Pro angler Brandon Lester takes you through his night fishing guide and shows you what to do to be successful and have a good time fishing at night
The dog days are here, and recreational boat traffic is crowding the lake. The best fishing to be had during summer is after the sun goes down.
Around my home in Tennessee, most all of our club-level tournaments go to nighttime hours this time of year. Let’s talk about why the nighttime bite is so good, what to look for and baits that work well at night.
First and foremost, if you’ve never spent a night out cruising your local lake, I think you’ll find it is the most quiet and peaceful fishing you will ever do. It’s like the whole world is asleep, and you have free rein of the lake. Baitfish often become more active at night. The water cools just enough to get fish to come to the shallows and feed. Bass are a lot like us in that 100-degree temperatures make them want to find somewhere cool to hang out. Their feeding windows become shorter this time of year, and mostly occur after dark.
Night Fishing Guide to Hot Spots
When looking for night fishing hotspots, think high percentage areas where you know bass live and feed. Keep in mind that they can’t see as well at night. They must rely on their lateral lines to find food. Start at lighted boat docks, boat ramps, brushpiles and points. When you find a good spot, revisit that place several times during the night because it will probably hold multiple fish. Also, don’t be afraid to fish places you wouldn’t dare fish during the day because of too much boat traffic, such as boat ramps and marinas. At night, when these places calm down, fish pull up and feed around them.
You don’t need any specific gear for night fishing if you can get used to the fact that you can’t see your line. Many night fishermen use the exact same gear at night as they do during the day. Around my home lake, we fish clear blue fluorescent line at night and attach a black light to the side of the boat to see the line with ease. It helps. There’s nothing more fun than watching that line jump in the black light and knowing a fish just hammered your bait.
Just about any bait that will catch a bass in the day will also catch one at night. The No. 1 key is to slow down. A fish’s strike zone shrinks at night because they can’t see as well. Slowing down helps put the odds in your favor.
Some of my favorite baits are Texas-rigged worms (fished on an MHX NEPS 86HF). From small straight tail worms like the X-Xone Fat Finesse Worm all the way up to 11- and 12-inch worms, and even creature baits. Another great option at night is a spinnerbait. I usually throw a 3/8-ounce Kinkee Baits spinnerbait (fished on an MHX NEPS 86MHF) with a single No. 5 Colorado blade in black and blue color. The thin wire of this bait really lets it thump.
By Brandon Lester
For another night fishing guide, click here
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