think a topwater bite during the day will surprise you? Try it during a quiet night!

TrapperJ reply :

You guys have me convinced at Top Water bite!

Sweet, my old man has some docks on his ponds i feel a little safer up there, just hope the coyotes dont decide to come and inspect me lol

maybe ill invest in a little lighting to bring with me as well.

Jay Ell Gee reply :

On 2/7/2013 at 1:35 AM, TrapperJ said:

You guys have me convinced at Top Water bite!

Sweet, my old man has some docks on his ponds i feel a little safer up there, just hope the coyotes dont decide to come and inspect me lol

maybe ill invest in a little lighting to bring with me as well.

If coyotes get near you, consider yourself lucky. I hunt them and it's hard enough to get a shot on one in full camo with a call!

It's a lot of fun. Colorado blade spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, big curly tails or loud plastics, even paddle tails all work very well.

Get you some this summer!

Pegwedge reply :

I picked up a tackle box at the local pawn shop filled with jitterbugs, torpedoes, and poppers this fall. In with the jitterbugs was one with a glow in the dark paint job. Anyone ever use one? I'm like to think it'll catch fish but I'm honestly not really sure. Either way it's going to be the first lure I tie on come the first summer night I get to go out.

Texfisherman reply :

This was always my cup of tea growing up. Especially the golf course ponds. I caught all of my biggest bass (except for my PB) at night. I've always been about finesse, so throwing a t-rigged ribbontail, wacky-rigged Zoom Trick Worm, or a Junebug colored Shakyhead worm produced results. A dark spinnerbait or chatterbait can really tear them up at night, also! To this day, I prefer night fishing over daytime fishing, especially in Texas, where the temps/humidity get so horrid.

georgeyew reply :

Never caught one at night, but is it as much fun fighting and pulling the fish in if you cannot see in the dark? Part of the fun for me is to watch the line zig zag to the right and left.

But I suppose a fish in the dark is better than none at all.

PABASS reply :

On 2/8/2013 at 4:57 AM, georgeyew said:

Never caught one at night, but is it as much fun fighting and pulling the fish in if you cannot see in the dark? Part of the fun for me is to watch the line zig zag to the right and left.

But I suppose a fish in the dark is better than none at all.

Its a different experience, depending on how you light the night you can still see fairly well. I have fished in pitch black I still had fun and I didn't know what I had until the bass was in my hands, although it was a bass pond so I kinda knew hehe.. I have fly fished in the dark, under moon light and it was a blast, if you have not tried it I would say its worth at least a try, especially top water action, talk about fun.

Rustyhook24_7 reply :

I usually fish this fair sized pond around where I live at night and I've had great success throwing rattling square-bill cranks, a black spinnerbait with a large number 5 Colorado balde, the Rattlin Romba bait (if you do not own one of these I highly recommend them for night, submerged grass, lily pads, and overhanging trees), floating frogs, and large black worms of various types. The baits are very productive in the dark water that I fish and I've had many explosive bites throwing around the lily pads and laydowns that scatter the place. One night in particular I remember catching two five pounders of my own and one of my friends pulled in his personal best of six pounds on a rattling square-bill. I recently purchased some floating snakes from the bog baits website and will throw these in the summer this season and will hopefully break my personal record of about eight and three quarter pounds because the large bog baits have a good reputation for catching lunkers.

zwhiten12 reply :

Black booyah clacker buzzbait! The bass can't resist!

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