When Should I Start Considering Night Fishing? 2024
DocNsanE reply :
Hi all,
I know how the moon affects night fishing, but how do the water temps and seasonal patterns affect the bite at night? I had a lot of fun fishing a top water in the heat of the summer last year and I can't wait to do it again. However I doubt I would be very successful seeing as the water temps are still in the 40-50s.
Thanks for the help
Catt reply :
I've already started but our water temps are in the upper 60s.
slonezp reply :
Right before sunset
Rented Mule reply :
I'd consider it as soon as the water hits 50 degrees for LM's maybe even 45 degrees for SM. You're certainly aren't going to do it with topwaters. When I fish early spring at night, it's usually with a large single spin. My whole thinking changed about night fishing temperatures after reading an article in In Fisherman, not sure if it was Stange, or Csanda, but these guys were catching monster bass at what I would consider
"late winter" temps. The article was published in the early 80's. These guys were fishing reservoirs somewhere in the Midwest if I recall.
The only reason I was doing it was come late March or early April, my home lakes in PA were getting pounded during the day. During the night, except for some diehard Walleye fanatics, I was the only Bass boat on the lake. You wouldn't catch as many as you typically would during the day, but you could certainly catch them.
The thing I remember the most was it was COLD. I'm now both too old and too tired to fish at night.
So, don't worry about the temps as long as it's over 50, bundle up and go out and see for yourself. You might just be amazed. Prior to that eye opening article, I would only fish at night in the heat of the summer, when everyone else was too.
Have fun
ABW reply :
Whenever the nights get warm enough to where you aren't freezing your butt off.
Big C reply :
#1 tip with night fishing: go when it's dark.
Maxximus Redneckus reply :
When u go out in the day time and before the door closes your Shirt is soaked from sweat
wytstang reply :
When the moon hits the sky like a big piece of pie....Sorry I couldn't help it.
WRB reply :
Catt spends more time on the water at night then anyone on this site, listen to him.
Tom
Bluebasser86 reply :
I've caught them at night while it was snowing and part of the lake was frozen, I wouldn't suggest it, but it can be done. After the spawn is about when I start thinking about going.
RoLo reply :
On 4/29/2015 at 12:24 PM, wytstang said:When the moon hits the sky like a big piece of pie....Sorry I couldn't help it.
Dean lives 
Mr Q reply :
Night fishing for bass can be so much fun! Some things to remember are:
Walk softly along the shore - bass can detect ground vibrations near the shoreline or boat noises which can spook them away.
Absolutely NO light of any kind whether on the water or shore fishing - a sudden light flash into the water can spook lots of fish in the area. Strangly, distant or nearby lightning flashes don't seem to bother the bass much but when the thunder gears up, its time to quit for the night.
Moon out? I have had success on nights with or without the moon out.
Steady or rising barometer is the best time with a falling barometer the worst.
Wind? I find the calmer the night, the more productive the fishing is.
Rain? Sorry, I love bass fishing at night but not that much when getting back in the car soaking wet.
The best thing about night bassing is that most people don't do it and that's definitely in your favor for a peaceful, quiet night's fishing.
Catt reply :
Absolutely disagree with the noise theory, unless you weigh several hundred pounds I highly doubt you'll create enough vibrations to be detected by bass. On many occasions when things are dead still, someone will crank an outboard, I fire a cast at the prop wash & hook up. Sometime ya gotta wake em up!
I also find light do not bother bass, many times while walking a bank or trolling shallows I'll shine my q-beam into the wayer & see bass just sitting there, turn off the light, fire cast cast & hook up. Lighted docks, lighted boat ramps, a row of camps with lights along the bank will be deadly areas.
Darkness covers up an angler's presence & most of all his mistakes!
TX18_E90 reply :
On 4/29/2015 at 9:31 AM, slonezp said:Right before sunset
wuchr20 reply :
When you dont have time. I dont like the dark and mosquitos. And also it is very scary. 
RoLo reply :
Years ago 
Roger
Ozark_Basser reply :
On 4/30/2015 at 4:42 AM, Catt said:Absolutely disagree with the noise theory, unless you weigh several hundred pounds I highly doubt you'll create enough vibrations to be detected by bass. On many occasions when things are dead still, someone will crank an outboard, I fire a cast at the prop wash & hook up. Sometime ya gotta wake em up!
I also find light do not bother bass, many times while walking a bank or trolling shallows I'll shine my q-beam into the wayer & see bass just sitting there, turn off the light, fire cast cast & hook up. Lighted docks, lighted boat ramps, a row of camps with lights along the bank will be deadly areas.
Darkness covers up an angler's presence & most of all his mistakes!
This is so true. I remember night fishing on bull shoals lake one night. We shored the boat and drank a few beers and took a break. I shined a maglight over the boat and saw two 12-13 inch bass sitting in about 8 inches of water right next to the boat. We sat there right above them at the water's surface with the light directly on them. They acted like we weren't even there. When I stuck my hand in the water they took off, but daytime bass would have been much more leery.
Bob C reply :
On 4/30/2015 at 2:26 PM, Jiggin said:This is so true. I remember night fishing on bull shoals lake one night. We shored the boat and drank a few beers and took a break. I shined a maglight over the boat and saw two 12-13 inch bass sitting in about 8 inches of water right next to the boat. We sat there right above them at the water's surface with the light directly on them. They acted like we weren't even there. When I stuck my hand in the water they took off, but daytime bass would have been much more leery.
I caught my largest LM next to a swim area marker with kids yelling and splashing just a few feet away.
Catt reply :
Here's a little more about sound
On the Louisiana side of Toledo Bend about mid-lake is Fort Polk, the Army's only Combat Training Center. On certain days they have live fire practice wirh M119A2 105mm Howitzers, not only can you hear it but it shakes the entire lake.
Sound happens daily in the life of a bass!
HoosierHawgs reply :
On 4/30/2015 at 9:36 AM, wuchr20 said:When you dont have time. I dont like the dark and mosquitos. And also it is very scary.
Bugs are my biggest problem with night fishing... but as long as I've got a can of bug spray, I'm good!
RoLo reply :
On 4/30/2015 at 10:31 PM, Catt said:Here's a little more about sound
On the Louisiana side of Toledo Bend about mid-lake is Fort Polk, the Army's only Combat Training Center. On certain days they have live fire practice wirh M119A2 105mm Howitzers, not only can you hear it but it shakes the entire lake.
Sound happens daily in the life of a bass!
Some more about sound:
After the splashdown of a big topwater plug, an age-old practice is to wait for the ripples to disappear.
Are we waiting for frightened bass to regain their composure?
Nope, we’re waiting for bass attracted by the noise to close-in on the lure (1st Twitch – BAM!)
Roger
Mr Q reply :
On 4/30/2015 at 4:42 AM, Catt said:Absolutely disagree with the noise theory, unless you weigh several hundred pounds I highly doubt you'll create enough vibrations to be detected by bass. On many occasions when things are dead still, someone will crank an outboard, I fire a cast at the prop wash & hook up. Sometime ya gotta wake em up!
I also find light do not bother bass, many times while walking a bank or trolling shallows I'll shine my q-beam into the wayer & see bass just sitting there, turn off the light, fire cast cast & hook up. Lighted docks, lighted boat ramps, a row of camps with lights along the bank will be deadly areas.
Darkness covers up an angler's presence & most of all his mistakes!
Wow! Your experiences sure shatter mine on the subject of noise/light at night. Assuming what you say is true, what could explain such opposing experiences? Perhaps the location you (pond) mention have bass that are so used to these "turn offs" they no longer apply? The ponds I fish at night have very little, if any fishing activity at night and that may explain the opposing condition results? The ponds around where I live are very "dark adapted" as to the fish - even a tiny penlight flashlight shown into the water scatters all the fish, including bass. I'm baffled to say the least 
Has anyone else run into such opposing conditions/reactions to light and sound at night at a dark pond location???
Catt reply :
Uh! Ya better re-read this thread!
I aint alone 
bigbill reply :
When the moon hits the sky like a big apizza pie that's amor'e.On 4/29/2015 at 12:24 PM, wytstang said:When the moon hits the sky like a big piece of pie....Sorry I couldn't help it.
Pizza is a'beets In italian in American it's pizza.
bigbill reply :
Right now here it's 60 degree days and still very cold nights. You can night fish, no pesky bugs yet.
When the bugs are out in full force that's the time to start night fishing post spawn.
bigbill reply :
Fish detect ground vibrations. My buddy John showed me this with his goldfish pond. There's a rock sticking out of the ground 20' away from the pond. He taps the rock with his foot and the fish come to the waters edge to be fed.
I'm walking softly ever since. Stealthy. The big bass are feeding near the shoreline at night. On eels.
No boat, no motor, no click from a baitcaster reel. Close the bail on your spinning reel by hand. Completely voiceless, noiseless, stealthy like we're not there. To go after the big ones you better be on your game at night.
Close the car door quietly, handle your tackle quietly.
RoLo reply :
On 5/1/2015 at 5:36 AM, bigbill said:When the moon hits the sky like a big apizza pie that's amor'e.
Pizza is a'beets In italian in American it's pizza.
In New Jersey during the 1950s, pizza was commonly called "la beets" and "tomato pie".
The word 'pizza' came later, which eventually replaced the others.
Roger
Paul Roberts reply :
On 5/1/2015 at 12:17 AM, Mr Q said:Wow! Your experiences sure shatter mine on the subject of noise/light at night. Assuming what you say is true, what could explain such opposing experiences? Perhaps the location you (pond) mention have bass that are so used to these "turn offs" they no longer apply? The ponds I fish at night have very little, if any fishing activity at night and that may explain the opposing condition results? The ponds around where I live are very "dark adapted" as to the fish - even a tiny penlight flashlight shown into the water scatters all the fish, including bass. I'm baffled to say the least
This is an interesting topic. I've seen it go both ways. Ground vibrations can definitely be transmitted into the water and fish may react negatively or learn to ignore it. I know one thing is for certain, they are highly sensitive to it. I used to take new anglers to ponds or trout streams and challenge them to approach without alarming nearby fish. It can be utterly impossible, especially where the ground is soft/wet. How fish react to disturbances varies a lot however.
Fish can and will filter out regular background noise, (and many other types of stimuli), essentially ‘normalizing’ it. Catt’s artillery example is a good, yet not unprecedented, one. Also, his comment about “waking them up” is not a joke. At times, such disturbances can turn sleepers into biters. Stealth can be smart and is my default position, but one should be aware of the range of possibilities out there. I’ve added rock-throwing and other aggressively invasive tactics to my bag of tricks.
As to lights at night, I used lights very little when bass fishing, but when trout fishing along Lake Ontario I used lights, or was around angler’s lights, a lot. Interestingly, lights didn’t bother some fish –especially those in spawning condition in which the fish’s fright responses took a back seat to other matters. Domestic rainbows were less apt to spook too. But anadromous origin “steelhead” would freak out at light and leave the shore on a dead run, I watching the wakes make beelines for the horizon and disappear into the gloom. I finally stopped using lights and avoided the lanterns of other anglers. The biggest issue with lanterns was people walking in front of them throwing a shadow, which could clear the area of trout.
How bass response to lights, and sound, most probability varies with circumstances and their experience.
As to the orig topic: I only night fished for bass in summer. I find others comments interesting; appreciate your sharing them. Telemetry and other research shows highly variable activity by bass at night. There is no one way bass respond to darkness. If there is a key it lies in the balance for food and security. Food availability and vulnerability are key and vary across waters.
Night fishing comes into its own for me on highly pressured waters and when day time temps get high. The difference in fishing results can be like ... day and night. 
Jtrout reply :
I casted my chatterbait today on my baitcaster and just the noise from the lure pulling line I spooked a school of bluegill Before the lure even hit the water
Catt reply :
On 5/1/2015 at 10:09 AM, Jtrout said:I casted my chatterbait today on my baitcaster and just the noise from the lure pulling line I spooked a school of bluegill Before the lure even hit the water
Was it the noise or the sight of the lure?
I've bass spook & I've seen them wait for it to touch down!
RoLo reply :
On 5/1/2015 at 10:09 AM, Jtrout said:I casted my chatterbait today on my baitcaster and just the noise from the lure pulling line I spooked a school of bluegill Before the lure even hit the water
Small fish in particular have a hair-triggered reaction to overhead apparitions. Their overhead world is teaming with piscivores
like ospreys, eagles, seagulls, kingfishers and a throng of wading birds.
Roger
WRB reply :
When I fish at night it's usually for charity tournaments because our public lakes are not open for night fishing very often. What I have learned from experience is light doesn't bother bass, it does affect my night blindness turning light on and off light. The water is clear and light penetrates several feet. I use a underwater very bright light at the stern of my boat and it's like sitting in a lighted swimming pool and doesn't bother the bass. In fact the light draws in bait fish and sometime bass swim up to the boat.
Noise, depends on the fishery, if the bass are conditioned to noise it doesn't seem to bother them.
I fish marina areas at night often and boat traffic doesn't shut off the bite, caught a lot big bass there!
Tom
Paul Roberts reply :
On 5/1/2015 at 11:25 AM, Catt said:Was it the noise or the sight of the lure?
I've bass spook & I've seen them wait for it to touch down!
On 5/1/2015 at 12:40 PM, RoLo said:Small fish in particular have a hair-triggered reaction to overhead apparitions. Their overhead world is teaming with piscivores
like ospreys, eagles, seagulls, kingfishers and a throng of wading birds.
Roger
Ditto.
Catt reply :
Every individual body of water has a personality
Each individual bass has a personality
To be successful anglers we must discover and exploit those personalities!
DocNsanE reply :
Another fantastic response to a simple question. I really appreciate the collective wisdom of this forum and its members.
I have 2 young kids (5 mo and another closing in on 2.5yo) so my free time during the day time is basically non-existent at the moment.
I really enjoyed my time night fishing last year, so quiet, so many strange little sounds coming from the woods, that little plop-plop-plop of the jitterbug making its way slowly across the surface -- and then BAAAMMM! A crazy explosion of sound as a bass attacks the lure. I can't see any of it happen and I only see the fish when it gets to my feet. It's such a wonderful time to fish. I just can't wait to get out there and try it again.
So for colder waters I would be better off fishing something like a 10" ribbon tail or a chatterbait slow rolled along the bottom? Going for a slower presentation than a top water, something with a lot of vibration?
Catt reply :
Every so often in the process of discussions clarification is needed, this subject is one that needs some clarification.
I've received questions concerning the diametrically opposite experiences as to who is correct, both are correct. When we combine these opposite experiences what we prove is the complexity of the adversary we hunt.
As much as we would like to simplify bass behavior some times it can not be simplified, or even explained!
wuchr20 reply :
On 4/30/2015 at 11:47 PM, jakob1010 said:Bugs are my biggest problem with night fishing... but as long as I've got a can of bug spray, I'm good!
lol im allergic to bug spray. 
John G reply :
On 5/3/2015 at 2:16 PM, wuchr20 said:lol im allergic to bug spray.
Get a Thermacell
rybobassmaster reply :
On 4/29/2015 at 9:05 AM, DocNsanE said:Hi all,
I know how the moon affects night fishing, but how do the water temps and seasonal patterns affect the bite at night? I had a lot of fun fishing a top water in the heat of the summer last year and I can't wait to do it again. However I doubt I would be very successful seeing as the water temps are still in the 40-50s.
Thanks for the help
On 4/29/2015 at 9:05 AM, DocNsanE said:Hi all,
I know how the moon affects night fishing, but how do the water temps and seasonal patterns affect the bite at night? I had a lot of fun fishing a top water in the heat of the summer last year and I can't wait to do it again. However I doubt I would be very successful seeing as the water temps are still in the 40-50s.
Thanks for the he
i would try it now but should be better as the water warms up . try a moon walker single colorado blade (large) spinner black and red. SLOW ROLL IT
nosdog2 reply :
Thermocell is the best outdoors invention in the last 10 years imo.
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